The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) welcomes the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2024 which will raise the legal age to buy cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 to 21 in the Republic of Ireland.
In 2022 RCPI called for a ban on the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21, when its Policy Group on Tobacco, supported by the Institute of Public Health Ireland (IPH) published a position paper outlining how this is an effective policy measure, with high levels of public support in Ireland and already successfully implemented in other countries.
Tobacco remains the single biggest contributor to early death in Ireland. Nearly 4,500 people die in Ireland each year from the effects of smoking and thousands of others suffer from smoking-related diseases. Most adults who become daily smokers start to smoke before the age of 18. The earlier a person starts smoking, as with any addictive substance, the more likely they are to develop an addiction.
Almost 1-in-5 people aged over 15 years of age still smoke in Ireland and risk devastating health consequences. Ireland may be losing ground in reducing smoking prevalence among children. In 2019 the European Schools Project for Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) survey found that the decline in tobacco consumption among Irish teens has stalled for the first time in 25 years and rates have significantly increased to 16% in boys while declining slightly to 13.6% in girls
A Tobacco 21 policy is a proportionate response to this situation and the gains are likely to be significant. International modelling evidence suggests that Tobacco 21 policies have the potential to reduce smoking rates by 25% among 15-17- year-olds and by 15% among 18–20-year-olds.
The introduction of a Tobacco 21 policy will reduce the accessibility of tobacco products to young people and further denormalise tobacco and nicotine products. This, in turn, will reduce the number of children and young people who smoke, improving the current and future health and wellbeing of Ireland’s teenagers.
There is substantial public support in Ireland for Tobacco 21. A survey conducted by the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2022 found that 71% of the population aged 15 years and older are in favour of increasing the legal age for tobacco sales to 21. Importantly 59% of current smokers and 64% of those who use tobacco products support the proposed policy change.
Tobacco products are highly addictive and kill 1 in every 2 smokers when used exactly as they’re intended. The only people who stand to lose under a Tobacco 21 policy are those who profit from the sale of tobacco products. Tobacco 21 is one step on a path to tobacco endgame. While many tobacco control regulations are needed, Tobacco 21 is potentially an easy win requiring only small amendments to existing legislation.
Raising the age for the purchase of tobacco products is an important step towards building a tobacco-free generation and is a huge opportunity for better health in Ireland.
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is Ireland's largest postgraduate medical training body, comprising the Faculty of Paediatrics, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Institute of Medicine, Faculty of Pathology, and Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
Additional information:
Institute of Public Health-Tobacco Mythbuster: https://publichealth.ie/sites/default/files/2023-02/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Tobacco-Mythbuster.pdf
Submitted by Mairead Heffron (Advocacy and Policy Specialist at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland)
