Ireland: New Retail Licensing System Officially Launched With The New Regulations Coming Into Effect, British American Tobacco (BAT) Stated That The Retail Licensing System Should Include The Regulation Of Nicotine Pouches.

The trade association of the e-cigarette retail industry has stated that a "serious rectification campaign" is urgently needed against retailers who violate the new licensing system for tobacco and nicotine products. British American Tobacco (BAT) has said that the new retail licensing system for tobacco and nicotine inhalation products (such as e-cigarettes) should cover nicotine pouches. This law came into effect on February 2nd. According to the regulations announced in January 2025, sales of tobacco products require an annual license fee of 1,000 euros; sales of nicotine inhalation products (including e-cigarettes) require an annual fee of 800 euros. The e-cigarette retailer industry organization Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI) stated that this system can only be truly effective when accompanied by "strict law enforcement against non-compliant operators", and should particularly target the illegal sales of e-cigarettes by mobile phone stores.
RVI pointed out that mobile phone stores selling e-cigarettes have been identified as an important source for minors to obtain e-cigarettes and to sell non-compliant and illegal products, and called on the Irish Health Service Agency (HSE) to prioritize law enforcement. The association stated that it represents over 3,500 e-cigarette retailers and "strongly supports" the introduction of the licensing system, believing that it helps solve issues such as minors' access to e-cigarettes, tax enforcement, and the containment of the expansion of the black market.
British American Tobacco (BAT, which owns the e-cigarette brand Vuse) once again called for: The retail licensing system for e-cigarettes and tobacco products should include nicotine pouches.