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Single-use vapes are "making the world a worse place", Minister of State Ossian Smyth has said, adding that he wants to ban them. My First Vape

He said the single-use products have become very popular in the last couple of months and are very wasteful.

The Minister of State with responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy said they could be banned under the Circular Economy Act or the single use plastic directive.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Smyth said these vapes have "suddenly appeared" and contain all the material needed to vape - including the battery and electronics.

A recent study found that 50% of young people who vape are using disposable vapes, he said, and they are freely available and half the price of a cigarette.

"If you went to a summer festival, you'll have seen these very brightly colored tubes all over the ground everywhere. So they're an innovation, which I think is making the world a worse place."

Mr Smyth acknowledged that an item can never be fully banned because everything is available online, but said a ban would massively reduce the amount sold in Ireland.

"I know that you can never completely ban a product; there are always ways to find your way around it. But we're at the stage now where it is the default option. It's half the price of a cigarette, you can just go out and buy them.

"And I think that people do want the reassurance from Government if they are buying a vaping product and putting it into their lungs that this is something that is certified that they know the quantity of nicotine that's inside them, but you wouldn't know if you just bought some random product on the internet."

Mr Smyth said there would have to be a formal public consultation before a ban could take place.

He said that the nicotine products legislation later this year should include more rules about regulating vaping and a potential ban on sales to under 18s.

This is priority legislation, he added.

Nicotine Free Vapes © RTÉ 2022. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Media. RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Images Courtesy of Getty Images.