Views wanted on changing smoking laws

Tobacco vending machines could be banned and it could be illegal to smoke in cars carrying children in the future.

The Department of Health wants to strengthen current smoking laws and is launching a public consultation.

It plans to focus new measures on ways to protect young people from the dangers of tobacco.

As well as trying to reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke it also seeks to make tobacco products less visible in shops.

Health officials believe that it’s too easy at the moment for children to get their hands on cigarettes and say that if tobacco were discovered today, it would never be made legal.

The consultation and a link to the questionnaire are available on the government website.