RAISING the age at which cigarettes can be bought from 16 to 18 is on the agenda as the government hosts a giant anti-smoking seminar in London and concern grows over the rising numbers of teenage smokers.

But would it work?

For even with much stiffer fines that the present £2,000 maximum, many shopkeepers would be reluctant to give up their slice of the profits from the £100million-worth of cigarettes which manufacturers admit are sold each year to under-16s.

And law-abiding shopkeepers would still be open to deception by teenage customers and the ruse of them getting someone of legal age to buy their cigarettes for them.

Worse, making cigarettes more illicit could actually add to their attraction for some.

Would it not make more sense to plough more cash from tobacco taxes into education in schools against smoking?

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