Tobacco firms are backing a proposal to raise the minimum age at which a person can buy cigarettes in Scotland from 16 to 18 years.

Tobacco firms are backing a proposal to raise the minimum age at which a person can buy cigarettes in Scotland from 16 to 18 years.

The Scottish Executive wants to change the law to deter teenagers from becoming addicted to nicotine at an early age as research shows the younger a person starts smoking, the less likely it is they will ever quit.

Andy Kerr, the Health Minister, used the occasion of the anniversary of Scotland's ban on smoking in public places last week to call for an increase in the legal age at which teenagers can buy tobacco.

The overwhelming number of respondents to a consultation on changing the law, launched by the executive, support the proposals. Results of the consultation were published yesterday, and unsurprisingly all of the NHS boards, cancer charities and local authorities which took part backed the plan.

However, support for changing the law was also given by the tobacco companies. The Tobacco Manufacturers' Association (TMA), whose principal members include British American Tobacco, Gallaher and Imperial Tobacco, said it supported the change, but added there must be a transition period of at least nine months to allow retailers and consumers to prepare.

Philip Morris, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, is not a member of the UK TMA. It said in its response: "Smoking is addictive and causes serious and fatal diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Minors should not smoke. To help ensure they do not smoke, we strongly support increasing the minimum age for sales of tobacco products from 16 to 18."

Retailers rather than tobacco companies were the organisations least committed to changing the law. The Scottish Co-op said if the law was changed then the issue of current smokers aged 16 and 17 must be addressed properly and added that "retailers will be at the sharp end and this could lead to abuse and intimidation of shop staff".

The Scottish Grocers' Federation said a transition period of between 12 and 18 months is "not only desirable, but is essential".

The legal age for buying tobacco will be raised from 16 to 18 on October 1 this year in England and Wales. Scottish ministers are committed to raising the age as soon as they can, but next month's parliamentary elections mean the proposal cannot progress until the summer at the earliest.