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"Smoking age increased to 18"

The Sun

THE legal age for buying tobacco is to be raised from 16 to 18, the Government announced.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said the new law would come into effect from October 1, with the current one dating back to 1908.

Government statistics show that 9% of young people aged between 11 and 15 smoke - down from 13% in 1996.

With tobacco and alcohol illegal for under-18s, retailers should further be helped to comply with the law, the Department of Health said.

England and Wales will now move into line with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

The Government launched a public consultation in July on whether the limit should be raised to 17 or 18 or left as it is.

Ms Flint said: "Smoking is dangerous at any age, but the younger people start, the more likely they are to become life-long smokers and to die early."

"Someone who starts smoking aged 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their late 20s."

The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England Survey 2004, revealed that 70% of 11 to 15-year-old smokers buy their cigarettes from small shops such as newsagents.

While the NHS spends around 1.7 billion each year on treating smoking-related diseases. According to ASH, tobacco taxation amounts to 10.5 billion per year.

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Comments anyone? Do you think this will help cut the number of underage smokers? Do we have any smokers here? At what age did you pick up the habit?

The Sun

THE legal age for buying tobacco is to be raised from 16 to 18, the Government announced.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said the new law would come into effect from October 1, with the current one dating back to 1908.

Government statistics show that 9% of young people aged between 11 and 15 smoke - down from 13% in 1996.

With tobacco and alcohol illegal for under-18s, retailers should further be helped to comply with the law, the Department of Health said.

England and Wales will now move into line with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

The Government launched a public consultation in July on whether the limit should be raised to 17 or 18 or left as it is.

Ms Flint said: "Smoking is dangerous at any age, but the younger people start, the more likely they are to become life-long smokers and to die early."

"Someone who starts smoking aged 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their late 20s."

The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England Survey 2004, revealed that 70% of 11 to 15-year-old smokers buy their cigarettes from small shops such as newsagents.

While the NHS spends around 1.7 billion each year on treating smoking-related diseases. According to ASH, tobacco taxation amounts to 10.5 billion per year.

----

Comments anyone? Do you think this will help cut the number of underage smokers? Do we have any smokers here? At what age did you pick up the habit?

> Comments anyone?
Great!
> Do you think this will help cut the number of underage smokers?
No, if they smoke when they are 13 what's going to make them stop. I would think the number of underage smokers would increase.
> Do we have any smokers here?
*Shrugs shoulders*

About time too.

Now I just want a 9pm curfew for anybody under the age of 21. :)

That'll make a great deal of difference


Liking the curfew idea though, i'd knock it down to 6pm though and anybody who breaks it shall be shot on the spot :-D (Note to Everpain: I am not actually campaigning for everyone under 21 who is out after 6pm to be shot, it's just a joke, just incase you can't work it out again. Thank you)

I like the curfew idea, 7pm for anyone under 13.
I think the smoking thing might help a little bit. I think it's seen in a similar way to underage sex by most teenages in that it's something to do before you're allowed to. If you're 15 you can reason that you're almost 16 and legal but if it's another 3 years off you're not allowed to think that so much. People will always break the law because thats the attitude in this country, it's just a matter of when.

Woohoo!

About time they increased the limit I say!!

:)

Garin wrote:
> Now I just want a 9pm curfew for anybody under the age of 21. :)

=^O *Kicks Garin*

Nin wrote:
> 7pm for anyone under 13.

Yeh! The little people get in the way!

It's just pointless hypocrisy.

Sunflower wrote:
> Garin wrote:
> Now I just want a 9pm curfew for anybody under the age of 21.
> :)
>
> =^O *Kicks Garin*
>

Just for that, 8pm. :P

You see, they are violent :-P