Europe
The European Union recommends the smoking age limit to be set at 18. Currently 22 of the 27 states have applied this limit. The limit remains at 16 in Austria, Malta, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
| Country / region | De jure | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoking age | Purchase age | ||
| Albania | None | 18 | |
| Austria | None | 16 | |
| Belarus | None | 18 | (Advertising of tobacco is prohibited on television and radio from 07:00 to 22:00, on the first and last pages of newspapers or magazines or at or near sports centres or public health facilities. Tobacco advertising may not describe the properties of the product, nor show the cigarette. The product package may be showed only on point of sale advertising. This may not link product consumption to success or mental or physical wellbeing.) |
| Belgium | None | 16 | (The law is strictly enforced, in both Flanders and Wallonia) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | None | 18 | |
| Bulgaria | None | 18 | |
| Croatia | None | 18 | |
| Cyprus | None | 18 | |
| Czech Republic | None | 18 | Health warnings fall under the same legislation of the European Union. The warning message is introduced by "Ministerstvo zdravotnictví varuje" (The ministry of health warns)) |
| Denmark | None | 18 | Smoking is banned in all Ministry of Health workplaces and in meetings of public councils, boards, and commissions unless all participants agree to permit smoking per Circular of 23 March 1988 of the Ministry of Health on the provision of nonsmoking environments on public premises, means of transport, etc. The agreement applies to all tobacco products, including cigarette paper and tubes, bans the use of models, actresses or actors appearing to be under 30 years, celebrities, health personnel, and sports personalities in ads; press advertising is restricted to a single page (Code of practice between the tobacco industry and the government, latest update in 1992).
(16 prior to September 1, 2008) |
| Estonia | 18 | 18 | (The legal smoking age is 18 per Tobacco Act,Chapter 2,Sec.17(1)(1). Sale of tobacco is prohibited in health care institutions, education institutions, and sports establishments per Tobacco Act, Chapter 2,Sec.17(1)(5).The minimum age to purchase tobacco is set at 18 per Decree on the Measure to Reduce Tobacco Smoking, Sec.12; Act on the Measures to Reduce Tobacco Smoking,Sec.11. Tobacco Vending Machines, sale of individual cigarettes and the distribution of Tobacco for free is illegal.) |
| Finland | 18 | 18 | Prior to 1995, the legal age on purchasing and use of the cigarettes was 16. Beginning March 1995, selling cigarettes to persons under 18 is an offence and beginning October 2010, smoking of cigarettes by minors is an offence. |
| France | None | 18 | (16 prior to March, 2009. Persons under 18 cannot smoke in schools per the Evin Law (passed in November 1992, effective 1 January 1993). Smoking is prohibited in schools receiving people under 16 per Law No. 76-616 of 9 July 1976 concerning measures to combat smoking. Vending machines outside tobacco shops are forbidden per Directive 2 K-1-89 of 19 December 1988. The directive was approved 19 December 1988 and effective 21 November 1989. In 2009, France made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes. Previously, selling cigarettes to persons under the age of 16 was illegal.) |
| Germany | 18 | 18 | (as of 1 September 2007, previous age limit was 16. The Protection of Young Persons in Public Act states that children and young people under 18 years of age shall not be permitted to smoke in public per the law on the protection of juveniles in public (as of 1 September 2007, previous age limit was 16). Television and radio advertising is banned. Advertisements that create the impression that the consumption or the proper use of tobacco products is harmless to health or is likely to have a favorable effect on the functioning of the body and physical performance, are likely to induce juveniles or adolescents to smoke, make it appear that inhaling of tobacco smoke is something to be imitated, or suggest that tobacco products are natural or pure are banned per the law of 15 August 1974 for the overall reform of foodstuffs law. No advertising elements typical to the environment of young people, media stars, sports personalities, or models under 30. The use of the terms "mild" and "light" are limited per Voluntary Restrictions on Advertising.) |
| Greece | None | 18 | (Nobody under the age of 18 is permitted to buy cigarettes or tobacco products.) |
| Hungary | 18 | 18 | (The legal smoking age is 18 per the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Non-Smokers and on the Prevention of Health Damage Related to Smoking, Sec. 2, version b. The sale of tobacco is prohibited within 200 m of schools and health care units per the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Non-Smokers and on the Prevention of Health Damage Related to Smoking, Sec. 2. Vending machines selling tobacco are restricted. Children and persons under 18 cannot smoke anywhere even in the places where smoking is allowed. Tobacco cannot be sold to minors under 18 years or distributed as free samples per the New Tobacco Act (submitted to Parliament in 1996, passed in April 1999, effective November 1999).) |
| Iceland | None | 18 | |
| Ireland | 16 | 18 | (The sale of tobacco to persons under 18 is illegal. Although the legal age to purchase tobacco products is 18, 16 is the minimum legal smoking age, Police are only allowed to confiscate cigarettes and other tobacco objects off people under the age of 16.) |
| Isle of Man | None | 18 | |
| Italy | 16 | 16 | (Translated from the Italian Ministry of Health tobacco regulation document: 'The Italian regulations on tobacco, with the overall objective of protecting the health of citizens, particularly young people, prohibits the sale and supply of tobacco to minors under 16 years of age, who are also banned from smoking in public places.') |
| Latvia | 18 | 18 | |
| Lithuania | None | 18 | |
| Luxembourg | None | 16 | (The tobacco control law, voted on 11 August 2006, prohibits selling tobacco to minors under 16 years. Only the vendor is punishable under this. The tobacco industry is prohibited from sponsoring events for children. Smoking is prohibited in hospitals, waiting rooms of physicians and dentists, pharmacies, educational establishments, places that receive or house persons under 18 years of age per Law of 24 March 1989 restricting the advertising of tobacco and tobacco products and prohibiting smoking in certain places. This, however, may well be changed in the near future.) |
| Macedonia | None | 16 | |
| Malta | None | 16 | |
| Moldova | None | 18 | |
| Montenegro | None | 18 | |
| Netherlands | None | 16 | (The sale of tobacco to persons under 16 is illegal. Smoking of tobacco is prohibited by law in all public buildings and in public transport. As of January 1, 2004 every employee has the right to work in a smoke-free environment. All forms of tobacco advertising, promotion or sponsorship are prohibited. Smoking remains prevalent in the Netherlands despite these efforts.) |
| Norway | None | 18 | (No age limit for use of tobacco but no sales of cigarettes or Swedish snus to people under 18 by law. Vending machines are only allowed when they are cited inside an approved store, with a demand of buying a receipt from the cashier first. and imitation tobacco products are not allowed. Cigarette commercials are also strictly forbidden by law. As of June 2004, smoking is prohibited in all public places, including restaurants, pubs and work places.) |
| Poland | None | 18 | (Law of 9 November 1995 on the protection of health against the effects of the consumption of tobacco and tobacco products) |
| Portugal | 18 | 18 | (Since 2008, the minimum age for purchase and consumption of tobacco is 18. Previously, the minimum age was 16. Advertisements for any kind of tobacco, appearing in or on television, radio, newspapers or magazines are also prohibited. It is an offense to smoke in any public, closed place that does not meet the established requirements (at least 100 m² with an exhauster and an identified zone dedicated to smokers). The offense is punishable with a fine of up to €750 and applies to restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, malls (except in identified areas), hospitals, schools, workplaces and public transports. There is a proposition to ban vending machines in places accessible to people younger than 18. In an attempt to reduce consumption, taxes and minimum prices of cigarettes have been greatly increased in the last 3 years.) |
| Romania | None | 18 | |
| Serbia | None | 18 | |
| Slovakia | None | 18 | (The minimum age is 18 and there is a vending machine ban. ) |
| Slovenia | None | 18 | |
| Spain | 18 | 18 | (You must be at least 18 to purchase and 18 to smoke tobacco.
Sale is banned in public schools and in health establishments. ) |
| Sweden | None | 18 | (Prior to 1997, no legal age on smoking. Starting January 1997, no persons under age 18 are allowed to purchase tobacco products. ) |
| Switzerland | 16,18 | 16,18 | There is no federal law which sets a legal smoking age, every canton has its own laws. Cantons with an age restriction of 18 years: Neuchatel, Schaffhausen, Zurich, Zug, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Land, Jura, Bern, Vaud, Ticino & Nidwalden. Cantons with an age restriction of 16 years: Thurgau, St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Graubünden, Uri, Lucerne, Aargau, Solothurn, Fribourg, Valais, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Schwyz, Glarus, Obwalden, Geneva. However, in some cantons, the legal age to smoke may differ from the age you can purchase cigarettes; for example, in the canton of Vaud, you must be 18 to purchase cigarettes, but you may smoke legally |
| Ukraine | None | 18 | |
| United Kingdom | None | 18 | Could be purchased at the age of 16 until 1 October 2007. It is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18 in England and Wales. The minimum age for consumption in public is 16, however there is no age limit for consumption in private. Possession is not an offence, providing they are not being consumed.
In Scotland the minimum age for sale, purchase, and possession in a public place is 18. The minimum age in Northern Ireland was raised from 16 to 18 in 2008. |
Read more about this topic: Smoking Age
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