Responsible Vaping Ireland 2026 pre-budget submission

Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI) is the national association representing responsible retailers of vaping products. We are committed to supporting proportionate, evidence based regulation that protects public health, prevents youth access, and ensures that adult smokers can access reduced risk alternatives to cigarettes. Responsible Vaping Ireland is the nation's largest trade association for retailers of vape products, supporting 3,300 small independent vape retailers in advocating for harm reduction, youth access prevention and evidence-based regulations. Budget 2026 presents a critical opportunity to support practical, enforceable measures that enhance compliance, improve oversight, and strengthen public health outcomes. Vaping plays a significant and growing role in helping Irish adults quit smoking. In 2023 alone, nearly one in four successful quitters, representing over 23,000 people, used vapes to stop smoking according to the 2023 Healthy Ireland survey. This highlights the importance of vapes as a smoking cessation tool, and it is therefore critically important to ensure these products remain available, affordable, and subject to sensible regulation.