FORMER HEALTH MINISTER James Reilly has called for Ireland to consider banning flavoured vapes to help prevent young people taking up the habit. 

Earlier this week, Massachusetts became the first state to officially ban the sale of e-cigarettes, while most of the US has only prohibited flavoured products. 

Michigan and New York both banned flavored e-cigarettes earlier this month, concerned by both the vaping-linked pulmonary disease as well as the tendency of flavored products to make young people addicted to nicotine.

Separately, New York’s health department recently said laboratory test results showed very high levels of vitamin E oil in cannabis cartridges used by 34 people in the state who had fallen ill after using e-cigarettes. 

Irish clinicians have told TheJournal.ie that they have not seen any cases of similar illnesses linked to vaping but they are paying close attention to see what the cause of the outbreak is. 

Reilly has said that “while the science is still evolving”, flavoured vapes like bublegum and candy make the habit an attractive prospect for people and should be banned. 

“Our approach must be rooted in the idea that vapes are designed to introduce people to a new habit and keep them active in that habit,” he said. 

So, what do you think? Should Ireland ban flavoured vapes?