The Health Service Executive is to ban the use of electronic cigarettes in all health service facilities from the beginning of next month.
The move follows a review of their safety and the impact of e-cigarettes on its smoke-free campus policy.
Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that resemble ordinary cigarettes and deliver nicotine through inhaled vapour.
The HSE said the sale and use of e-cigarette at its facilities, including hospitals, will be banned from 1 May.
It said that as the organisation responsible for health promotion and improvement, it can only recommend "safe and effective products" and strategies for quitting smoking.
It said that there is no conclusive evidence that e-cigarettes are safe for long-term use, or are effective as a smoking cessation aid.
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.
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