Ireland is poised to become the latest nation to introduce legislation to curb the use of single-use vapes and their packaging.
The Irish Examiner reported in late September that Minister of Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was set to introduce a pair of new laws to regulate the industry. The first is to ban the sale of single-use vapes, while the second mandates plain packaging for vapes and imposes restrictions on where and how the products can be advertised. Other restrictions, ranging from licensing to taxes, imposed by the previous government will soon take effect.
There are no plans to take action against nicotine pouches, as the Irish government is seeking guidance from the European Union on the matter.
"For that reason, the minister for health has formally called on the EU Commission to propose a revised Tobacco Products Directive as soon as possible, and for that proposal to cover all new nicotine products such as pouches in order to protect our young people," a spokesperson for MacNeill said.
The long-term health effects of vaping aren't yet as well understood by scientists as the long-term consequences of smoking cigarettes are. Regardless, nicotine is deeply harmful to young people whose brains are still developing. Additionally, vaping carries a high cost to the environment.
Americans tossed out the equivalent of 5.7 cartridges every single second of 2023. Inevitably, they end up as litter, but even ones that are thrown away properly are still problematic. The components of a single-use vape make it a highly wasteful piece of technology. Valuable materials such as lithium and aluminum are left to rot in landfills and only add to the problem of e-waste.
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Ireland's near neighbor has already imposed a single-use vape ban that came into effect in June. Similarly, several Asian nations have taken action to ban or restrict the sale of vape products.
While helpful, it's not necessary to wait for government intervention to reduce plastic waste. There are numerous practical actions that can be taken at the individual level to lessen the endless proliferation of single-use plastics in your area.
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