The Irish government is one of several taking steps to address an emerging risk to the health of their country’s young people– the growing popularity of disposable vapes.
Here’s something on the subject, courtesy of the BBC:
Irish government approves plans to ban disposable vapes
The new law is anything but toothless. An individual convicted of having supplied vaping devices to the public is eligible for penalties of up to two years in jail, along with the equivalent of $7,000 US in fines. That should be enough to discourage shop owners from prominent display of vapes at the checkout counter.
Likewise, new restrictions have been approved to limit the advertising and marketing of products that contain nicotine. Best of all, the new restrictions apply not only to vape devices currently available, but to others as they are introduced in future.
The rationale for these restrictions is twofold. First, there are many important health consequences associated with regular vaping, especially by adolescents. Second, there is significant impact on the environment from the widespread use and disposal of these devices– in particular, new reports on the effects of toxic chemicals from discarded vapes, including their batteries. These can find their way into the soil and the water supply.
If you’re not personally familiar with disposable vapes– and you may not be, because they are sold primarily to teenagers– then think of them as pocket-sized, brightly colored plastic devices made to be used for a day or so and then tossed away, only to be replaced with another.
“Disposable” in this case means the devices can neither be recharged nor refilled. Their purpose is to supply an addictive drug to repeat customers, preferably on a daily basis, quite possibly for many years, or a lifetime.
As for the health consequences, they’re numerous. For example, here’s something from the University of California at Davis on an unexpected component found in disposable vapes: lead.
