Cork County Council say they would support a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes in offices and restaurants, should the HSE advise the Government on such a measure.
Smoking is already banned in workplaces as part of current legislation and the local authority say this extends to e-cigarettes in council offices and buildings across Cork.
A motion brought to the Council’s Northern Committee meeting this week by Cllr Noel McCarthy, calling for the HSE to carry out further research into e-cigarettes and their potential health risks, received the full support of the elected members. Cllr McCarthy said he raised the motion following a request by a local Transition Year student who is investigating the rise in e-cigarette use as part of a group project.
“E-cigarettes more often than not contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance, which is the driver for cigarette smoking,” said Cllr McCarthy. “An American report by the US Surgeon General published this month, shows a 900 per cent rise in e-cigarettes among high school students between 2011 and 2015. Using e-cigarettes was found to increase the likelihood of young people taking up smoking.”
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