WHATEVER the perceived moral rights and wrongs of using youngsters in the fight against illegal tobacco sales, Bolton's possible reintroduction of this ploy to trap offending shopkeepers is certainly timely.

Yesterday, the Health Education Authority launched a hard-hitting anti-smoking campaign featuring cancer victims to underline the dangers of smoking.

In 1966 in Bolton, test purchases were carried out by children which showed that a large percentage were sold tobacco. But concerns were raised about the practice and no tests were carried out last year.

Now, councillors look set to bring back the system next year, and we support this move.

British courts have concluded that this method may be the "only enforcement approach available in practice".

If shopkeepers are unscrupulous and uncaring enough to sell cigarettes to children, then the lack of morality is all theirs, and should be punished.

The Government is desperate to halt the increase in smoking among teenagers, and younger. Advertising by real people, explaining how their lives have been crippled by the effects of smoking, should make everyone think twice about the habit.

To reinforce this message with a campaign to trap those profiting from smoking in our town makes sense. Perhaps now the message might even get across to youngsters that "dying for a fag" could literally mean just that.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.