is disposable vape safe

New vape tax announced in budget to take effect

A new tax on e-liquid used in vape products announced in last year's budget will take effect from tomorrow, 1 November.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed in September the so-called vape tax will apply at a rate of 50c per millilitre of e-liquid, excluding 23% VAT.

The tax affects both vape liquid bought to refill reusable vapes and disposable vapes.

It will apply to vape products containing nicotine, as well as those that do not.

It will see the price of a standard 2ml disposable vape - a popular product among younger people - go from €8 to more than €9.

However, vape refills will see more extreme increases. A standard 10ml vape-liquid refill will more than double in price, from €6 to €12.50 (when the tax and VAT are factored in).

The new levy is aimed at addressing the rising prevalence of vaping, particularly among younger people.

Stuart Cox, who runs the Crazy Vape store in Arklow, Co Wicklow, said the tax will have a "huge" impact on the sector, and he believes it could have been applied differently.

"What the tax was designed to curb, it will have the least impact on a disposable vape.

"What the Government ministers wanted to curtail amongst the youth has gone up 15% and then the adult vapers who have come off cigarettes and are using vapes are being hit the hardest - from a 130% to 465% increase - depending on the size of the bottle," he said.

"It's a disproportionate tax and the youth will still be able to get hold of the disposables at a cheaper rate," he added.

Mr Cox said his shop has already "noticed a decline over the last two years" of sales of disposable.

He added he believes there were more effective measures the Government "could have taken if they listened to the vaping society but they didn't".

The vape shop owner also warned the new e-liquid tax could "create a black market".

The UK is introducing its own version of a vape tax, but it will not come into effect until October 2026, while it will be considerably lower than what the Government here is introducing.

Health advocacy groups such as the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) have welcomed the tax.

Director of Advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation Chris Macey said it is "a vital measure in tackling Ireland's epidemic of youth vaping".

Mr Macey said one-in-three teenagers in Ireland vape and while it is not as bad for your health as smoking, this figure is still "really worrying".

"The evidence is showing brain development is affected by vaping, damage can be caused to the heart, the blood vessels, and the lungs.

"There's also evidence of a gateway effect, with young people going from vaping to smoking - and we know smoking kills 4,500 in this country every year," he said.

In relation to the argument that vaping can be helpful for people trying to give up smoking, Mr Macey said "vaping does help some people to quit but the evidence to date shows it's no more effective than much safer ways of tobacco cessation."

"We would see it (vaping) as very much a last resort, because of the damage which can come from it. The problem here is what it's doing to children and it's bringing children into a realm where they're much more likely to start smoking.

"We have brought the teen smoking rate down in a generation from 43% down to 10%, and we don't want to give up those very hard-won gains," he added.

Health experts view the vape tax as part of a suite of measures aimed at reducing the prevalence of vaping, especially among younger people.

In addition to the e-liquid tax, the Government has committed to a ban on disposable vapes, as well as more restrictive marketing for vape products.

Suppliers of e-liquid products are required to register with Revenue in advance of making a first supply of such products in the country, and they are also liable to account for and pay the tax.