THE Tobacco Alliance group of retailers will this week gather in Edinburgh to mobilise a campaign against Scottish Government proposals restricting the sale of cigarettes and cigars.
Shopkeepers will launch "Responsible Retailers" - an initiative aiming to encourage the responsible retail of age-restricted products such as tobacco, and promote the work independent retailers are already undertaking in reducing under-age sales.
The move comes just weeks after SNP politician Christine Grahame called for tobacco sellers to be forced to apply for licences like those given to premises which sell alcohol.
The MSP wants to cut the number of underage smokers through measures such as hiding cigarettes in shops. She hopes to put forward a private members' bill to bring the system into force.
Campaign coordinator Katherine Graham said the Responsible Retailers initiative demonstrated that Scottish shopkeepers worked hard to ensure children are not sold tobacco.
She said: "There is a significant illegal trade in tobacco products in Scotland which needs to be dealt with. Until then, tobacco will be readily available to the underage through tobacco smugglers and often at half the retail price.
"Knee jerk reactions and legislation that prevents a legal product being displayed does not solve the problem, people will just get their cigarettes from the boot of a car down the street.
"It often feels like small shops are being victimised but we want to work with the Government on this."
The campaign aims to endorse schemes such as CitizenCard, the UK's largest proof-of-age scheme, and urges retailers to adopt the "No ID No Sale" campaign in their shops.
But Maureen Moore, chief executive of anti-smoking group ASH Scotland, said: "Out-of-sight tobacco sales would stop tobacco companies promoting and marketing their brands at the point of sale to young people.
"The UK is a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which requires a comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. This has been done in print and media. It is now time to close the loophole of allowing tobacco advertising in shops."
Studies show that about 75% of 15-year-old regular smokers in Scotland and almost half of those aged 13 have been able to buy cigarettes over the counter. It is estimated that introducing a licensing scheme in Scotland would cost about £5m.
Moore added: "A positive system of licensing tobacco sales should be introduced in Scotland to act as an active deterrent as well as a [fixed] penalty for retailers who sell to those underage.A positive licensing scheme means a retailer could have their licence to sell tobacco suspended or revoked for repeated violation.
"This would prove to be a much more effective deterrent to the rogue traders who peddle cigarettes to our young. It would also be a lot cheaper and quicker than the current costly court system which led to only 17 court prosecutions between 2001 and 2007."
The full article contains 494 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
