As we have previously reported, the Minister for Health has fast-tracked legislation to ban single-use vapes and making it an offence to sell (both physically and online) disposable vapes.
The Second Stage Debate began on December 19th and will resume tomorrow, 13th January.
Assuming it proceeds without delay, it is very possible that it may be law by the end of this, but certainly the end of February.
There is a provision in the Bill that there will be a transitional period of 6 months for retailers to sell through their stock, after which it will be a Class B criminal offence ( € 4,000 fine) to sell any disposable vapes.
The offence is selling, there is no provision to restrict the importation for personal use regardless of the environmental concerns expressed throughout the commentary leading up to the publication and in many of the Debate contributions so far – retailers will be required to toe the line while a new grey economy will thrive no doubt.
