‘After decades of progress, we are stagnating’ – legal age of sale of tobacco to rise from 18 to 21

Stephen Donnelly will this week seek Cabinet approval for the legislation to increase the legal age by three years.

While the smoking rate in Ireland has fallen, it has plateaued in recent years and 18pc of Irish adults currently do so 20 years on from the smoking ban.

Raising the minimum legal age of the sale of tobacco products is expected to lead to a significant reduction in smoking prevalence and addiction.

According to the “Tobacco 21” report by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Policy Group, experimentation with smoking is highest among teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17.

Chair of the group, Professor Des Cox, said the age at which people start smoking is “rising over time”.

“After decades of progress, tobacco control is stagnating and we are actually seeing an uptick in use among teenage boys,” he said.

The data also shows that the ages between 18 and 21 are a time of high risk for becoming a smoker.

It is hoped that increasing the legal age will limit the “social sources” of cigarettes for children and young people under 18 as they are less likely to be socialising with older people who can legally buy cigarettes.

International modelling suggests that Tobacco 21 policies can reduce smoking rates by up to 25pc among 15- to 17-year-olds and by up to 15pc among 18- to 20-year-olds.​

The bill will be designed so that it does not affect those who are between the ages of 18 and 21 and who are currently legally entitled to be sold tobacco products. The prohibition on the retail sale of tobacco products will not apply to this cohort for a “wash through” period.

Approximately 4,500 deaths each year in Ireland are caused by tobacco smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.

Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke also cause a range of preventable illness and disability including 16 types of cancers, respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In November 2021, the Irish Heart Foundation found that 73pc of adults and 71pc of those aged between 18 and 24 supported raising the legal age.

A ban on the sale of tobacco and vape products from vending machines is also to be enacted shortly, while a second piece of legislation will address the thousands of flavours of vapes and the bright colours of the packaging.

A number of countries have already done this in the hope of creating a “smoke-free generation”. A new law in the UK will each year increase the legal age for the sale of cigarettes by one year.

Portugal aims to have a “smoke-free generation” by 2040 and Canada is hoping to reduce tobacco use to less than 5pc by 2035. Earlier this year, it became the first country to rule that health warnings should be printed on individual cigarettes.

New Zealand will ban the sale of ­vapes, increase fines on retailers that sell to those younger than 18 years old while retailers will be better regulated.