Officials stamp out sweet cigarettes
Sunday July 08 2007
LARISSA NOLAN
THEY are an enduring childhood memory, for sale in sweet shops nationwide.
But 'sweet cigarettes' will no longer appear on Irish shop shelves. They have been banned under a directive by the Government's Office of Tobacco Control, which warns there is a dark side of to the supposedly innocent treats.
The OTC says sweet cigarettes - or "candy sticks" as they have been subtly rebranded in recent years - encourage kids to smoke.
The OTC's director of Communications Kathleen Quinlan said: "They look exactly like real cigarettes and are even boxed up like them.
"Children are attracted by them and some regard them as illicit and mature playthings. International studies show that children who play with these sweet cigarettes are far more likely to take up the habit later in life."
