NI To Be Enabled To Legislate Against Tobacco And Vaping

The Department of Health has welcomed the UK Government's plans to enable Northern Ireland to legislate to increase the smoking age and to introduce measures aimed at reducing youth vaping, subject to Northern Ireland Assembly agreement.

In accordance with the provisions that are available, the Department will make the necessary preparations to allow incoming Ministers and the NI Assembly to take a decision on introducing the regulations in NI. The announcement follows the publication of the outcome of the UK-wide consultation 'Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping'. The consultation closed on 6 December and received 27,921 responses, including more than 1,200 from NI. The consultation report shows strong support for the proposed measures across the UK and particularly in Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health has a long-standing strategic aim for a tobacco-free Northern Ireland. Tobacco use continues to cause around 2,200 deaths in Northern Ireland each year. Alongside the immeasurable human costs, our hospitals spend approximately £200 million treating tobacco related conditions each year. Tobacco use is a huge threat to public health, but it is a threat that is entirely preventable.