Age Limit on Buying Tobacco Raised

Source from:  thisisbucks.co.uk 10/11/2007

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLDS will have their right to smoke stubbed out next week. Under new laws which bring the legal age limit for buying tobacco in line with alcohol, under-18s will be banned from buying cigarettes from Monday, October 1. This is the second anti-smoking measure to be implemented as a result of the Health Act passed by Parliament in July 2006, and follows the nationwide ban on smoking in public places which came into force on July 1 this year. The Department of Health believes this latest initiative for a nicotine-free England will eventually save 1,700 lives a year through reduced smoking rates amongst teenagers. Lesley Manning, a public health specialist from Buckinghamshire Primary Care Trust, said: "This change in law is to help prevent children and young people from starting to smoke in the first place, therefore avoiding the serious health dangers of smoking. "Half of all teenagers who are currently smoking will die from diseases caused by tobacco if they continue to smoke, and someone who starts smoking at 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their mid-20s". Nearly 70 per cent of 11- to 15-year-old smokers claim to currently buy their cigarettes from small retailers such as newsagents and corner shops. It will now be up to these businesses to enforce the new legislation, and those who fail to do so risk losing their licence to sell tobacco and a fine of up to £2,500. Retailers who fail to display an appropriate sign stating the amended age restriction will also face a penalty of £1,000. Buckinghamshire Trading Standards is leading the campaign to stop underage sales locally. Its officers will be monitoring shops across the county to ensure compliance with the new regulations, and councillor Margaret Dewar, Buckinghamshire County Council cabinet member for community services, has promised "the toughest penalties" for salespeople and business owners who disregard the law. The Government argues that correspondent restrictions on tobacco and alcohol will make it easier for shopkeepers to identify underage smokers, but staff at Wycombe News on Totteridge Road are worried that they may face abuse from previous customers who must now be turned away. One member of staff, who did not want to be named, said: "I support the new legislation, because there are too many teenagers smoking. "But it can be hard to identify someone's age, and unfortunately many people become hostile when we ask. Isn't there any other way to do this?" Experts agree that age controls alone are not likely to be enough to reduce teenage smoking, and anti-smoking campaigners have called for cigarette vending machines to be banned to prevent young people getting around the new legislation. To help teen smokers who do want to extinguish the habit, nicotine replacement therapy is now available on prescription for 12-17 year olds. Young people in Bucks can also call the Buckinghamshire NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0845 2707 222 or visit www.smokescape.org for specialist advice and support. Enditem