Research into impact of vaping among 43 projects to receive 24m euro investment

A 24 million euro investment by the Government in 43 different research projects includes half a million euros in funding to examine the impact of vaping.

A total of 550,000 euros is being awarded to a Royal College of Surgeons project to examine the impact of vaping, particularly on young people.

The Government has previously raised concerns about e-cigarette adverts being targeted at children and what health implications it could cause.

Another project aims to establish a wellbeing study to examine student health colleges on the island of Ireland and how parenting may impact on the transition to college.

The research would also examine if variations in prevalence rates of mental health disorders and suicidal behaviour are related to the different education systems on either side of the Irish border, and could provide insight into providing early intervention strategies.

The funding for the 43 projects is provided through the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)’s Pathway Programme, which awards funding to emerging postdoctoral researchers.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said the planned research on vaping was “a really important body of work”.

Mr Harris, who is a former health minister, said the project will provide an evidence base to assess the impact of vaping and “to potentially prevent another tobacco-like health catastrophe”.

“We know there are thousands of people using vapes to wean themselves off smoking tobacco,” he said.

“But we also know there are thousands of young people taking up the habit of vaping and are often lured into the habit by flavours and pretty boxes.

“It is crystal clear that long-term smokers represent just a small part of the target market of the big e-cigarette brands.

“The bigger objective – and the bigger profits – lie in luring the next generation who have never smoked to become addicted to nicotine through these products.

“There are more than 7,000 vaping solutions on the market with little or no evidence about the impact of the product on the health or wellbeing of those who use them.”

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is progressing legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to those aged under 18, but Mr Harris said the research “could be vital” in informing other steps the Government can take.

The draft law aims to ban vapes being advertised around schools, on public transport, and in cinemas, and would impose a maximum fine of 4,000 euros or up to six months in prison for those who are found selling vapes to minors.

The Irish Government is to wait for EU restrictions on vape labelling and flavours, and said it would examine restrictions on point-of-sale vape advertising.

Other projects to be awarded funding under the SFI-IRC programme include the development of a non-thermal treatment for irregular heartbeats; a study on the children of deaf adults; the establishment of a long-term record for natural climate variability that would inform future climate predictions for Ireland; and aligning artificial intelligence socio-technical design to European Union values and planned regulation.