Business
Calls for ‘serious crackdown’ on phone shops selling vapes illegally
DCM Editorial Summary: This story has been independently rewritten and summarised for DCM readers to highlight key developments relevant to the region. Original reporting by Irish Times, click this post to read the original article.
A “serious crackdown” is needed against retailers breaching the new tobacco nicotine licensing system, the trade association for vaping retailers has said.
British American Tobacco said the new licensing system for the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products, such as e-cigarettes, should cover nicotine pouches.
The law comes into effect on February 2nd.
An annual licence fee of €1,000, announced in January 2025, is required for the sale of tobacco products and €800 for the sale of nicotine inhaling products.
Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), a trade body for vaping product retailers, said the system will only succeed if accompanied by a “serious crackdown on non-compliant operators, particularly phone shops selling vapes illegally”.
“Licensing is a very effective tool, but only if it is properly enforced,” a spokeswoman for the trade body said. “Responsible, licensed vape retailers already comply with strict age-verification and product standards. The real problem has always been unlicensed sellers, particularly phone shops, operating outside the law with little or no oversight.”
RVI said phone shops selling vaping products have been identified as a source of underage access and non-compliant products, including illicit vapes. It urged the HSE to prioritise enforcement of the system.
The association, which says it represents more than 3,500 vape retailers, said it “strongly supports” the introduction of a licensing system as an effective way to address concerns around underage access to vapes, enforcement of excise duty and to stop the growth of the black market.
British American Tobacco (BAT) – which owns vaping brand Vuse – has called for the licensing system for vaping and tobacco products to include nicotine pouches.
“If properly enforced, the new retail licensing system should crack down on rogue operators,” said David Melinn, the country manager of BAT Ireland. “Increasing numbers of non-traditional retail outlets such as phone shops and laptop repair shops continue to sell vapes despite lacking the necessary expertise to prevent underage access.”
Melinn said nicotine pouches “remain completely unregulated in Ireland” and said the company supports regulation to ban the sale of the products to people those under 18.
It pointed to HSE projections that “just” 448 minor test purchase inspections are expected to take place in 2026, and urged the Government to “better fund inspections to crack down on Ireland’s burgeoning black market and prevent underage access”.
BAT sells nicotine pouches under the Velo brand, and has previously called on the State to regulate the sale of the products amid concerns over the sale of high-strength pouches in Ireland.
