Government must not sniff round the edges on smoking

5.10.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 3rd Jul 2006

Alliance Health Spokesperson, Kieran McCarthy

Alliance Assembly Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy has said Government plans to raise the age at which young people can buy cigarettes will make no difference to the case against smoking.

The Strangford MLA stated: "There is no point in the Government just sniffing round the edges of the smoking debate.

"The key is to educate young people fully of the real dangers of smoking, to try to stop them starting to smoke in the first place. The age at which they can buy cigarettes makes no difference, those who are really determined will get them anyway.

"The Government must instead focus on providing information to schoolchildren and youth centres aimed at illustrating clearly the risks of smoking, to bring down as far as possible the number of young people taking up the habit to start with."

ENDS