Smoking in Ireland
In Ireland, smoking is legally allowed but controlled by comprehensive tobacco control regulations. Cigarettes are regulated as tobacco products and are permitted for sale and use with some restrictions. They may be purchased through retail outlets, online platforms, and vending machines. The importation of cigarettes for trade is allowed with a license. However, health warnings on packaging are mandatory, the minimum legal age for purchase is 18 years, and there are legal restrictions on smoking in public places. In addition, a complete ban on all tobacco advertising is in force. Cigarettes in Ireland are subject to an excise tax of 48.53% and a total taxation rate of 76.06%. Despite these regulatory and control measures, smoking continues to contribute to the national health burden. In 2024, there were approximately 730,000 current smokers in Ireland, representing an adult smoking prevalence of 17.2%. In the same year, prevalence was higher among males (20%) than females (14.6%). This prevalence was recorded to be 18.2% in 2022. In 2023, the adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence was 14%, with an estimated 675,956 daily smokers. In 2021, smoking caused 3,836 deaths in Ireland, including 2,291 deaths among males and 1,546 among females. Overall, tobacco smoking resulted in 11.89% of all deaths in 2021, representing 13.62% of male deaths and 10.01% of female deaths. These statistics underscore the continued public health impact of smoking cigarette in Ireland.
Read articles from Ireland
October 31, 2026 by vapingpost.com
Europe: Ireland Makes One Last Push for a Compromise Before Lithuania’s Presidency
Ireland has circulated two new compromise texts on EU excise duties after an earlier proposal was withdrawn and rejected by the European Parliament. A vote was postponed until November 9 to allow Sweden, a leading opponent of higher taxes on nicotine pouches, to form a government. Several other member states also have reservations about the proposed rates and their effects.
Sweden’s continuing political deadlock may prevent agreement before Lithuania assumes the EU Council presidency in January 2027. Lithuania has banned most e-cigarette flavours and sharply increased e-liquid taxes, raising concerns among vapers. However, neither tobacco taxation nor vaping is among its declared priorities, so the proposals could remain stalled.
October 29, 2026 by reason.com
Ireland Is Banning Vape Flavors. This Shop Owner Warns It Could Cost Lives.
Ireland's planned restrictions on vape flavours are raising concerns among independent retailers and former smokers who rely on non-tobacco flavours to stay away from cigarettes.
Eoin O'Boyle, a vape shop owner in Drogheda, says his business has helped thousands of customers quit smoking and warns that the new rules could threaten both specialist retailers and smoking cessation efforts.
With smoking prevalence still at 17% in Ireland, the potential impact on tobacco harm reduction deserves attention. Protecting young people remains essential, but restrictions should also consider the role of flavours in supporting adult smokers and the risk of driving consumers towards illicit markets.
October 27, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu
Ireland vape flavour restrictions clear final Seanad stage
Ireland's proposed vape flavour restrictions have cleared their final Seanad stages, despite warnings from retailers and former smokers about their potential consequences.
The legislation would restrict permitted flavour names to tobacco and unflavoured, with an amendment to retain menthol defeated. Combined with a planned 40% increase in e-liquid duty from January 2027, the measures could make vaping less affordable and appealing to adults who have already quit smoking.
While preventing youth uptake remains essential, policymakers must also consider the risk of smoking relapse and the potential impact on independent vape retailers. Effective tobacco control should protect young people without undermining progress towards a smoke-free society.
October 27, 2026 by consideratepouchers.org
Four times Sweden's tax: inside the EU's new plan for nicotine pouches
The EU's latest tobacco tax proposal could introduce a minimum excise duty on nicotine pouches more than four times Sweden's current rate by 2032.
Under the draft agreement, taxation would increase progressively from 2028, potentially affecting the affordability of smoke-free nicotine alternatives across Europe. Sweden has raised objections, arguing that taxation should reflect differences in product risk.
The proposal raises important questions for tobacco harm reduction. Higher taxes on lower-risk products could weaken financial incentives for smokers to switch, highlighting the need for a risk-proportionate approach to nicotine taxation.
October 16, 2026 by daily-pouch.com
Irish Budget Vape Tax Rises: When Will The Government Learn?
Ireland’s 2027 Budget will increase e-liquid excise from €0.50 to €0.70 per ml from January, adding approximately €2.46 to the price of a 10ml bottle, including VAT. Cigarette duty is also rising by €1 per pack, despite estimates that 28% of cigarettes consumed in Ireland in 2025 were illicit.
With smoking prevalence remaining around 17%, well above the country’s original smokefree target of 5%, the affordability of lower-risk alternatives deserves greater attention. Higher vaping costs could weaken financial incentives to switch and disproportionately affect lower-income smokers. Effective tobacco taxation should consider consumer behaviour, illicit trade and the relative risks of different nicotine products, rather than focusing on revenue alone.
October 16, 2026 by snusforumet.se
Sweden's political deadlock leaves EU nicotine tax plans in limbo
Sweden’s political deadlock is now affecting the future of nicotine taxation across the EU. The October vote on the revised Tobacco Excise Directive has been postponed until November, while uncertainty over Sweden’s next government raises questions about whether an agreement can be reached.
At the centre of the disagreement is Sweden’s opposition to EU-wide tax rules that could treat nicotine pouches similarly to combustible tobacco. Sweden has argued for taxation that reflects differences in product risk, consistent with its tobacco harm reduction approach. The outcome could have significant implications for the affordability of smoke-free alternatives and the future direction of European nicotine policy.
October 09, 2026 by planetofthevapes.co.uk
New Briefing Paper from GSTHR
The new GSTHR briefing paper focuses on a shift that is already happening: people moving from cigarettes to safer nicotine products. These transitions are not theoretical policy models; they can be seen across countries where vapes, pouches, snus and heated tobacco products are changing patterns of nicotine use. That matters because the public health gain comes from reducing exposure to combustion, even when nicotine use continues. Regulation should understand these pathways before it disrupts them.
September 30, 2026 by clearingtheair.eu
Researchers challenge Irish PM’s vaping claim
A claim from the top of government can shape what thousands of smokers believe about risk. Describing vaping and cigarettes in a way that blurs their differences does not protect public health; it can make lower-risk choices look pointless. Researchers challenging the Irish PM’s statement should be taken seriously because risk communication has consequences. Political messages on nicotine need to be accurate, proportionate and clear about the far greater harms of combustion.
September 29, 2026 by gsthr.org
The next wave of tobacco harm reduction? Emerging transitions from smoking to safer nicotine products in South Korea, Ireland and Estonia — Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction
For many people, the route away from smoking is not one clean break but a transition. The latest GSTHR Briefing Paper looks at emerging shifts from cigarettes to safer nicotine products across countries, showing how people reduce risk by changing the way they use nicotine. These country-level patterns matter because they reveal what happens when alternatives are available, acceptable and understood. Tobacco policy should learn from those real-world transitions instead of treating continued nicotine use as a failure.
September 22, 2026 by thejournal.ie
FactFind: Are vapes 'nearly worse' than cigarettes?
The phrase “vaping is worse than smoking” does more than misstate the evidence — it changes behaviour. A smoker who believes that message may see little reason to switch, even though cigarettes remain the far more harmful product. Good fact-checking restores the missing hierarchy: vaping is not harmless, but it is not smoking. Clear risk communication can be the difference between staying with combustion and taking a less harmful route away from it.
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