Vending cigarettes

Published on Thursday 21 May 2009 21:41

Your report, "Cigarette machines ban may be unlawful" (20 May), entirely fails to reflect the facts. Far from failing to consult with the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators (NACMO), we made numerous attempts to contact them but NACMO failed to respond to any messages – a fact your correspondent was well aware of.

And we certainly have not admitted that the ban on vending machines will be reviewed. We will continue to talk to NACMO and its members about how to alleviate the impact of the ban but remain absolutely committed to banning vending machines. Again your correspondent was aware of this.

Smoking kills – that's a fact. It's also a fact that many teenagers get their cigarettes from vending machines. I believe it's unacceptable to sell such a dangerous product through vending machines – which are, after all, self service – and that's why we plan to ban them in Scotland.

SHONA ROBISON

Minister for public health

Scottish Parliament