Vape Ban: Under-18s in Northern Ireland now barred from buying all products, including nicotine-free varieties
Young people have been banned from buying all vapes and related products after a new Northern Ireland law came into effect.
Under-18s in the province were already barred from buying items containing nicotine, including varieties of vape with the substance.
Now they’re outlawed from having all vapes full stop, including nicotine-free varieties and e-liquids.
It’s now illegal for any shops to sell those products to under-18s, while members of the public are banned from buying them to give to teens who have not yet hit the age threshold.
The move comes after surveys showed twice as many young people in Ulster have tried vaping as have tried a cigarette.
Guidance issued by Stormont’s Department of Health states that before making a sale of a vape product, retailers must now be satisfied that the customer is aged 18 or over.
Selling to someone under 18 is a criminal offence and may result in formal action, including penalty fines or prosecution in court.
Customers attempting to buy vaping and nicotine products should expect to show ID if they’re asked to prove they are above the age of sale, the guidance adds.
The law came into effect last Thursday, alongside other new restrictions on stores selling vapes.
Shops are now stopped from carrying promotions that give away vape or nicotine products for free, offer substantial discounts on them, or award coupons for them.
The under-18 ban applies to vape devices, all liquids used to fill them, and any related components such as coils and vape pods. It also takes in nicotine pouches, strips and pearls, which are dissolvable products placed in the mouth that don’t contain tobacco.
All types of nicotine are included in the ban, including synthetic nicotine produced in a lab instead of extracted from plants.
Excluded from the legislation are medical devices and medicinal products, as well as batteries, charging devices and electrical leads.
Shane Margereson, founder of online vape shop Ecigone, welcomed the ban.
“Vapes are for adult smokers, not children, and bringing nicotine-free vapes and pouches under the same age limit is a sensible step,” he said.
According to Public Health Agency figures published last year, slightly less than one in 10 people in Northern Ireland aged 16 to 24 have tried a cigarette, but one in five have tried vaping.