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BMA call for five point action plan to combat teen smoking |
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Friday, 07 September 2007 |
BMA Scotland has today published a five point action plan aimed at tackling teen smoking, and doctors’ leaders are calling on the Scottish Government to implement the plan to support the forthcoming purchase age increase for tobacco sales.
The recommendations, including banning tobacco vending machines and
prohibiting the sale of ten packs of cigarettes, would help enforce the
age increase by reducing the availability of cigarettes to young people.
The other recommendations include plans for the implementation of a
positive licensing scheme, already in place for shops that wish to sell
alcohol, should be introduced to support the implementation of the age
increase, for cigarettes not to be displayed at the point of sale and
for there to be long term investment in comprehensive and targeted
smoking prevention and cessation services.
The BMA said that the recommendations outlined above will not solve the
problem if implemented in isolation, and this range of measures must be
introduced and supported by continual investment in smoking prevention
and cessation services in order to tackle the attitudes of young people
towards smoking.
Dr Andrew Buist, a member of the BMA’s Scottish Council, said: "The BMA
has long called for the minimum age of tobacco sales to be raised from
16 to 18 and welcomes the Scottish Government's commitment to this.
This measure will convey the important social message that tobacco is
harmful and limit the availability of cigarettes to young people.
"However, the age increase is only one step in reducing young people’s
access to tobacco. We must do all we can to stop youngsters getting
hooked in the first place. Young people often buy cigarettes from
vending machines because of the lack of age checks or they buy packs of
ten because they are cheaper. Addressing these two issues would
significantly reduce the availability of cigarettes to young people.
"There is evidence to suggest that the existing age limit regarding
tobacco sales is not always properly enforced, which raises questions
as to how effectively the age increase will be policed. If the new law
is to be effective, we need stricter point of sales enforcement,
supported by a wider strategy to reduce young people’s access to
tobacco products.
"The BMA would like to see serious consideration given to other means
of reducing young people’s access to tobacco supported by long term
investment in educational services to prevent young people starting
smoking and assist those wishing to stop.
"Too many people begin smoking during childhood or adolescence and
continue into adulthood. Only through a multifaceted range of measures
will we be able to tackle the biggest preventable cause of death in
Scotland."
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