Tough rules on shops serving cigs

Oldham shopkeepers will be banned from selling cigarettes and tobacco if they persistently supply children from today.

The ban is part of the Government’s Smoking Kills campaign which comes into force today.

New laws mean that if traders are caught selling tobacco to children three times within two years, they will face a 12-month ban on top of their conviction. Councillor Mark Alcock, Cabinet member for the environment and infrastructure, said: “These new rules will provide an added incentive for retailers to get their house in order.

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“As they can be applied to individual shops within chains, we can use them to target local shops which are failing to follow company procedures, as well as smaller outlets.”

Oldham’s director of public health, Alan Higgins, added: “Government research shows that people are 70 per cent less likely to start smoking if they are not smoking at the age of 18.

“It is vital that we reduce the number of young people who smoke and protect them from a lifetime of associated health problems. This initiative has my full support.

“We are doing a huge amount of work in Oldham to educate people about the dangers of smoking.

“These new rules are an added bonus, because it will make it more difficult for young people to get hold of cigarettes in the first place.”