Cabinet to discuss raising age for buying cigarettes and tobacco to 21

Almost one in five people aged over 15 still smoke in Ireland and risk devastating health consequences, it has warned

A memo proposing to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes and tobacco from 18 to 21 is set to come before Cabinet within weeks.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly flagged his intention earlier this month to seek government approval to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 as part of a wider strategy to create a tobacco-free generation.

Health officials are now in the final stages of preparing a memo for Cabinet, which it is understood could be considered before the end of May, on the draft legislation to give effect to such a move.

The proposed legislation is based on a private member’s bill which was prepared, before his promotion, by recently appointed Minister of State, Colm Burke, who has responsibility for public health.

The legislation is understood to be relatively straightforward and if it receives Cabinet approval, it could be enacted quickly.

While the legal age for the sale of nicotine-inhaling products such as vapes was raised last December to 18, work to further tighten the legal controls on the sale of vapes and vape products is ongoing.

Mr Burke said he has always taken a strong interest in tobacco control given that tobacco smoking remains the biggest single risk factor driving disability and death combined in Ireland.

“Each year in our country an estimated 4,500 deaths are attributable to smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke,” he said.

“In addition to the death toll, smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke cause an enormous range of preventable illness and disability including of 13% of all cancers.

“They also account for 2% of day case admissions, 5% of all inpatient admissions and 8% of all bed days at an estimated cost of €172m in publicly funded hospitals.

“As Minister with responsibility for Public Health, I am determined to do what I can to drive down our smoking rate.” 

Colm Burke said he has always taken a strong interest in tobacco control given that tobacco smoking remains the biggest single risk factor driving disability and death combined in Ireland. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Earlier this month, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland welcomed Mr Donnelly’s commitment to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.

It published a position paper in 2022 outlining how this would be an effective policy measure, with high levels of public support in Ireland and already successfully implemented in other countries.

Almost one in five people aged over 15 still smoke in Ireland and risk devastating health consequences, it has warned.

“The commitment from Minister Donnelly to raise 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,” it said.

Mr Burke, who hosted the Tobacco 21 alliance in Leinster House in November 2022, also said modelling from the US Institute of Medicine has concluded that raising the age of sale to 21 will eventually lead to a 12% absolute reduction in smoking prevalence.

“We were the first country in the world to prohibit smoking in the workplace,” he said.

“Our current smoking prevalence is 18%.

“The target in our national tobacco control policy, Tobacco Free Ireland, is to reach less than 5% of our population smoking.

“It is time to take courageous action again.

“I will do everything within my power as Minister with responsibility for Public Health to contribute to reducing our smoking rates and making our country a tobacco-free society.”