Plan to raise smoking age to 18

The legal smoking age could be raised to 18 under new proposals

The legal age of smoking in Scotland should be raised from 16 to 18, a team of experts is to tell Holyrood.

Dr Laurence Gruer, who is director of public health for NHS Scotland, has proposed the move along with other medical practitioners.

Health minister Andy Kerr described the plan as "an important step forward" in preventing youngsters from lighting up.

Qualified backing has been given from smokers' lobby group Forest which says smoking "is for adults".

Changes to the legal smoking age will appear in the Smoking Prevention Group's final report, which is expected to be sent to Mr Kerr very soon.

Smoking in public places was banned in Scotland in March this year.

The smoking legislation gives us the power to take this step, and I am prepared to back any proposal which I think will help tackle Scotland's ill health Health Minister Andy Kerr

Mr Kerr said on Sunday: "I believe, like the smoking ban, raising the age of purchase would be an important step forward, and I'd be very surprised if the group does not recommend raising the age requirement to 18.

"Let's be clear - we must get a strong message across to young Scots about the dangers of smoking.

"We want to deter people who're just entering adulthood from taking up a habit which causes huge health problems and leads to thousands of deaths each year.

"The smoking legislation gives us the power to take this step, and I am prepared to back any proposal which I think will help tackle Scotland's ill health."

'Makes sense'

About 6% of 13-year-olds and 19% of 15-year-olds smoke regularly. More teenage girls than boys take up the habit - 24% compared with 14%.

Forest, which vigorously opposed the ban on lighting up in public places, does not object to the legal age for smoking being changed.

Spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "We've no problem with raising the age, it makes sense, as we believe smoking is absolutely for adults.

"We support anything that discourages children from smoking but the problem is the current enforcement regime is pathetic.

"The number of convictions in the last five years is in single figures and unless it's enforced properly they may as well raise the age to 118 and this will be an empty gesture."