Failure to ban ‘toxic’ vapes may lead to ‘environmental and health crisis’
MEP slams harmful vaping 20 years on from smoking ban
Disposable vapes are becoming a growing environmental and health concern. Pic: Stock image/PA
A Dublin MEP is putting pressure on government ministers to ban disposable vapes, labelling them as “highly toxic and harmful to the environment”.
MEP Barry Andrews has written to Ministers Stephen Donnelly and Eamon Ryan concerning the potential “harmful impact” of vaping on human health and the environment.
This call comes as Ireland marks 20 years of the smoking ban tomorrow, which was introduced by Micheál Martin on March 29, 2004, and has saved roughly 1,500 lives per year.
The Fianna Fáil MEP said that while he welcomes the recent ban on selling vapes to minors, he believes it “doesn’t go far enough” and outlines that efforts so far to limit the use of vapes are “not working”.
“Walk down any street in cities and towns across Ireland and you quickly come across plastic vapes discarded on paths, roadsides, in parks, under trees and lampposts, in canals and on beaches,” Mr Andrews said.
“It also remains the case that those under 25 account for the highest usage of vapes.
“I understand that banning vapes is a radical move, but we in Ireland are not afraid to take radical measures to protect future generations from the harmful impact of tobacco products.”
He added that by failing to introduce an outright ban on disposable vapes, we could be leading younger generations into “an environmental and health crisis that is entirely avoidable”.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that have a cartridge containing a liquid. This liquid usually contains nicotine, as well as flavourings and other chemicals.
Dublin MEP Barry Andrews is calling for an outright ban on disposable vapes
The Irish Cancer Society says that while short-term evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, more evidence is needed to assess the “long-term risks”.
They add that while they cannot categorically say that the use of e-cigarettes and disposable vapes increases the risk of cancer, they can say that they may cause other health problems such as lung inflammation and DNA damage in the lungs.
These products can also alter vital signs like blood pressure and heart rate.
A 2020 review, published by the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that using e-cigarettes causes significantly less harm to the body than smoking tobacco, but may still pose serious health risks.
Mr Andrews added that the lithium batteries inside disposable vapes are very “harmful” to the environment.
“When disposed of improperly, they leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water, posing a significant threat to our ecosystems,” he said.
“Most disposable vapes contain metals that can take years to decompose. They also contain plastic that never fully decomposes.
“It turns into microplastics which continue to pollute the environment and contaminate our food and drinking water.”
