Thank you for taking the time to contact your local TDs about the taxes on vapes and the proposed ban on flavoured vapes.
At a recent meeting of the Health Committee it became clear that your letters are having an impact, with many TDs and even the Minister for Health speaking about the important role that vapes play in helping smokers quit.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said that there is a legitimate public health role for vaping as a smoking cessation tool and that he personally knows people who used vaping to quit.
 “I know people who have moved from cigarettes to vapes and I believe them when they say if vapes didn’t exist they’d be smoking”
– Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Fianna Fáil, Wicklow |
His comments were in relation to the new tax on vapes introduced in the budget.
In Respect Vapers pre-budget submission, we informed the Government that such a move was a tax on those trying to quit smoking.
We also highlighted that the tax was higher than the EU average for smokers quitting with vapes. Vapers supported a tax in line with the EU average in the Department of Health’s public consultation programme.
This 50c tax looks like the Government is trying to raise funds on vapes rather than helping people use vapes to quit smoking.
Our message and your letter have impacted the views of the Health Committee.
During the meeting Deputies Cullinane and Shortall said that “we need to live in the real world” and if vaping was helping people stop smoking it should be encouraged.
 “Why are you discouraging vaping for smokers if you’re saying that smoking is far more damaging than vaping?”
– Róisín Shortall, Social Democrats, Dublin North-West |
“ I don’t like smoking, I don’t want anybody to smoke, but I have to live in the real world. People do smoke. And I think in my view, vaping is a very important smoking cessation support”— David Cullinane, Sinn Féin, Waterford |
With an election coming and a flavour ban imminent, we need all of you to make your voices heard!
Click HereTo contact your local TDs and other candidates running in the election speak to those calling to your door make sure the understand how the flavour ban and tax increase will impact you!
