Health Minister considering ban on botox and fillers for minors
The Minister for Health Simon Harris is considering banning botox and fillers for people under the age of 18.
Minister Harris says the restriction for minors would work in a similar way to the sunbed ban.
He says some companies and professionals are exploiting young people's desire to be perfect which he claims is being driven by social media.
Doctors have raised concerns about the increase in patients presenting in hospitals after botched cosmetic procedures.
The Minister has asked his officials to assess if there's a need to further regulate botox and fillers and whether a ban for under 18s should be brought in.
There are also concerns around filling material as it is not categorised as a drug but as a medical device, which means it can be bought online and administered by someone with no medical training.
Minister Harris said that this cannot be an area that goes "unregulated or unsupervised".
According to a recent study by Therapie Clinic, 68% of Irish people said that they already have or would consider getting a cosmetic procedure.
As the procedures, when undertaken electively, are not performed under the remit of the public health service, figures on the number of young people getting botox or fillers are not readily available. However, it is understood it is not as prevalent in Ireland as in some other EU countries.
