The Scottish Executive is expected to back proposals to raise the legal age for buying tobacco to 18, yet retailers in the country believe it won't stop underage smokers.
Increasing the age for purchasing tobacco products is one of a number of recommendations from the Smoking Prevention Working Group.
The report sets out 31 recommendations, mainly aimed at preventing children and young people from starting to smoke and becoming regular smokers.
The possibility of a negative licensing scheme, in which retailers could be banned from selling tobacco products if they are found to repeatedly break the law, was also suggested in the group's report.
However, Scottish Grocers' Federation chief executive John Drummond believes this isn't the solution. "Negative licensing is the wrong answer to the wrong question on the sale of cigarettes by rogue retailers. These proposals do not address the issues of under-investment in trading standards officers to enforce current regulations, or look at the need for a compulsory proof-of-age card which retailers have confidence in."
Retailer Kashif Mohammed, who owns a Spar store in Oakley, Fife, said: "I've nothing against the legal age going up, but the problem won't be solved by simply placing the onus on the retailer. Retailers do have a social responsibility, though, and those who constantly break the law should have their licences taken away."
The Executive will now carry out the necessary steps for introducing the recommendation. Ministers have not yet decided if it will be possible to introduce the proposals before Scotland's election in May 2007.

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