08/10/2009 - Call to ban tobacco vending in pubs
A heart-health charity is calling for cigarette vending machines in pubs to be banned as they make it too easy for young people to access tobacco.
Parliament is soon to debate a new Health Bill, with proposals that the machines should be age restricted or operated by landlords and shopkeepers. But the British Heart Foundation (BHF) argues this is not enough to stop the 12% of young smokers who last year obtained cigarettes from the machines.
Its research has shown that nearly two-thirds of licensees felt they would be too busy to operate machines during hectic periods. Also, many said they would be happy to give the machines up, as they only earned around £500 per year from them, the loss of which would not affect their businesses.
Chief executive of the BHF Peter Hollins said: "The Government's proposals are unworkable and unrealistic. The message from the pub industry is loud and clear, they can't make these proposals work and the loose change they make from these machines isn't worth the hassle of keeping them."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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