What is the legal age to smoke in the UK?

Man of Honour
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Having a debate about this at work and Google is 'net nannying' me to death.
So what is the legal age that somebody can smoke in the UK?
I need a proper link in the next 15 minutes please (if we can get to it)?

This is not the legal age to buy cigarettes either - we know that.
 
Soldato
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Kent, England
Children and Young Person's Act: http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1109288

7. Sale of tobacco, &c. to persons under sixteen. — (1) Any person who sells to a person under the age of sixteen years any tobacco or cigarette papers, whether for his own use or not, shall be liable, to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) above to prove that he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.

(2) If on complaint to a court of summary jurisdiction it is proved to the satisfaction of the court that any automatic machine for the sale of tobacco kept on any premises has been used by any person under the age of sixteen years, the court shall order the owner of the machine, or the person on whose premises the machine is kept, to take such precautions to prevent the machine being so used as may be specified in the order or, if necessary, to remove the machine, within such time as may be specified in the order, and if any person against whom such an order has been made fails to comply therewith, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(3) It shall be the duty of a constable and of a park-keeper being in uniform to seize any tobacco or cigarette papers in the possession of any person apparently under the age of sixteen years whom he finds smoking in any street or public place, and any tobacco or cigarette papers so seized shall be disposed of, if seized by a constable, in such manner as the police authority may direct, and if seized by a park-keeper, in such manner as the authority or person by whom he was appointed may direct.

(4) Nothing in this section shall make it an offence to sell tobacco or cigarette papers to, or shall authorise the seizure of tobacco or cigarette papers in the possession of, any person who is at the time employed by a manufacturer of or dealer in tobacco, either wholesale or retail, for the purposes of his business, or is a boy messenger in uniform in the employment of a messenger company and employed as such at the time.

(5) For the purposes of this section the expression “tobacco” includes cigarettes [any product containing tobacco and intended for oral or nasal use] and smoking mixtures intended as a substitute for tobacco, and the expression “cigarettes” includes cut tobacco rolled up in paper, tobacco leaf, or other material in such form as to be capable of immediate use for smoking.
 
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Associate
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15 Jun 2003
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1,342
United Kingdom

It is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 in England and Wales[17] or in Scotland[18] (increased from 16 on 1 October 2007). Smokers under the age of 15 may have their tobacco confiscated by a police officer. The legal smoking age has also increased to 18 according to Trading Standards.


The minimum age in Northern Ireland has been raised from 16 to 18 years on the 1st of September 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_age

I thought it was 16 :p
 
Soldato
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Caporegime
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30 Jun 2007
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Still odd - you can have sex at 16 (even 14 tbh if your partner is <16), but you can't take pictures of their naked boobies unless >18.

You can't take a picture of your own naked boobies at 16 either, several people have been done for it by texting their BF/GF's naked pictures of themselves...
 
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