A local councillor in Louth has urged the Government to give local authorities the power to shut down vape shops. 

The rise in the number of people vaping is a cause of huge concern among the medical profession, with the HSE warning that vapes “may cause diseases such as heart disease, lung disease and cancer”. 

Some young vapers have had such a negative reaction that they were taken to hospital by ambulance. 

 On Newstalk Breakfast, Ciarán Fisher, an independent Councillor for Dundalk and Carlingford, said he has grave concerns about the “proliferation and saturation” of vape shops. 

“I'm looking for local authorities to have the ability to say, ‘There's an oversaturation in certain areas’,” he said. 

“And to change the law so that opening a vape shop would require a change of use purposes, so we don't see what's happening in a lot of urban areas where commercial units are being bought and converted into vape shops. 

“And that we'd also have the ability to say no and reverse decisions in certain areas, such as near schools.” 

A teenage vaping on the street. Picture by: Steven Gill / Alamy.

Cllr Fisher continued that he has huge concerns about how addictive a practice vaping is - especially given the serious health implications. 

“I think there's a huge problem when you're selling a product that is addictive,” he said. 

“I will take the point that, we used to have a lot of smokers, that has declined. 

“But there's been a tipping point in this country where we've had a decrease in smokers, we've had a massive increase in vapors, we've had a massive increase in young vapors as well.

“So, I think it's a matter of public safety that we tackle this, that we make it less available to get vapes, to become addicted to nicotine.” 

Earlier this month, the Government published the Tobacco Products and Nicotine ­Inhaling Products Amendment Bill 2026, which would severely restrict the ability of retailers to advertise vapes. 

However, Cllr Fisher believes the legislation does not “go far enough”. 

“They certainly don't empower the local authorities in eliminating the location of vape shops,” he said. 

“I'm effectively asking that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Office of Planning would give permission to local authorities to make a special status for vape shops, that vape shops would require a change of use.

“I know that the planners in Dundalk and Drogheda are of the opinion that they would like these powers to see that the popping up of vape shops in certain locations is taken away from the dwell factor of the area.”

The HSE offers people support if they are looking to quit vaping. 

Maoing image: A vape shop window. Picture by: Peter Dazeley / Alamy,