Debate contribution: Tobacco Retailer (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
Debate contribution by Mr Danny Donnelly on .
- MLA
- Mr Danny Donnelly
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 5 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Tobacco Retailer (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5773974
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The Tobacco and Vapes Act was a major public health measure, and the regulations mark a significant step towards ending the harm caused by smoking and creating Northern Ireland's first ever smoke-free generation. Tobacco kills up to half of its long-term users, which equates to around 7·5 million deaths a year globally. As mentioned by the Health Minister, it kills over 2,000 people in Northern Ireland every year. Globally, about 5·8 million deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while around 1·7 million deaths are as a result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer. It is responsible for around seven in 10 lung cancer cases, and it harms almost every organ in the body. In Northern Ireland, it is also a major cause of health inequalities, with lung cancer rates in our most deprived areas 2·5 times higher than those in our least deprived areas. According to the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Michael McBride, 15% of 11- to 18-year-olds in Northern Ireland currently vape, and the way that such products are displayed in shops, sometimes even alongside confectionery, is a major factor in the growth of youth vaping.
As a result of the regulations, retailers will understand their responsibilities and the law can be properly enforced. That, in turn, will help protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine addiction, thereby reducing the long-term pressure on our health service. We support the regulations.
246 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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