Age bar for purchasing cigarettes likely to be enforced

The government has conceived a plan to discourage smoking amongst youngsters, by placing a ban on procuring cigarettes till they are 18. This would enable the vendors to track down the youngest of the lot who indulge in smoking and become victims to a host of health problems.

Caroline Flint, incharge of health in the government said "Smoking is dangerous at any age, but the younger people start, the more likely they are to become lifelong 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 government will enforce strict monitoring of the shopkeepers to ensure this is followed. Non-compliance might attract a prosecution and recall of business license.

"Access to cigarettes by under-16s is not as difficult as it should be and this is partly due to retailers selling tobacco to those under the legal age," said Ms Flint. "If a particular shop is known locally as the place for children and teenagers to easily buy tobacco, we want to stop that shop selling it."