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September 23, 2020 by belfasttelegraph.co.uk

The latest survey looking at young people’s attitudes to smoking, alcohol and drugs shows that levels of consumption are still remaining much lower than ten years ago across Northern Ireland.

Though there has been a slight rise in the number of young people taking up smoking and having a drink, the year on year statistics still show our young people are being much more careful about taking up habits than at the turn of the century.

March 16, 2020 by euronews.com

In Ireland, menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco, along with irregularly shaped packs such as skinny cigarettes will be banned from May 20. Also included in the ban are click dual cigarettes that change from normal to menthol. Professor Des Cox is Chair of the Policy Group on Tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He supports the ban because he says menthols make starting smoking easier.

March 12, 2020 by irishmirror.ie

The vaping debate took a sinister twist yesterday after Irish scientists discovered a new health threat.

A highly toxic gas is released when a chemical found in some illegal vaping products is heated.

The research was led by chemists at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

It follows revelations in the US last year of an increasing number of lung injuries linked to vaping.

The Irish team tested what happened when they heated Vitamin E acetate – an ingredient found in THC-based vaping products.

January 20, 2020 by thetimes.co.uk

E-cigarette retailers have pledged to go to court to fight any attempt by the government to ban sales of flavoured vaping products.

Health minister Simon Harris said last month he wanted to ban flavours such as bubblegum and strawberry, which he claimed were designed to be attractive to children. [...] The Irish Vape Vendors Association, which represents independent e-cigarette shops, said this weekend it would “oppose any widespread ban of e-liquid flavours, and if this must take the form of a legal challenge then we are willing to do this”.

January 10, 2020 by thejournal.ie

HEALTH MINISTER SIMON Harris has been sharply critical of the tobacco industry in its approach to marketing e-cigarettes and vaping products.

Summing up the results of the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2018 study, Harris said:

“We’re seeing fewer children in Ireland smoke, we’re seeing fewer children in Ireland that use cannabis, [...] Although there was a five-percentage-point drop in children aged 10-17 who had tried smoking, Harris expressed concern that 22% of 12-17 year olds said they had tried vaping, and that 9% said they had tried it in the past 30 days.

December 10, 2019 by irishtimes.com

Advertising of e-cigarettes is to be restricted in order to limit the exposure of young people to them, Minister for Health Simon Harris has confirmed.

Provision allowing for the banning of e-cigarette advertising near schools and creches, and on public transport, will be added to legislation planned for next year that will introduce a ban on sales of the products to under-18s, he said. [...] The two groups say e-cigarette companies are not telling the truth when they claim sweet flavours such as candyfloss and bubblegum are aimed at adults rather than children.

October 22, 2019 by rte.ie

Minister for Health Simon Harris will bring legislation to Cabinet today to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to those aged under 18.

Today's move will make sweeping changes to how e-cigarettes are sold in Ireland.

This legislation will also end the sale of tobacco products from self-service vending machines.

It will introduce a new licensing system for the sale of tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products.

September 23, 2019 by dublinlive.ie

A leading heart consultant called for a ban on vaping and warned: “It’s more dangerous than smoking and booze combined.” President of the International Society For Vascular Surgery, Prof Sherif Sultan, described e-cigarettes as “the disaster of the century”. Prof Sultan, who is based in the Galway Clinic, is now calling on the Health Minister to ban the use of e-cigs immediately. He said: “Simon Harris needs to step in now before it’s too late and ban them. He needs to follow in Donald Trump’s footsteps. [...]

January 29, 2019 by irishtimes.com

More people die of lung cancer than any other cancer in Ireland. Yet people have less sympathy for those diagnosed with it – often at a late stage when survival rates are lower – because nine out of 10 cases are caused by smoking.

“Other cancers and diseases are not subjected to the same degree of judgment. Regardless of a person’s smoking history, everyone affected by a lung cancer diagnosis deserves the same care and compassion as other cancer diagnoses,” says Kevin O’Hagan of the Irish Cancer Society.

January 18, 2019 by irishexaminer.com

I would like to tell Minister for Health, Simon Harris, that I believe the time has come to radically address the smoking epidemic in this country.

The deaths and carnage to people’s health are undeniable. I think of the smokers who are now terminally ill lying on a hospital bed saying goodbye to their family. I have 2 girls under 2 years of age and the thought of knowing they would not have their father around because he smoked himself to death. That must really be the most tragic experience possible.