PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Gill Gardiner
Date of Issue: October 1st 2007
Contact numbers:
0151
625 2738
07803 065578
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PRESS RELEASE |
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NEW SMOKING LAW COMES INTO FORCE TODAY From today, the age at which people can legally purchase tobacco increases from 16 to18. Liberal Democrat Councillor Gill Gardiner , Cabinet member for the Environment, welcomed the new legislation saying, “According to Department of Health research, someone who starts smoking at 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer than someone who starts smoking in their mid 20s. “This new law hopefully will discourage young people from taking up smoking in the first place, and is an important step in breaking the cycle of young people's exposure to tobacco coming as it does after the Smokefree workplace legislation introduced in July.” Wirral's Trading Standards Officers have been visiting retailers and reminding them of today's change in the law. Shopkeepers will be obliged to challenge anyone who looks under 18 to provide a proof of age. Retailers selling alcohol or tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 will face prosecution, and checks will be made to ensure that retailers stay within the law. Councillor Gardiner said, “Trading Standards Officers have shown that clamping down on under age sales can achieve results. Under age drinking has seen significant reductions following a similar clampdown and thanks to funding from Wirral Primary Health Trust two additional trading standards officers have recently been appointed by the Council to support that work. Now the fight is on to tackle under age smoking.” In addition to the Trading Standards initiative, a health promotion trailer has been visiting shopping areas and educational establishments to hand out information about the law change, about how young people can apply for proof-of-age ID, and about giving up smoking all together. Visits include:
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