CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Tobacco21 policy in Ireland
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1
Children’s Health Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
2
School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Publication date: 2024-10-17
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2024;10(Supplement 1):A75
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ABSTRACT
Although tobacco smoking among adolescents and young adults continues to decline across Europe, smoking in these two important demographics remains a problem. European tobacco control policy needs to move forward with bolder measures to decrease adolescent and young adult smoking rates and protect a new generation from the dangers of tobacco smoking. Many countries are examining Tobacco Endgame policies, which aim to reduce smoking prevalence to minimal levels rapidly. One such policy is raising the tobacco age of sale to 21 years of age (commonly referred to as Tobacco 21). Tobacco companies have a long history of targeting adolescents and young adults with their products. Adolescent brains are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of nicotine and nicotine addiction. T21 aims to decrease the availability of tobacco products to adolescents and young adults. The policy has been introduced in nine countries worldwide, but no EU country has adopted a T21 policy to date. Where it has been implemented, the policy has led to a delay in initiating tobacco use and further denormalization of tobacco products. Ireland has just passed legislation this year to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years of age. This talk will provide an overview of the journey taken by tobacco control advocates and policymakers to reach this point. This talk will highlight the challenges of introducing such a policy in an Irish setting and discuss how other European countries could implement T21 in their jurisdiction.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
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