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Cigarette sales age check
01/10/2007
The legal age for buying cigarettes rises from 16 years old to 18 years old from today.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"Today's new law raising the age of cigarette sales is a milestone in improving the health of young people. It sends out a clear message that tobacco is a highly dangerous substance and hopefully prevent young people from taking up smoking in the first place.
"Raising the age to 18 will also make it easier for shopkeepers to identify whether young people are old enough to buy cigarettes, through a passport, a driving licence or a proof-of-age card.
"As part of a wider range of measures we are taking forward including prevention education, tougher enforcement and help for young people to give up smoking, I am confident that the number of young people smoking will continue to fall."
22,000 information packs have been sent to retailers across Scotland, advising them of the change in the law and providing them with posters and leaflets for display.
Mohammed Issa, owner of 1stStop2Shop in Dundee, said:
"I am fully supportive of this initiative because it will save hundreds of lives a year and hopefully will discourage young people from smoking.
"I am advertising the change in the law in my shop and doing everything I possibly can to make sure that I am only selling to people over 18.
Louise Macdonald, Deputy Chief Executive of Young Scot, said:
"At Young Scot we've consulted with young people across Scotland on the subject of smoking and tobacco this year. We've found that a majority (68 per cent) are in favour of raising the age you can buy cigarettes, but an even bigger majority (72 per cent) said they felt there needed to be more support for smokers to help them stop.
"It is clear that the young people of Scotland actively want to help improve their health and the health of the country and at Young Scot we are working with a range of partners including the Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland to support them to do this."