Every Irish vaper needs to contact their election candidate if we’re to save flavours and stop a ban.

The Bill to ban vape flavours has support from every major party in Ireland and has passed through the Dáil.

With a General Election called for 29th of November, please highlight this issue by writing to your local election candidates telling them why a flavour ban will drive people back to smoking.

Drafting Your Letter

Consider these message points for your letter:

• Share your story about how flavoured vapes have helped you.
• Explain what you’ll do if flavours are banned (e.g. go back to smoking, buy flavoured vapes online/abroad etc).
• Tell them it’s an important issue for you in the upcoming election.

You can see a sample letter at the bottom of the page.

Submitting the Form

Use the form below to send a letter to your election candidates:

• Put your contact details in the Name and Email fields
• Use the drop-down menu to select your constituency
• Add your own comments or story to the editable text box
• Add your name at the end of the letter
• Hit submit and your letter will be sent directly to the inboxes of the candidates in your constituency (the Health Committee will also be copied on your response)

Alternatively, if you would prefer to contact your candidates directly you can find their contact details here.

 

Tell Your Election Candidate Your Story

Sample letter sent to Dublin election candidates from a Dublin vaper

Dear Candidate,

As a vaper trying to quit smoking, I want to share my story after the Minister for Health said he will ban vape flavours.

With a General Election on the 29th of November, hearing vapers’ voices around this issue is important. Additionally it will ensure that false statements about flavoured vapes can be corrected by the people who vape to quit tobacco.

Before vaping, I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day. I had a persistent cough and difficulty breathing, having smoked for over 15 years. The doctor kept telling me to quit smoking, and I tried everything I could to break the addiction but I just couldn’t stop.

Last year a vape shop opened in the area, and I decided to give it a go. Vaping worked for me because the vape was just like holding a cigarette. The flavours helped me as I could not stand the taste of tobacco after a few weeks.

Vaping has also helped me to save money. I am now spending €16 a week instead of €100 on cigarettes. That makes a big difference to me in paying the bills.

Vaping has given me a new lease of life. I have better health and wealth having quit tobacco. And I am one of hundreds of thousands of smokers who will tell you the same story.

I was shocked when the Government said it was planning to ban flavoured vapes, as without them I wouldn’t have been able to quit smoking. If flavours are banned I’m afraid that I’ll end up going back to cigarettes. The ban is a catastrophe for vapers and for smokers who are trying to give up.

In this election, I will be voting for politicians who support vapers and who are willing to defend flavoured vapes. I hope that by sharing my story you now understand the life-saving impact that flavoured vapes have had on me, and why this Bill risks doing more harm than good.

 

Regards,

XXX