E-Cigarettes and Life Insurance in Ireland

Does smoking e-cigarettes qualify me for non smoker rates when purchasing life insurance?

This is a question we are seeing a lot and we thought it might be a good idea to address this one for all. Our brokers and visitors seeking advice on e-cigarettes should know the difference between smoking real cigarettes and electronic ones.

E-cigarettes are created to give an ex-smoker the nicotine intake they have been craving without ingesting burnt tobacco.

Nicotine is an addictive drug but is not considered as harmful as tobacco. Tobacco is the reason life insurance quotes get increased for smokers and not due to nicotine. It’s due to the cancer causing effects of tobacco that smoking is seen as harmful and cancer.gov explains it as follows:

“All forms of tobacco smoking are harmful and addictive. Tobacco smoke, including the smoke produced by a hookah, contains harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide and cancer-causing substances”

So, am I consider a smoker if I smoke e-cigarettes?

So to answer the question most of our visitors have asked – “No, at this moment in time smoking e-cigarettes does not qualify you as a smoker”.

However if you have smoked regular cigarettes within the last 12 months and seek life insurance within this period you will be seen as a smoker in the eyes of your insurance company.

There are some companies in Ireland where you can save over 40% on your life insurance if you have been cigarette free for over 12 months.

So if you have been on e-cigarettes for over 12 months and haven’t had a cheeky real cigarette in that period, contact a broker near you today to see what benefits you could save on your insurance policies.

Common FAQ’s