Step up the legal age for smoking, says BMA Scotland

With a view to deterring youngsters from smoking, the Doctors' representative body BMA Scotland has urged the government to raise the legal age to smoke from the present 16 to 18. According to the BMA chairman, Dr Peter Terry, this would help in putting-off youngsters from smoking.

Though the Health Minister Andy Kerr considers this as a beneficial option, yet he feels that the issue merits a public discussion before it can be enforced. Incidentally, Scotland blazed a trail of smoke-free public places and now it is on the brink of yet another trend setting move, that of raising the permissible age limit to smoke.