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A Dublin toy shop removed window advertising for e-cigarettes after parents and politicians raised concerns that its display—featuring a well-known cartoon character beside the words “we have vapes”—could appeal to children. The signage outside the Henry Street outlet sparked local criticism and prompted the retailer to take the promotion down.
What appeared in the shop window
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The Henry Street branch of the Hugmie chain displayed an image of Pikachu from the Pokémon franchise alongside text reading “we have vapes” and other e‑cigarette promotions. Hugmie operates more than 20 electronics stores around the country, and the Henry Street shop appears to have opened late last year.
Immediate reactions from parents and councillors
When approached by a reporter from Extra.ie, several parents said the display seemed aimed at children. One mother said her child had asked to go into the shop on seeing the cartoon, and described the window as “there to entice kids.” Two women pushing prams called the signage “disgraceful.”
North Inner City councillor Ellen O’Doherty told Extra.ie she saw the poster as evidence of “a disgraceful gap in legislation.”
Political pressure and calls for tighter rules
Sinn Féin’s health spokesman, David Cullinane, urged a strict response. He said: “When it comes to vaping products clearly designed and pushed at children like toys, that absolutely should be banned. It’s completely and absolutely unacceptable.” He added that “the law needs to change.”
The Social Democrats councillor who spoke to Extra.ie said her party has been demanding restrictions on vape packaging and advertising for years and wants rules similar to those for cigarettes introduced “overnight.” She described any targeting of children with addictive products as “really abhorrent.”
Regulatory context
The Government moved earlier this month to ban the sale of disposable vapes. A further law, expected in the autumn, is set to prohibit some product colours, flavours and types of packaging.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) code says marketing addressed to children should not promote products unsuitable for them. The ASA’s rules on e‑cigarettes state that adverts “should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18 and not feature or portray real/fictitious characters likely to appeal particularly to people under 18 (Part 17.9).” Section 7.6 also covers advertising aimed at children.
The shop’s response
A member of staff at the Hugmie Henry Street store told Extra.ie the business never intended to market vapes to children and that it does not sell e‑cigarettes to anyone under the legal age. The employee said the company recognised how the mix of wording and images could be interpreted, and that the display had been removed and updated.
He also said that vapes would no longer be sold at that particular outlet.
