Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 46684/22-27, to detail any planned timetable for publishing the consultation on the proposed new regulations to restrict the display of vaping and nicotine products under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026.
Minister of Health: View Original Answer
A significant factor in the growth in youth vaping is the prominent display of brightly coloured vaping and nicotine products in shops, sometimes alongside confectionery. Under current legislation, there are no restrictions on where vaping and nicotine products can be displayed in retail premises.
The UK-wide consultation, ‘Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping’, provided key evidence demonstrating support for restricting point of sale displays for vapes, with 68.3% of respondents selecting the option ‘that vapes must be kept behind the counter and cannot be on display, like tobacco products’.
The UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Act includes provisions under Part 3 that provide powers to the Department of Health (Northern Ireland) to regulate the display of vaping and nicotine products by introducing new restrictions on where tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, and their prices, can be displayed in retail settings. Part 3 includes a statutory requirement to consult prior to making regulations to regulate displays.
My officials have been working on a four nations basis to develop a UK-wide consultation to seek views on Displays of Products and Prices and it is hoped that this will launch soon. The consultation will be open for 12 weeks, following which responses will be analysed and used to inform future policy options before making regulations.
By reducing the visibility of these products and therefore the appeal and attractiveness to children and young people, this will prevent youth-targeted marketing and protect future generations from nicotine addiction.
ENDS
Your MLA 