Cigarette age limit rises to 18
1st October 2007
The legal age for buying tobacco
goes up from 16 to 18 today. This measure puts
tobacco in line with the law on alcohol sales.
The legal age for the purchase of tobacco has been 16 since 1908.
The change in the law will bring tobacco sales in line
with alcohol, simplifying the procedure for checking the
age of purchasers of alcohol or tobacco. All tobacco retailers
will be required to display a notice stating that it is
illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.
Failure to comply with the law could result in a fine of
up to £2500.
The Health Department hopes it will cut
teenage smoking and vowed to crack down on shops who flout
the law. Health
campaigners welcomed the move bringing tobacco in line
with alcohol, but critics accused the Government
of “woefully inadequate” advertising, saying
only one in five 16 to 18-year-olds knew about it. Amanda Sandford of anti-smoking group Ash said: “It
is imperative retailers comply with the law and that enforcement
officers make frequent checks on premises selling tobacco.”
A British Retail Consortium spokesman said: “We
will see how successful the Government’s campaign
has been in preventing stores becoming conflict flashpoints
as staff say ‘no’ to 16 and 17-year-olds who
had been able to buy cigarettes.”
James Lowman
of the Association of Convenience Stores said: “The
Government’s campaign has been woefully
inadequate. “Unaware people will blame the retailer
for refusing to sell them a product they bought before.
This will lead
to abuse, intimidation and even violence.”
Teenage Smoking Rates
Currently 9% of 11-15 year olds in England and Wales are
regular smokers but the proportion who smoke rises steeply
by age, so that by the age of 15 one fifth are regular
smokers: (16% of boys and 25% of girls). Rates of smoking
among young girls have changed little over the past two
decades, whilst there has been a significant fall amongst
boys.
Among 16-19 year olds, 23% of young men and 26% of women
are smokers. Smoking rates among young adults have
declined steadily from 33% in the mid 1980s to 24% in
2005.
Health Impact of smoking at a young age
Most smokers start in adolescence and the younger a person
starts, the greater the risk of serious diseases, later
in life, particularly lung cancer. Someone who starts
smoking at 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer
due to smoking than someone who starts smoking in their
mid-20s. Additionally the younger a person starts to
smoke, the less likely they are to give up. More immediate
health effects include a reduction in lung function and
reduced fitness.
Proof of age
Valid proof of age documents include:
•
Passport
•
Photo driving licence
•
Citizencard
•
Portman ‘Prove It’ card
•
Validate card
On all proof of age cards, look for the ‘
PASS’ hologram logo. For more information
visit: www.pass-scheme.org.uk. |
