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Experts call for smoking age rise Executive 'to raise smoking age'
(about 3 hours later)
The legal age for smoking in Scotland should be raised from 16 to 18, according to a team of experts. The Scottish Executive is backing plans to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18.
The Smoking Prevention Working Group has also called for a ban on shops displaying cigarettes for sale. Raising the age for purchasing tobacco products was recommended by an expert group on smoking prevention, which published its report on Wednesday.
The group was asked to advise the Scottish Executive on steps that could be taken to build on the ban on smoking in public places, introduced in April. The executive's health department said it would now begin preparatory steps to implement the change.
Health Minister Andy Kerr will decide whether to act on the group's 31 recommendations. Ministers were considering whether it would be possible to make the change before May's Holyrood election.
Preparatory steps
The power for ministers to raise the age came in the legislation banning smoking in enclosed public places, but requires to be activated through regulation.
An executive spokeswoman said: "The executive welcomes this report and in particular its support for the raising of the tobacco purchasing age.
"This executive will begin the preparatory steps for implementing this recommendation which will, of course, be subject to the outcome of appropriate consultation, especially with young people's organisations including the Scottish Youth Parliament."
The executive-commissioned Smoking Prevention Working Group made 31 recommendations to Health Minister Andy Kerr.
The group, which includes academics and health experts, also wants tough fines for shopkeepers who break the law and a "negative licensing" scheme so shops which repeatedly sell cigarettes to under-age youngsters are barred from selling tobacco products.The group, which includes academics and health experts, also wants tough fines for shopkeepers who break the law and a "negative licensing" scheme so shops which repeatedly sell cigarettes to under-age youngsters are barred from selling tobacco products.
More than any other single thing, the cigarette has blighted the health and shortened the lives of people in Scotland for over a century Working group reportMore than any other single thing, the cigarette has blighted the health and shortened the lives of people in Scotland for over a century Working group report
It said smoking should be barred in school grounds, and colleges and universities should consider how to help youngsters avoid taking up tobacco or other drugs. It said smoking should be barred in school grounds.
Colleges and universities should consider how to help youngsters avoid taking up tobacco or other drugs, the report said.
The report, written on behalf of the group by Dr Laurence Gruer, director of public health science at NHS Health Scotland, said the recommendations should form the basis of a five-year plan by the executive.The report, written on behalf of the group by Dr Laurence Gruer, director of public health science at NHS Health Scotland, said the recommendations should form the basis of a five-year plan by the executive.
The report quotes 2004 figures which suggest that 5% of boys and 7% of girls are regular smokers at the age of 13.The report quotes 2004 figures which suggest that 5% of boys and 7% of girls are regular smokers at the age of 13.
This rises to 14% and 24% by the age of 15.This rises to 14% and 24% by the age of 15.
"More than any other single thing, the cigarette has blighted the health and shortened the lives of people in Scotland for over a century," the report said."More than any other single thing, the cigarette has blighted the health and shortened the lives of people in Scotland for over a century," the report said.
The report was written by Dr Laurence GruerThe report was written by Dr Laurence Gruer
"If the health of people in Scotland is to be improved and inequalities reduced, smoking prevention must be a top priority.""If the health of people in Scotland is to be improved and inequalities reduced, smoking prevention must be a top priority."
Anti-smoking campaign body Ash Scotland, which was represented on the group, welcomed the findings and called on ministers to accept the recommendations. Anti-smoking campaign body Ash Scotland, which was represented on the group, welcomed the findings.
Chief executive Maureen Moore said: "It is vital that action is taken to help young people say no to an addiction that will eventually kill one in two long-term smokers." The British Medical Assocation's Scottish general practitioners committee also supported the recommendations in their entirety.
She said 25% of 15-year-old girls currently smoke, with 87% of them buying cigarettes from shops, supermarkets or petrol stations.
"Having the age at 16 obviously doesn't work," Ms Moore said.
Careful consideration
Dr Andrew Buist, deputy chairman of the British Medical Assocation's Scottish general practitioners committee, said: "Doctors have been calling on the executive to tackle the youth smoking epidemic in Scotland and we would urge the health minister to accept these recommendations in their entirety.
"The average smoker will lose about 10 years of life because of smoking. Many smokers take up the habit at a young age and the majority, by their early 20s, wish they had never started.
"The most effective way to address smoking is to do all we can to discourage youngsters from taking up the habit in the first place."
Smokers' lobby group Forest said it was supporting the plans and that smoking should be "for adults".Smokers' lobby group Forest said it was supporting the plans and that smoking should be "for adults".
A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: "We will now give careful consideration to the report and its recommendations before publishing a full response in due course."
If Mr Kerr follows the recommendations, it would result in Scotland having some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world.