The Government is looking into banning disposable vapes which have become popular among people in Ireland, young and old.
The vaping trend blew up in recent years with lots of smokers using them as a way to stay off cigarettes, however, now they’re seen as a gateway into smoking for teens.
While the topic of smoking among young people remains an issue, it isn't health concerns that have the government wanting them gone off shelves but rather the environment.
READ MORE: Expert tells RTE's Claire Byrne what worried parents should do if their kid is vaping
Minister of State Ossian Smyth was speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning and said it’s not that he has a problem with vaping, but it’s the littering of electronics that has become the major issue.
"I've no problem with vaping, but what's emerged in the last year is this idea of a single-use vape.
"You buy this thing, it's got everything in it - the battery, the vape liquid, it's a plastic tube - and when you're finished, typically people are often throwing them on the ground.
"I think this is a product that actually just needs to be banned completely."
He said before any major steps are taken, there will be a public consultation.
"I've been working with my officials on that; I will do a public consultation on it first,” he reassured the public.
"I think this is an example of an innovation that is really making the world a worse place.
"The idea that you would buy a product that's very attractive to children, tastes like bubblegum, you smoke on it for maybe 50 drags, and then it just gets thrown on the ground.
"It contains valuable materials: lithium-ion battery, electronics, copper, plastic".
The ban would be part of the same bill which contains the so-called Latté Levy which would bring an end to single-use coffee cups.
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