Cigarette price hike and 10-packs to be stubbed out

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney is to announce a ban on the sale of ten-pack cigarettes in the coming days, after a new survey found 16% of children aged between 12-17 are smokers.

Teenage smokers are going through ten cigarettes a day, and spending an average of €40 a week on the habit, according to figures from the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC).

Three-quarters of young smokers said another family member smoked while 92% said their best friend did so, showing the strong influence of family and peer groups on starting smoking early.