Raise age for tobacco sales call

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A consultation on raising the age for the purchase of tobacco products in Northern Ireland has been welcomed by doctors.

The consultation was launched by the assembly health department.

The British Medical Association said it would be recommending that the age be raised from 16 to 18.

It is also calling for new laws to ban the sale of packs of 10 cigarettes and that cigarettes should not be displayed at the point of sale.

The BMA also wants tobacco vending machines to be banned.

'Discourage'

The age of sale was raised to 18 in England, Wales and Scotland with effect from 1 October 2007 and in the Irish Republic in 2004.

Launching the consultation, assembly Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: "A key factor in reducing prevalence is to discourage adoption of the smoking habit.

"Evidence shows that in Northern Ireland, 79% of adult smokers took up the habit in their teens and that 11% of children aged 11-15 years are regular smokers.

"I am therefore seeking views on whether the minimum age of sale of tobacco products, which currently stands at 16, should be raised to help efforts to reduce teenage smoking."

The power to change the age of sale in Northern Ireland is contained within the Smoking (NI) Order 2006, the main provisions of which came into operation on 30 April 2007.