The single-use, flashy and flavoured disposable vapes that are targeting our children definitely need to be banned. However, the Government Bill only targets products which are being phased out anyway. Sinn Féin has been raising this issue for years. Ireland is years behind the curve in comparison with many countries. Vapes and nicotine pouches in particular pose a very serious health risk to children. My son is 13 years old and one in ten 13-year-olds has vaped. Their brains are still developing. We need to change tack to keep up with these manipulative companies, which are innovating and changing course. They are targeting children with rechargeable, disposable models to circumvent the legislation. We need to be equally innovative in our legislation. In my constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, there are dedicated vape shops in both Gorey and Arklow. Vaping can lead to nicotine addiction, which affects brain development, mood, concentration, anxiety and memory. It can contribute to health issues, mental health issues and a transition to smoking and tobacco products. As I said, the vaping companies are manipulating our young people through very clever marketing tactics. They are being very innovative and moving quicker than we are moving. We need legislation that can and will move with the times when these companies change tack. We need to ban vapes that target children with appealing flavours, designs and colours. These companies have a very strong social media presence, especially on TikTok. Irish research has shown that 23% of 15- to 17-year-olds vape regularly and that teenagers who vape are three to five times more likely to start smoking in comparison with those who never vaped. Vapes are harmful to the environment. In the UK, 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away every week. We then have plastic, heavy metals, nicotine salts and lithium batteries in the environment. Most of the popular vape brands are owned by the big tobacco companies. In Ireland, an estimated 12.5 million disposable vapes were sold in 2022. One in ten 13-year-olds have vaped. These disposable vapes are ending up in landfill sites. They are hugely damaging to the environment and pose serious health and environmental risks. The same companies that profited from telling us back in the 1950s how great smoking was for us are now aggressively targeting a new generation of customers, and they have vastly increased their market. We need action, and we need to be very innovative and clever in our legislation. It is about protecting the youth through education, regulation and awareness. Sinn Féin wants a ban on disposable vapes because they are the equivalent of smoking a battery. They are the most dangerous form of vape for the environment and children. As I said, this is the third Bill in three years on vaping and smoking issues. We need action and legislation instead of mere fine words. As the old saying goes, fine words butter no parsnips.

Sentiment score: 0.03