Smoked out

11:45am Friday 26th May 2006

CONTROVERSIAL plans to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes to 18 were given a cautious thumbs up in York today.

The legal age for buying cigarettes was set at 16 more than 70 years ago, but the Government is to begin consulting experts over the next three months on whether this should be changed.

The Department of Health said there was a cross party consensus over the issue, stating it wanted smoking to be seen as an "adult activity".

Today, Hugh Bayley, MP for York, said he was in favour.

He said: "Smoking kills 120,000 people each year. If you increase the age it will make it harder for people to buy cigarettes and fewer will get hooked."

MPs will vote on Tuesday, February 14, on banning smoking in public places including pubs and bars.

Mr Bayley said the Government has a duty to protect non-smokers from passive smoke. He said: "I'm in favour of a blanket ban. It's a matter of conscious."

The Say Yes To Clean Air campaign, set up by the Evening Press and Selby and York Primary Care Trust last spring, the scheme has seen many businesses ban smoking voluntarily.

Sue Hancock, restaurant manager at the Wetherby Whaler, Nether Poppleton, said: "Most people tend to ask for a no-smoking section and when we tell them it is all non-smoking they say 'oh good'."

If the Government's plan to raise the age limit for cigarettes goes ahead it would have consequences for retailers selling cigarettes.

Mark Band, proprietor of Walmgate Newsagents, York, said: "It's a good idea to increase the age to 18. But I don't know if it would make much difference.

"We sell a lot of cigarettes. It's about 20 per cent of our trade, but we don't sell many to 16 and 17-year-olds. Anyway, we always ask for ID if they look young. If this law came in we'd simply be looking for under 18s."

Smokers' rights group Forest supports the possible increase. Simon Clark, director, said, "We do not have a problem with this measure in principle because we believe smoking should be seen as an adult activity."

Last year, ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) estimated youngsters aged between 11 and 16 spent £135 million on cigarettes.

Deborah Arnott, director of Ash, said: "It would seem obvious if you brought in an age limit it would make a difference, but the evidence doesn't support that.

"It will not stop them getting hold of cigarettes.

"What would make more of an impact would be population measures to stop people smoking.

"If you can reduce smoking in society, you can reduce it among young people."

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