Tobacco Sellers Given age Warning

Source from:  cravenherald.co.uk By Newsdesk 09/17/2007

TOBACCO retailers in Craven are being warned that they face prosecution if they do not do more to stop young people buying cigarettes when the legal age limit rises to 18 in a few weeks' time. North Yorkshire County Council's trading standards officers will be cracking down if retailers do not act to stop children buying cigarettes. The legal age limit for purchasing tobacco products rises to 18 on October 1. The first stage of the local initiative will be to ensure that all retailers are fully aware of the change in legislation and that they train their sales staff accordingly. Officers say the change in the law will help retailers to refuse sales to minors by putting tobacco in the same age-bracket as alcohol and other age-restricted goods. County Coun Helen Swiers, executive member for trading standards and regulatory services, said: "I urge retailers to adopt a blanket policy of requiring proof of age from anyone who looks under 21. "We have been working with traders for many years, to cut under-age sales in the county and this is another step which will help to reduce the availability of cigarettes to minors. The current age restriction of 16 for tobacco dates back to the beginning of the last century, well before scientific evidence was available to demonstrate the real health impact of smoking." Notices which are required under existing legislation state: "It is illegal to sell tobacco products to persons under 16." They will need to be replaced with ones showing the new age limit of 18. To help retailers, the trading standards department is making copies of the notice available, free of charge, from the county's contact centre on 08458 727374. Enditem