Enforcement of flavoured vapes ban could take a year

Updated / Tuesday, 27 Oct 2026 16:55

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New legislation banning the sale of flavoured vapes and restrictions on eye-catching packaging have officially been signed into law, though full enforcement could take up to a year.

President Catherine Connolly today signed the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law after it passed all stages of the Oireachtas.

Under the legislation, the sale of nicotine inhaling products with flavours such as menthol or fruity varieties will be banned.

Colourful or eye-catching imagery on their packaging is also prohibited under the legislation.

The laws also empower the Minister for Health to regulate flavour names.

It also introduces restrictions on signage, display and advertising of nicotine inhaling products in shops and online.

The legislation, first drafted by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill last year, aims to regulate the characteristics of vapes in order to reduce their appeal to young people.

While the Bill has been enacted, the measures do not take immediate effect, with Minister Carroll MacNeill to review timelines for implementation.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health noted that the Act provides for a transition period of 12 months from the commencement of the Bill.

"The measures in the Act do not take immediate effect.

"The timelines for the measures will be considered by the Minister for Health when commencing the relevant sections of the Act.

"However, Section 21 of the Act provides for a transition period of 12 months from commencement for the measures related to appearance, packaging and flavour names of nicotine inhaling products," they said in a statement.