The Irish government, media, and health groups have created a hostile atmosphere for vaping. With vapers backed into a corner, it’s imperative that credible and alternative options for quitting and staying off smoking are available. Could pouches be ready to step into the breach?
Predictable position
Ireland’s relationship with the EU is complex. Accession to the then European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973 turned the country around, transforming the nation’s GDP per capita from 60% below the EEC average to one of the most prosperous member states.
Fiscal reforms in the late 80s, incredible levels of EU and foreign direct investment (FDI), and access to wider markets were significant drivers of the “Celtic Tiger”, which saw unemployment drop from 17% in 1987 to a mere 4% in the early 2000s.
I was there at the time. It honestly felt like life went from black and white to Technicolour. It seemed like everything got an upgrade, not least the confidence and ambition of the people.
It’s hard to untangle the EU from that feeling, which partly explains why the political class and the commentariat as a whole are so fawning about the union. But hard-edge scepticism is warranted.
The financial crisis wake-up call
Any sentiment that the EU was a sole force for good should have ended abruptly after the financial crisis. With French and German banks exposed to Irish financial institutions, Ireland was required to guarantee its banks and recapitalise them. In essence, Irish taxpayers were made responsible for enormous private banking losses.
Under immense pressure from the ECB, Ireland took an $85 billion bailout package. The interest rates of these EU-IMF loans were outrageous, leading to austerity measures and public spending cuts that are still felt today, not to mention the unemployment and emigration that resulted.
Privatising profits and socialising losses was despicable, especially without the consent of the electorate. Sadly, the theme of unelected bodies' interests being put before the needs of Irish citizens is all too familiar, even today.
Ireland’s war on vaping
It’s fair to say that Ireland’s policies on vaping are a localised version of the EU/WHO’s broader crusade against harm reduction. Some of the country's recent vaping regulations include:
- A disposable vape ban.
- Banning all non-tobacco flavours.
- A new excise duty of €0.50 per millilitre on e-liquids.
- Significant advertising restrictions.
These are not the policies of a country that is serious about public health. Wipe away the “protecting the kids” narrative, and all you're left with are rules that make vaping more expensive and less visible, pleasurable, and accessible. With smoking rates sitting at around 18%, these policies will have a negative impact on the existing healthcare crisis.
Vapers can’t rely on the government
The government had a chance to protect vapers, vape businesses, and public health. However, they’ve sold the Irish people up the river, again. Instead of supporting and embracing a product that could decimate Ireland’s smoking rates, successive governments have lacked the cojones to stand up for the freedom of their citizens.
Vaping was a citizen-led public health intervention. Misinformation and disinformation, alongside a succession of weak governments, messed that up. It’s clear that the government is not interested in harm reduction for citizens. So, once again, the people need to find their own way.
Can pouches save harm reduction in Ireland?
We know from both surveys and real-world data from other European countries that making vapes less accessible will raise smoking rates or force vapers into the black market. Both options are public health negatives. However, nicotine pouches offer a third way that has yet to be shut down by government meddling.
The big worry is that regulating nicotine pouches is something the Department of Health has discussed. It would be an awful misstep if the Irish government followed the likes of Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands by implementing bans on nicotine pouches, particularly when considered alongside the hostility towards vaping.
For now, shops are free to stock and sell nicotine pouches. Irish vapers should give the product a try. Then, if they’re happy with what they see, they should dig their heels in and get ready for a battle against their own lawmakers.
Final thoughts
Taking the prescribed WHO position on vaping is an insult to Irish people. Absurd and long-debunked conspiracy theories about vaping being a gateway to smoking, or worries about phantom vape-related illness, like popcorn lung, highlight a worrying lack of seriousness in this debate.
Sadly, government meddling in vapes will undo progress to reduce the smoking rate. Nicotine pouches can mitigate this setback, but ensuring access to the harm reduction products will require a spirited fight.
