Working Life: 'We’re very concerned about the attraction of vapes to young people'

Dr Maurice Mulcahy, regional chief environmental health officer, HSE National Environmental Health Service at work in Galway city. Picture: Ray Ryan

Dr Maurice Mulcahy, regional chief environmental health officer, HSE National Environmental Health Service

“I was born in London after my parents left beautiful West Cork in the 1950s to find work. I moved back to Ireland 30 years ago with my family for a better quality of life.

“My choice of career was prompted by a chance assignment as a clerical assistant to the environmental health service of Camden Council.

“Seeing up close how the service protected and promoted health across a range of environmental health domains — for example, food safety, air quality, housing, pollution — had a big influence on me.

“I’ve been involved in tobacco control for 20 years-plus. A standout moment was the introduction of the workplace smoking ban. I was in the room in Dublin 22 years ago when Micheál Martin, then minister for health, launched the report on the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace. 

"He then stunned the room and shocked the world by announcing plans for a workplace smoking ban, making Ireland the first country to go ‘smoke free’.

Dr Maurice Mulcahy, regional chief environmental health officer, HSE National Environmental Health Service at work in Galway city. Picture: Ray Ryan

“My role involves rolling out new legislation and overseeing market surveillance of tobacco and related products across the supply chain, from import to retail level.

“HSE environmental health officers work with businesses nationwide to ensure products comply with the law and, where there is a serious risk to health, issue alerts and take enforcement action.

“We’re very concerned about the attraction of vapes to young people and the sale of vapes to U18s. We undertake an annual programme of test purchases, which includes e-cigarettes. Volunteer children, with parental consent, attempt to buy such products to test whether retailers are asking for proof of age.

“The worrying thing, given that tobacco and e-cigarettes/vapes contain highly addictive nicotine, is that we are still finding a high proportion of sales to volunteer children. To date this year, we’ve prosecuted nine businesses with fines up to €1,000.

“We strongly recommend that those selling e-cigarettes and vapes get details from their supplier of the products’ origins and confirm that they are legal.

“It’s time to consider what it may mean for our children if sales of vapes go unchecked.”

• World No Tobacco Day is on Saturday. For further information or to make a complaint about illegal sales of vapes and e-cigarettes, contact [e-mail].