Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2025) 3705
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2025/0773/IE
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
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Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20253705.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2025 0773 IE EN 18-12-2025 IE NOTIF
2. Ireland
3A. Department of Health
3B. Department of Health
4. 2025/0773/IE - X00M - GOODS AND MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS
5. The Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025
6. Single-use electronic vaping devices
7.
8. The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the retail sale of single-use vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine.
Single-use vapes are defined as vaping devices which are not intended to be reused, including devices which cannot be refilled and devices which cannot be recharged.
A separate notification under Article 24(3) of Directive 2014/40/EU has been submitted in respect of the elements of the legislation regulating electronic cigarettes containing nicotine.
Please note the Regulatory Impact Analysis for this legislation considered it as part of a suite of measures, the rest of which are under development.
9. The prohibition on single-use vapes in Ireland is justified, necessary and proportionate to achieve a high level of health protection, particularly among young people, as well as lessening the environmental impact of vaping products.
There is evidence that single-use vapes are disproportionately used by young people in Ireland. Their low price, ease of use and attractive design all contribute to increased appeal in this cohort. As most single-use vapes contain nicotine, there is a significant concern that this is contributing to increased nicotine use among children and young people, with potentially greater effects on nicotine dependence and cognitive outcomes than among adults. There is also strong evidence from longitudinal studies of the association between vaping and subsequent smoking in adolescents.
Furthermore, the Irish enforcement authority has found single-use vapes more likely to be non-compliant with existing law than other types of e-cigarettes that they examined, including vapes labelled as nicotine-free which contained nicotine.
In addition, single-use vapes pose significant challenges to waste management and electronic waste recycling, as they contain lithium-ion batteries, plastics, and hazardous substances that are often improperly discarded which can lead to further health harms.
Given the appeal of single-use vapes to young people, the heightened risk of nicotine dependence and the environmental burdens associated with their disposal, a comprehensive prohibition represents a proportionate and evidence-based response within Ireland’s national context.
Single-use vapes which do not contain nicotine are included in the legislation to ensure a coherent response to the environmental and public health impact from these products.
Specific Context
The increased popularity of single-use vapes in Ireland has coincided with a dramatic rise in youth vaping, from 4% in 2021 to 18% in 2023 among 15-24 year olds (17% in 2025).
The HBSC study of 12–17-year-olds in Ireland found that although the rate of ever-use of electronic cigarettes dropped from 22% to 19% between 2018 and 2022, the rate of past- 30-day use increased from 9% to 13%.
Similarly, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) 2019and 2024 reports show that although ever-use decreased from 39% to 32% in this time, the rate of past-30-day use had increased slightly from 15.5% to 15.7%, and daily or almost daily use increased from 4.6% to 6.9%. These figures suggest that the “conversion rate” from experimentation to regular use may have increased among children in the period in which single-use vapes became popular.
The prohibition on single-use vapes is therefore considered a necessary response to reduce youth vaping and prevent nicotine dependence.
Finally, the same categories of single-use vapes were banned in Northern Ireland in June 2025. The proposed legislation will allow for a comprehensive all-island approach to these products.
The proposed legislation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the policy objectives. The prohibition only applies to the sale of devices which meet the definition of single-use; reusable vaping devices will still be permitted for sale. The prohibition applies to all retail sales in the State, and not manufacture or import for sale outside of the State.
10. References of the Basic Texts: No Basic Text exists
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
