Underage Dublin teen buys vapes all over town with not one ID check in shocking expose

Children can still buy vapes with ease despite new laws banning sales to under 18s, an Irish Sunday Mirror expose has revealed. A 17-year-old schoolboy purchased several disposable vapes at outlets across Dublin – with NOT ONE retail staff asking him for proof of age.

New laws banning the sale of tobacco products to under 18s came into effect last December, with the offence carrying a fine of up to €4,000 and up to six months in prison.

But our teen bought brightly-coloured, sweet flavoured vape pens as easily as confectionary in a shop, a supermarket and a petrol station.

The minor told us: “As I walked up to the cash register at the garage, I asked for a certain type of vape. I asked for a Lost Mary Pineapple Ice (€9). The sales assistant just gave it to me.I paid for it on the card machine and he went back talking to his co-workers. There were no questions asked.”

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The minor also purchased a flavoured vape at a newsagents in a supermarket mall, with no questions asked.

He said: “I walked up and I said, ‘Lost Mary Double Apple, please?’ “He said, ‘Double Apple, yeah? Eight euros please, cash or card?’ “I said ‘cash’, he took for it, gave me the change and said, ‘Do you want a receipt?’ I said ‘yes please’ and ‘goodbye’.”

An undercover minor buys vapes from retailers

The minor added: “People I know from the school get vapes and never have trouble at the shop and are not usually asked for ID.

“It’s very normalised, nobody bats an eyelid.” There were 28 successful prosecutions of retailers for selling tobacco products to minors through the district court in 2023, the Health Service Executive said.

A HSE spokeswoman said its national service plan allows for “inspections at retail, import, distribution and manufacturing level as well as test purchasing inspections for underage sales”.

She added: “We are fully committed to carrying out this work.”

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