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| Edwin Poots to launch 10-year tobacco strategy | Edwin Poots to launch 10-year tobacco strategy |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Health Minister Edwin Poots is launching a new 10-year tobacco strategy for Northern Ireland on Tuesday. | Health Minister Edwin Poots is launching a new 10-year tobacco strategy for Northern Ireland on Tuesday. |
| It is aimed at preventing people from starting to smoke, reducing the number of smokers and protecting people from passive smoking. | It is aimed at preventing people from starting to smoke, reducing the number of smokers and protecting people from passive smoking. |
| Edwin Poots said the strategy would focus on young people and protecting those most at risk. | |
| A ban on cigarette vending machines comes into force on 1 March. | A ban on cigarette vending machines comes into force on 1 March. |
| "We want to drive down particularly the number of young people who are smoking," Mr Poots said. | "We want to drive down particularly the number of young people who are smoking," Mr Poots said. |
| "It is not a cool thing to do, it is not a clever thing to do. | |
| "We want them not to take up smoking in the first instance. | |
| "Around 14% of minors actually use vending machines to purchase cigarettes. | |
| "It will be illegal to have them from Wednesday and that is a good thing particularly for children, because most people that smoke actually started when they were young." | |
| Mr Poots said the three key pillars to the strategy would be prevention, cessation and protection. | |
| He said there would be a reduction in large hoardings advertising cigarettes in supermarkets this year, with the same policy affecting smaller shops in 2015. | |
| There will also be a consulation on the issue of people smoking in cars while they are travelling with children. | |
| The health minister added that the strategy would also be targeting pregnant women, young people and those in areas of deprivation. |