Minister plans to ban disposable vapes and restrict nicotine pouches

The legislation, introduced in 2023, also prohibited advertising within 200m of a school, on public transport, and at events aimed at children. It is understood that this will also apply to nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches, also known as snus, are placed between the lip and the gum. The HSE website notes that the pouches are “not yet covered by the same laws as tobacco products”, meaning that “they may be easier for young people to buy and use”. The products contain nicotine, flavouring, sweeteners and fillers, and other chemicals. The nicotine in the products is made in a laboratory rather than from tobacco. Other amendments to the bill will see restrictions placed on the colours of nicotine and tobacco products, and a ban on point-of-sale displays and advertising in shops. The health minister will also seek Government approval to publish legislation banning the sale of disposable vapes. The ban will come into effect six months after the commencement of the act. Scoliosis and spina bifida Separately, Ms Carroll MacNeill will bring a memo to Cabinet recommending a statutory inquiry into issues relating to the care of children with scoliosis and spina bifida, following her meeting last week with the parents of Harvey Morrison-Sherratt, a nine-year-old scoliosis patient who died in July. Talks with NFL Elsewhere, sports minister Patrick O’Donovan will tell his colleagues that conversations to hold another NFL game in Ireland next autumn are under way. It is understood that a “number of potential teams are in the mix”. Early indications show that the Steelers vs Vikings game, which was held in Croke Park in September, was the second-highest-grossing overseas NFL game of all time. Apprenticeships Higher education minister James Lawless, meanwhile, will bring a memo to Cabinet to note a €20.5m investment in apprenticeships. The investment will be allocated across four technological universities and one institute of technology, delivering over 1,500 new apprentice places.