Ireland Senate Passes Bill to Raise Legal Age for Tobacco Sales to 21

According to Irish Central, on November 7th, the Irish Senate passed the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill for 2024, completing its legislative process in both houses of parliament. The bill will raise the minimum legal age for the sale of tobacco products to 21. The bill is now set to be submitted to the President for review and signing.

After the president signs, the law will take effect on February 1, 2028. The transition period before this is designed to ensure individuals currently aged between 18 and 21 who are eligible to purchase tobacco will not be affected.

The bill stipulates that current penalties will be expanded to include punishments for selling tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21. First-time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 4000 euros or face six months in prison, or both.

Ireland's Department of Health said that this measure aims to accelerate the decline in adult smoking prevalence, which have remained at 18% for many years, and reduce child smoking rates to zero. 

If the bill is passed, Ireland will become the first country in the European Union to raise the legal age for tobacco sales to 21.

"Ireland has long been a world leader in tackling smoking, beginning with the workplace smoking ban in 2004 and continuing with a range of measures including restrictions around the sale, advertising and packaging of smoking products to make them less attractive and less available to young people," Ireland's Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said.

"I look forward to seeing this measure enacted, to help our young people to avoid the lifetime of addiction and illness that tobacco smoking brings," he said.

Minister of State Colm Burke, responsible for public health and national drug strategy, said: "This measure will protect our young people from starting their adult lives with an addiction to a product that causes 76% of lung cancers here and kills half of those who use it.

"I have strongly supported its introduction from the beginning and I look forward to its enactment."

Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Mary Hogan, said: "The enactment of this legislation represents another significant step in our efforts to reduce smoking levels."

"Tobacco smoking continues to be the biggest risk factor driving disability and death combined in our country, placing a huge burden on our health service."

"This measure will contribute to eliminating that ongoing threat and will support people to follow healthier behaviours."

In December 2023, Donnelly commenced section 28 of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act to prohibit the sale of nicotine-inhaling products such as e-cigarettes (commonly referred to as vapes) to persons under 18.

In May 2024, Donnelly implemented parts of the bill that banned the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhalation products through vending machines. In December, he signed a law imposing on-the-spot fines of 2,000 euros for the sale of such products to children. 

In addition, Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at Westminster this week. The bill prohibits anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 will never be able to legally be sold cigarettes, but its implementation in Northern Ireland will be subject to the agreement of the NI Executive and support of the NI Assembly.