The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, has welcomed the upcoming ban on the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products through self-service and vending machines, effective from September 29, 2025. This measure, part of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023, aims to reduce the availability of harmful products and prevent children from accessing them. The Minister highlighted that this milestone aligns with Ireland’s national tobacco control strategy, supporting broader public health goals to reduce tobacco and nicotine use and ultimately save lives.
Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O’Connor emphasized that protecting the health of young people is central to this legislation. By eliminating easy access to tobacco and nicotine products, the ban seeks to prevent early experimentation and long-term addiction, reinforcing prevention as a key tool for a healthier society.
Catherine Cosgrove, HSE Regional Chief Environmental Health Officer, noted that the National Environmental Health Service is fully committed to enforcing the legislation. Environmental Health Officers will conduct nationwide inspections to monitor compliance and take appropriate action against any breaches, following guidance shared with relevant business groups in advance.
This ban is part of Ireland’s wider tobacco and nicotine control programme, which targets a smoking prevalence of under 5% and aims to progressively eliminate tobacco-related harm in line with the government’s Tobacco Endgame commitments. Under Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, vending machines are recognized as a form of promotion or advertising, and two-thirds of member countries have already prohibited tobacco sales through such machines.
Further provisions of the 2023 Act, implemented in March 2024, strengthen protections for children by banning the sale of tobacco and nicotine products at child-focused events and restricting related advertising around cinemas, public transport, and within 200 metres of schools. These steps collectively aim to create a safer, healthier environment for young people while advancing Ireland’s public health objectives.
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