Buying Cigarettes Now 18: Should be 21 and Alcohol
Filed under: News | By: Kerry
Posted on: October 1, 2007 | 1 Comment
Today sees the legal minimum age at which tobacco can be bought in England, Scotland and Wales go up from 16 to 18.
The government hopes the move will reduce the number of young people who smoke and make it easier for retailers to spot under-age smokers.
The move follows the banning of smoking in public places in the three nations.
It has been said that around 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds smoke, and ministers hope the move will reduce this figure.
Ministers believe that bringing the age for the purchase of tobacco into line with that of alcohol will reinforce the dangers of smoking to young people.
It will also bring England, Scotland and Wales into line with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Retailers that stock tobacco will have a legal obligation not to sell to under 18s and will risk prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 if they do so.
Amanda Sandford, Ash’s research manager, said that “It is imperative that retailers fully comply with the law and that enforcement officers make frequent checks on premises selling tobacco”.
Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ lobby group Forest, feels that ministers are guilty of sending out mixed messages he said that “You’re considered old enough to have sex at 16, drive a car and join the army at 17, but the Government doesn’t want you to smoke until you’re 18”.
Do you agree with this change or do you think that the age limit should be the same as purchasing alcohol?
To buy alcohol in most places you have to look over the age of 21 including Asda and Tescos even though you can go out clubbing and to the pubs and buy a drink looking the age of 18 this age limit does not make much sense so I can see that what Simon means when he said that “ministers are guilty of sending out mixed messages”
What do you think?
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I think it is a great idea that this new law is in effect, if people wish to smoke it is their choice and no one elses, but what makes me laugh is that 16 years old can marry have children and so forth but cannot smoke. Do you think that this new law will lose taxes of which means they will tax you on their new found loss.