Ireland Should Raise the Age Limit for Tobacco Products

Professor Des Cox, Chair of the Tobacco Policy Group at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI), has stated that Ireland should consider raising the age limit for purchasing tobacco and nicotine inhalation products to 21 years old.

In addition to age restrictions on tobacco use, the Chairman also suggested a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and the prohibition of advertising similar products to tobacco. Discussing the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill at the Oireachtas Health Committee, Cox explained why he believes a flavor ban is the way to go.

Compared to other age groups, teenagers are more likely to initiate nicotine inhalation products through the use of flavorings. While adults may also enjoy flavorings, the risk of initiating the use of nicotine inhalation products among teenagers and young people outweighs the benefits of using flavorings for former smokers. That's according to him.

Cox added that the theory that e-cigarettes lead to teenage smoking has been debunked by numerous scientific studies. "Research also shows that nicotine inhalation products are a gateway to tobacco smoking. Teenagers who have used nicotine inhalation products are three to five times more likely to start smoking than those who have never used such products," he said.

Taste is of utmost importance.

On the other hand, experts who aim to reduce the harms of tobacco, such as renowned cardiologist and smoking cessation researcher Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, have explained why taste is crucial in helping adult smokers quit. "Everyone likes flavors, from the youngest to the oldest. That's human nature. You want to have something interesting," said Dr. Farsalinos in a recent quote cited by filter.

Researchers have recently published a case for reducing tobacco harm and saving lives, which detailed the link between flavored nicotine products and successful smoking cessation. The report emphasized that flavor bans are ultimately a form of prohibition that would only fuel the development of large-scale black markets and increase smoking rates as many tobacco users would simply revert back to smoking.

In a recent episode of "Regulator Watch," Farsalinos discussed Health Canada's proposed ban, stating that evidence suggests such a ban could potentially have negative implications for public health, and that the reasoning behind the ban is likely to be flawed and could ultimately fail.

The so-called epidemic of electronic cigarettes among teenagers.

In the past, Farsalinos spoke out against the explanation of the so-called teen vaping epidemic, arguing that the premise of an increased epidemic due to e-cigarette use is flawed. He explained the risks of nicotine addiction and emphasized that the risks of e-cigarette use cannot and should not be compared to the risks of smoking. Farsalinos also added that it is the responsibility of public health officials to weigh the pros and cons of any intervention measures and determine the appropriate balance. He further stated that in the case of e-cigarettes, the benefits outweigh the risks, which must be taken into account.

Even if there is a causal relationship between e-cigarettes and subsequent smoking (which has not yet been proven, as shared responsibility is a more reasonable explanation), e-cigarettes have a minimal contribution to the prevalence of smoking. We should not forget that over the years, the use of e-cigarettes (mostly for experimentation) has increased among young people, while smoking rates have significantly declined. This is why the smoking rate data I mentioned earlier should be taken into account," he explained.

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