Ireland is being urged to rethink its approach to vaping after official health data showed smoking rates are no longer falling.
Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), which represents more than 3,300 independent vape retailers and business owners, said Budget 2027 should protect adult smokers’ access to regulated alternatives while stepping up enforcement against illicit products.
The call comes as the Healthy Ireland Survey 2025 found that 17 per cent of people in Ireland are current smokers, with 13 per cent smoking daily and four per cent occasionally. The survey said smoking rates have remained static since 2019.
RVI argues that, with progress against smoking slowing, ministers should avoid policies that make regulated vaping products less attractive to adults who smoke.
Five Budget 2027 demands
In its Budget 2027 submission, RVI called for the Government to freeze E-Liquid Products Tax rates and introduce a tax stamp system for vaping products.
It also wants ministers to freeze recently introduced vaping retail licence fees, increase funding for underage test-purchasing programmes, carry out more product compliance inspections of vaping retailers and fund annual monitoring of the illicit vape market.
Lorraine Carolan, national spokesperson for Responsible Vaping Ireland, said: “The latest smoking figures should be a wake up call.
“After years of progress, smoking rates are no longer falling and have started to move in the wrong direction.
“We need to examine whether current policies are doing enough to support smokers who want to quit.
“Vaping is widely recognised as a lower-risk alternative to smoking and has helped many smokers move away from cigarettes.”
The submission comes after a series of new controls on vaping in Ireland. The E-Liquid Products Tax came into force on 1 November 2025 and applies to both nicotine and non-nicotine e-liquids at a rate of 50 cent per millilitre.
A new licensing system for tobacco and nicotine inhaling products also began in February 2026. Retailers selling nicotine inhaling products must pay €800 for a 12-month licence, while those selling both tobacco and nicotine inhaling products pay €1,800.
Concern over price gap
RVI said the Government should ensure legal vaping products do not become less appealing to adult smokers at a time when smoking rates have stopped declining.
“Budget 2027 should focus on supporting smokers to switch, tackling illicit products and backing responsible retailers who comply with the law.
“Maintaining the current E-Liquid Products Tax rate is important.
“Excessive taxation risks narrowing the price difference between cigarettes and vaping products, reducing an important incentive for smokers considering a switch.”
The latest Healthy Ireland figures show that 46 per cent of people who smoked in the past year had attempted to quit. Among those who used a quitting aid during their last attempt, 11 per cent used a vape, while two per cent used a nicotine pouch or pod.
Vape use remains at eight per cent of the population, according to the survey. Half of current vape users are ex-smokers, while a third are current smokers. The remaining 17 per cent have never smoked.
That split has become central to the debate over vape policy. Public health ministers have focused heavily on youth access and appeal, while retailers argue that tighter rules must not undermine the role of regulated products for adults who smoke.
The Government has already approved further restrictions on nicotine products, including limits on advertising and point-of-sale display, controls on colours and imagery, and measures to limit vape flavours to tobacco, with powers to amend this by regulation. Separate legislation is also aimed at banning single-use vapes.
Push for tax stamps
RVI is also calling for tougher enforcement against illicit products, including a tax stamp system for vaping products.
“Responsible retailers are complying with increasingly stringent regulations, paying licence fees and meeting their tax obligations.
“However, enforcement must keep pace with regulation, as rogue actors continue to evade their responsibilities under the new EPT system.
“A tax stamp system would provide Revenue and enforcement agencies with an effective tool to identify non-compliant products, tackle illicit trade and protect legitimate businesses”, she said.
The group said employment in specialist vaping retail outlets has grown by more than a third since 2020, and warned that responsible retailers should not be placed at a disadvantage by businesses that ignore tax and compliance rules.
For ministers, the policy challenge is becoming sharper: reduce youth uptake and clamp down on illegal products, while ensuring adult smokers are not left with fewer practical alternatives to cigarettes.
RVI said Budget 2027 should be used to strike that balance, with regulated vape retailers backed to play a role in smoking reduction and enforcement focused on the illicit market.
