Simon Harris is banning the sale of e-cigarettes to all under 18s.
The Minister for Health is announcing today a complete ban on vaping for kids, with shopkeepers who sell the nicotine products facing prosecutions.
Mr Harris also said that he will be looking at restrictions on the advertising of e-cigarettes in the legislation he is bringing forward.
But in the meantime, he is calling on the companies behind the vaping products to step up the plate themselves.
The minister wants them to immediately remove any products they have that are aimed at children.
He said the companies claim that the products they sell are to help people give up cigarettes, so it should be no problem for them to stop any advertising targeted at children.
His move comes as new information from the Department of Health reveals that there has been more than a tripling of the number of new vaping products on the market in just a year.
There were 1,538 new products (electronic cigarette products and refill containers) registered last year, which has jumped to 5,362 this year so far.
Recent reports from the USA claim that there have been deaths from e-cigarettes.
Vaping devices have been proven to be not as dangerous as ordinary cigarettes, but could still pose some dangers.
Mr Harris is also acting on fears that crafty vaping companies - often owned by Big Tobacco - are deliberately targeting children with bright, colourful ads.
It is suspected they are doing this to battle the move away from cancer-causing real cigarettes and tobacco among the youth of today.
Mr Harris said: “The figures provided by the HSE to my Department recently show the number of electronic cigarette products has more than tripled in the past year.
"We have had significant impact in the war on tobacco but it is clear companies are adapting and evolving as we erect legislative barriers.
"The increase in the number of products being reported to the HSE shows their business is continuing to increase here.
“My fear is they are targeting their business towards children.
"This is why we are introducing legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to children under the age of 18 and my Department is examining restrictions on advertising.
"But there are things the companies can do themselves.
“If their argument is that they are cessation tools, they should take immediate action to remove products that are marketed towards our children from the market.
"Some companies have done this in other jurisdictions.
“They should do it here too."
