Micheál Martin: Vapes are the 'revenge of big tobacco'

The Taoiseach indicated strong support for a complete ban on vapes at the Fianna Fáil think-in in Tullamore 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking to the media as he arrives for Fianna Fail's annual think-in at Tullamore Court Hotel in Tullamore, Co Offaly. Picture date: Monday September 7, 2026. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The Taoiseach has indicated strong support for a complete ban on vapes and nicotine pouches as he sets his sights on limiting the number of vape shops through planning laws.

Micheál Martin has described vapes as "the revenge of big tobacco", stating that it is "depressing" that after making positive strides around tobacco-related cancers, nicotine and tobacco pouches are now "coming around the back door".

It comes after the HSE's national drug treatment centre lab found substances linked to “serious physical and mental health harms”, including psychosis, loss of consciousness, and severe intoxication in several vapes.

Concerns have also been raised around the mislabelling of vape products sold in shops and online, as research found substances were not displayed on the packaging.

Mr Martin said local authorities must now look at "the multiplicity of vape shops on a given street in different towns" and this could be addressed from a "planning perspective".

"This was done before in relation to other types of shops in the past. It can be challenging, but it needs to be looked at," he said.

The issue was discussed at length at the Fianna Fáil think-in after drugs minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor briefed party colleagues measures she is working on to curb the use of vapes and restrict the number of shops in towns around the country.

"The view this morning of the parliamentary party was that there should be a limit, because a number of deputies said in some streets and towns around Ireland you have a proliferation of them. From an architectural presentation and aesthetic point of view, even alone, that's not very good, and so there needs to be some control of that," Mr Martin said.

"Then there's the issue of vapes themselves and what they contain and the substances."

Asked if he would favour an outright ban on vapes, Mr Martin said: "In my view, products like that that are damaging to health, we should deal with in as strong a manner as possible."

Pointing to the positive public impacts of measures to address smoking, Mr Martin said: "It's depressing to see that coming around the back door, you have the nicotine pouches, you have the vapes, which are originally marketed as 'helping you get off the cigarettes,' But Dr [Anthony] Fauci and others are telling people and the peer evidence out there is that they are very damaging, maybe even more than cigarettes.

"In many instances, we don’t know what’s in them, they’re damaging to lungs, and these are serious issues for society."

Mr Martin also said that he believes an outright ban on sunbeds should be introduced.