ACS

ACS has urged the Department of Health to follow the Scottish Parliament’s lead by addressing the issue of proxy purchase of tobacco. The Health and Sports Committee has recommended that measures to criminalise adults supplying tobacco to children be added to the Tobacco and Primary Services (Scotland) Bill. The Committee’s recommendation will now be considered by Scottish Ministers.

ACS has been campaigning for similar provisions to be included in the Health Bill currently passing through Westminster. In light of this new development ACS has written a letter to the Public Health Minister Gillian Merron urging her to begin discussion on this issue. ACS also raised the issue of proxy purchasing at a meeting with Gillian Merron in August.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We welcome this move toward tackling the issue of proxy purchasing. Most people will be surprised to know that an adult that buys cigarettes from a shop and then walks outside and hands them over to a child is not breaking the law. We are calling on the Government to make these irresponsible actions illegal so as to punish and deter adults that encourage underage smoking.

“We have written to Gillian Merron, urging her to convene discussions between the Department of Health, retailers and enforcement agencies to examine how best to tackle this issue.

“We will monitor the progress in Scotland and hope that in Westminster Government take the opportunity provided by the Health Bill to legislate to ban the proxy purchase of tobacco.”