Third of minors buying cigarettes from shops and pubs

The Office of Tobacco Control has said there is a long way to go to ensure cigarettes are not getting into the hands of minors.

It's latest research shows around a third of minors are still buying cigarettes in shops and from vending machines in pubs.

A third of pubs and almost a third of shopkeepers are allowing cigarettes to be sold to minors, according to the latest survey from the Office of Tobacco Control.

It also shows the ban on point-of-sale advertising, introduced in July, is working well.

The survey also showed that in almost all cases where ID was asked for cigarettes were not sold.