Youth access
United Kingdom
The Children and Young Persons (Sale of Tobacco etc.) Order 2007
In force legislation England and Wales. A separate order exists for Scotland.
From 1 October 2007 the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco was raised from 16 to 18.
The Act updates and amends the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.
Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 (External Web Page)
In force legislation England, Wales and Scotland only
The Act amended and strengthened the existing Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Children and Young Persons Act (Scotland) 1937 regarding the sale of tobacco to minors.
This Act increased the penalties for the sale of tobacco to persons under the age of 16, prohibited the sale of unpackaged cigarettes and made provision for local authorities to undertake enforcement action relating to offences connected to the sale of tobacco.
European Union
Recommendation on prevention of smoking and initiatives to improve tobacco control
EU COM(2002) 303 final (Proposal) (External Web Page)
This council recommendation seeks to tighten tobacco control measures with particular emphasis on youth access to tobacco.
Amongst the proposals:
- adult only access to cigarette machines
- removal of tobacco products from display
- young people to prove their age prior to purchase
- banning sales of packets of 10
These recommendations do not call for primary legislation but propose changes to existing legislation such as directives on product regulation and labelling.
