Adverts warn of smoking age change

An advertising campaign has begun to to inform people about the change in age for tobacco sales.

In one week the age at which people can buy tobacco will rise from 16 to 18 as part of attempts to reduce the number of young people taking up smoking.

From Monday October 1st retailers will have to display a notice informing customers about the new legislation. 

Evidence from Northern Ireland has shown that such a rise is successful at discouraging teenagers.

"The legislation has been introduced to stop young people becoming addicted to nicotine," said Fiona Andrews, a Department of Health tobacco policy manager.

"The younger a smoker starts the more likely they are to be killed by their addiction, and someone who starts smoking at 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer due to smoking as someone who starts in their mid-20s."

As well as the new adverts, a direct mailing campaign has sent legislation toolkits to over 100,000 retailers informing them of the change and providing shop display information.