By Shauna Bannon Ward

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A new ban on cigarettes, vapes and tobacco is set to be introduced in Ireland.

The Minister of Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, explained that they are aiming to reduce smoking prevalence in Ireland to under 5%.

However, this will not be a widescale ban, but rather it affects people trying to purchase cigarettes, vapes and tobacco from self-service and vending machines.

These machines are most often found inside pubs and nightclubs.

It was confirmed that these changes will go into effect from Monday, 29 September.

Minister Carroll MacNeill stated that his ban is targeted at reducing the access to these products for people under the age of 18.

She said: “Sometimes children have been able to access these harmful products, this is unacceptable, and this ban will ensure that this can no longer happen.

“This is another significant milestone in implementing our national tobacco control policy. The ban aligns with our broader public health strategy to reduce and prevent tobacco and nicotine use in society and ultimately save lives.”

This step is a part of the government’s wider tobacco and nicotine plan to decrease the number of smokers and vapers across Ireland.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that around 18% of the Irish population still smoke.

It comes after it was reported that the HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme has turned away people who vape, but want to quit.

The programme was established in 2016 as part of the Healthy Ireland in the Health Services Implementation Plan, with it aimed at improving the health and wellbeing and reducing the number of people who smoke.

During a parliamentary question, the head of the HSE’s Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, Martina Blake, told Labour TD Marie Sherlock that they don’t have the resources to address vaping.

She said: “We do not have capacity to deliver stop vaping care and are not resourced to do so”.