E-cigarettes to be banned at HSE facilities

The use of e-cigarettes is to be banned in all health facilities from the start of next month.

The HSE made the decision following a detailed review of the safety of e-cigarettes and their impact on the organisation’s smoke-free campus policy.

It follows the decision of a number of semi-state bodies in banning their use, including Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus, and Bus Éireann.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered and operate bydelivering nicotine via an inhaled vapour.

However, as they are not technically cigarettes, they are, to date, largely free from the strict regulatory controls governing the sale of cigarettes.

The sale of e-cigarettes here skyrocketed by 478% last year — generating some €7.3m in revenue.

The HSE has announced that, from May 1, the use of the product will not be permitted in any HSE building or on any HSE tobacco-free campus.

Stephanie O’Keeffe, national director of health and wellbeing at the HSE, said the body can only recommend safe and effective products and strategies for quitting smoking, and there is “no conclusive evidence” that e-cigarettes are safe for long-term use, or are effective as an aid to quitting smoking.

“While we will keep this evidence under ongoing review, the e-cigarettes ban is being introduced, as e-cigarettes pose a challenge to the smoke-free campus enforcement and come with safety concerns for a healthcare environment,” said Dr O’Keeffe.

Dr O’Keeffe said the health service had a public health responsibility to ensuring its buildings were smoke-free.

“Smoking is the single leading cause of illness in our nation, responsible for a range of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and for over 5,200 deaths every year,” she said.

“The health services are responsible for health promotion and caring for illnesses and disease.

“Ensuring that health service buildings and grounds are smoke-free is an integral part of our approach to reducing tobacco use and harm in Ireland.”

However, John Mallon, spokesman for smokers’ group Forest Éireann, criticised the decision, claiming that while nicotine was addictive, it was “no more harmful than caffeine”.

“It may have escaped the HSE’s notice but vaping is quite different to smoking,” said Mr Fallon. “There is no evidence e-cigarettes are harmful to the user or anyone else, nor is there evidence they provide a gateway to tobacco.”

“Nicotine may be addictive but it’s no more harmful than caffeine. E-cigarettes offer a nicotine delivery system that mimics the act of smoking, which is why they’re popular with many smokers, but that’s all.”

Mr Mallon said the product offered “a useful alternative to smoking” and have helped many smokers quit.

“Banning e-cigarettes demonstrates a disturbing ignorance of human behaviour and is incompatible with the Government’s goal of a smoke-free Ireland,” said Mr Fallon.