Smoking costs

Having read your article on Scotland's new tobacco legislation (28 January), I felt it was important to correct a number of inaccuracies.

Not only did your correspondent get the bill's title wrong – for the record, it's the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill – he also wrongly stated that it would raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes to 18. In fact, this happened two years ago.

The article also quotes vastly inflated figures for the cost to retailers of complying with the ban and claims these are government estimates.

Far from the thousands mentioned, we have made it widely known that a solution could cost as little as 20 per row on a display.

This was an important piece of legislation which will deter today's children from becoming tomorrow's smokers.

SHONA ROBISON

Minister for public health and sport