A Welsh Government ban on the sale of tobacco from vending machines in Wales has been approved and will come into force on February 1 2012.
Although tobacco vending machines account for only 1% of the UK market, 10% of regular smokers aged 11 to 15 say they get their cigarettes from them.
elsh Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said: “Most smokers start during adolescence. Two thirds of adults who have ever smoked say they started before they were 18.
“A voluntary code has not been effective in sufficiently restricting young people’s access to tobacco from vending machines. I am therefore pleased that we are able to introduce regulations banning the sale of tobacco from vending machines in Wales as part of our wider effort to safeguard children and young people from the dangers of smoking.”
Enforcement of the ban will be the responsibility of councils.