Write a commentThe days of going in to a pub in Newry and getting Cigarettes from a vending machine are coming to an end.
Health Minister, Edwin Poots has announced regulations to ban the sale of tobacco products from vending machines in Northern Ireland from the first of March 2012. The Assembly agreed to the regulations during a debate this afternoon. The measure has been brought in to drive down the number of children and young people who smoke.
Speaking to MLAs, the Minister said: “A survey in Northern Ireland in 2010, highlights that for 14% of smokers aged between 11 and 16 years, cigarette vending machines are a usual source of tobacco. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable consumers in that they are generally unaware of the long-term health implications of tobacco use. “The main aim in introducing the legislation is to prevent children and young people from being able to access tobacco from a largely unsupervised source.
The Minister continued: “I recognise that banning the sale of tobacco from vending machines will not, in itself, solve the problem of children’s smoking. However it will remove an easily accessible source of tobacco from underage children, as well as support the thousands of smokers who try to quit each year. This links in with the two main objectives in my Department's new tobacco control strategy which is due to be published later this month. “These regulations represent another important milestone in our pursuance of the long-term goal – that of a tobacco-free society in Northern Ireland.”
