E cigarettes in your Food Business
Many of our Food Business clients are concerned about the use of E-cigarettes in restaurants and other food businesses and our Tobacco Free Policy is increasingly facing difficulties arising from the use of electronic cigarettes by members of the public in Restaurants and Bars. The HSE is also concerned that because the devices resemble ordinary cigarettes, their use may promote or re-normalise smoking, disrupt the environment for non-smokers and make it harder for smokers to quit. There is no conclusive evidence for or against the safety of e-cigarette use, especially long-term, or the potential effects of passive exposure to emissions from electronic cigarettes. There is also the issue that with the number of different products on the market, the substances contained in them varies significantly. There have been nine cases of poisoning as a result of e cigarettes since Christmas and the residual chemical is seen as a potentially serious contaminant.
Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe, National Director, Health and Wellbeing, HSE has said:
