Ireland is the first country in the EU to ban the display of tobacco products.
Display ban
The ban on the display of tobacco products at the point of sale entered into force on 1 July 2009.
Ireland is the first EU country to introduce a display ban.
Other legislation
Advertising of tobacco products is prohibited in Ireland.
Cigarette packs carry text health warnings on both the front (32%) and back (45%) of packaging.
Smoking is banned in public places, workplaces, restaurants and bars/clubs.
The Public Health Tobacco Acts 2002 & 2004 legislated for a Register of all retailers of tobacco products. Retailers will have had to register with the Office of Tobacco Control by 1 October, 2009.
The Public Health Tobacco Act 2002 amended the law to increase the minimum age for purchase of tobacco products from 16 to 18 years of age. The sales to minors inspection programme in 2008 resulted in 19 convictions in the District Courts under Section 45 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Act. In 2007, the number was 20.
Source: Office of Tobacco Control – Annual Report 2008.