Hansard

Gordon Jackson is right to highlight the importance of those substances. A considerable amount of work is under way in respect of both alcohol and tobacco. We are in the midst of consultation on the recommendations in the report of our expert group on smoking prevention, which focuses particularly on young people because it recognises that most smokers start smoking in their teens, regret it and seek to stop thereafter. It is critical that we break the habit of cigarette smoking in that age group.

One of the report's recommendations is that we should raise from 16 to 18 the age at which people may buy tobacco. There are several other recommendations on the sale of tobacco products to young people and on enforcement. We are seeking opinions on all those matters.

We are certainly minded to support more effective enforcement, in respect of use of both alcohol and tobacco. Andy Kerr today announced the roll-out of test purchasing of alcohol by under-18s throughout Scotland, following the successful pilot in Fife in recent months. A similar test-purchasing approach has been taken to tobacco, which has helped us to improve the effectiveness of enforcement in that area, too.