After the Irish government announced a revised licensing payment for vaping companies, Vapouround delves into the changing vaping restrictions in Ireland, from license fees to regulation laws.
Vaping companies in Ireland are at risk of paying thousands of euros each year for their ‘selling licenses’, a development encouraged by new Government regulations currently being considered.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has the intent of setting a new annual licence fee of 500 euros per vaping shop owned, setting many multishop retailers up for excessive financial burden.
Licenses will be issued to owners who operate their shops for a minimum of 12 months, a mandate which will see pop-up stalls at festivals and special events eradicated.
Vape Business Ireland (VBI), although in favour of the new bill, are concerned about the future difficulties retailers will face when trying to obtain a license.
The vaping trade body have come forward to openly voice their qualms, stating that procuring authorisation ‘should be feasible and not unduly cumbersome for business owners to comply with.’
VBI also believe that prohibiting retailers from applying for a license at temporary or mobile premises fails to recognise that adult ex-smokers are relying on easy access to the harm reduction devices.
They said: “At age-gated events, and in cases where retailers are otherwise in possession of the appropriate license, VBI regrets that adult ex-smokers will now be unable to access a product… “Which has enabled more than 200,000 people across Ireland to move away from smoking.”
As it currently stands in Ireland, vape retailers only need to apply for a once-off registration of €50, meaning shop owners can sell products from any location for any length of time.
This license system, however, doesn’t account for regulation laws, a bypassed error that will stay in place until the new legislation is enacted in Autumn.
These are not the first changes being employed in Ireland, with the cabinet having recently approved a bill which will see the sale of vaping products to those under 18 banned.
Advertising vaping products near schools and on public transport will also be prohibited, another endeavour proposed by the Government to discourage minors from taking up the habit.
The Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Ossian Smyth, has also extended an invitation to the public to open a discussion on disposable waste.
The consultation opened for submissions at the start of June and is further proof that Ireland is currently in the process of a complete makeover when it comes to vaping.
From license fees to regulation laws and age requirements, it’s clear that the future of vaping in Ireland is changing, though hopefully not impeding thousands of smokers from their quitting journeys.
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