HSE Test Purchases Show Over One in Five Vape Retailers Found Selling to Children.
Despite the under-18 sales ban, 51 retailers failed compliance checks between January and October 2025.
More than a fifth of vape shops tested are selling highly addictive vaping devices to children, despite a ban on sales to under 18 year olds, since 2023.
Between January and October last year, (2025), 51 retailers were caught selling vapes to children. This represented more than 22% of the 224 shops where inspectors carried out tests to see if the devices would be sold to under-18s.
Inspections were carried out by the HSE’s National Environmental Health Service, which is responsible for enforcing a 2023 law that banned the sale of nicotine-inhaling vaping products to children. The ban came into effect on December 22nd, 2023.
Retailers caught selling vapes to under-18s face a fine of up to €4,000 and up to six months in prison.
Tipperary: local enforcement:
While the HSE figures on failed test purchases are published nationally (and do not provide a county-by-county breakdown), HSE tobacco-control conviction lists for 2025 include recorded enforcement outcomes in Co Tipperary, including:
Thurles, Co Tipperary (HSE West / North Tipperary): a retail premises listed with an outcome of €500 fine plus €1,400 costs under Section 28 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts (date of court: 15 April 2025).
Cashel, Co Tipperary (HSE South / South Tipperary): a licensed premises listed with an outcome of €500 fine plus €1,150 costs under Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts (date of court: 5 June 2025).
Note: The published conviction list records outcomes under tobacco-control legislation and may relate to tobacco products and/or nicotine-inhaling products, depending on the case.
Details outlined HERE.
Ireland also regulates the safety, quality and advertising of vapes through a 2016 European Union directive.
Since March 2024 the HSE has had the power to carry out “test purchasing” to detect retailers who may be continuing to sell vapes to children. In 2024, the HSE carried out 256 inspections to make sure basic regulations on the sale of vapes were being upheld.
From these inspections, 14 prohibition orders stopping the sale of unregulated vapes were served on shops which the HSE felt were not complying with the law.
A proposed law to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes or vapes is making its way through the Oireachtas. One of the purposes of the Bill is to make vapes less attractive or accessible to children by banning cheaper disposable vapes. It will also restrict the flavours of vapes and limit any description of a flavour other than its basic name. Colours and images on vape packaging will also be restricted.
The law is also designed to lessen the environmental impact of the disposable nicotine products.
The Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill is now being asked to include an outright ban on brightly coloured and sweetly flavoured nicotine devices, which, it is alleged, are targeted at children.
At committee stage on the disposable vapes Bill, the Government is understood to be addressing these issues.
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