The relevant sections of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 have been commenced with effect from today.

The Act provides for a prohibition on selling, or causing to be sold, a tobacco product or a nicotine inhaling product at an event aimed particularly at children, or at which the majority of the participants or audience are children.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly said: “I welcome the coming into operation of further provisions of our 2023 Act.

“I am developing new tobacco control law, bringing law through the Houses and implementing law that has already passed. The urgency is to save lives that are being lost because of a common commercial product that kills.

“I am determined to help smokers to quit, to prevent new smokers being created through experimentation with tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products and to use every means at my disposal to protect the health of our population and especially of our children.”

Public health minister Colm Burke added: “As minister with responsibility for public health and wellbeing, I am working with minister Donnelly on our multiple legislative measures to eliminate this blight on the health of our population.

“We have led the world on tobacco control in the past and we will continue to forge ahead until we have eliminated this addictive and lethal threat.”