According to a report by esmmagazine on January 13th, Ireland will begin implementing a new retail licensing system next month aimed at combatting the illegal sale of e-cigarette products. BAT Ireland commented that this measure will play an important role in market regulation.
This policy will be implemented on February 2nd, requiring retailers to pay an annual fee of 800 euros to sell e-cigarettes and 1,000 euros to sell tobacco. Nicotine pouches are not included in this legislation.
Manager of British American Tobacco Ireland (BAT Ireland), David Melinn, stated that
We have repeatedly called for the introduction of a retail licensing system, believing it will play a crucial role in enforcing the ban on selling e-cigarettes to those under 18 and preventing the illegal sales of e-cigarette products. However, we believe the omission of regulations on nicotine pouches that do not contain tobacco is a oversight, and hope the next government will address this issue.
Stores selling e-cigarette products are required to join a registration system and undergo inspections by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Licenses are renewed annually, meaning that if a retailer's license is revoked, they will lose the eligibility to sell e-cigarettes.
Merlin added,
The majority of retailers operate responsibly, but we are concerned about some phone accessory and laptop repair shops selling e-cigarettes. We have found an increasing number of stores selling illegal e-cigarettes without the required health warnings in Ireland, which contain high levels of nicotine. We hope that this new system can crackdown on these unlawful businesses, whose actions are harming many legitimate and responsible e-cigarette retailers nationwide.
Previously, retailers selling tobacco products only had to pay a disposable fee of 50 euros, while retailers selling e-cigarettes did not require any permits. The new licensing system has been passed through statutory documents as part of the "2023 Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhalation Products) Act".
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