Reaching for a cigarette when stressed is actually the worst thing a nervous student can do - research has shown that lighting up when under pressure actually increases stress levels. Nicotine wears off quickly and the withdrawal symptoms can make people tense. All smoking actually does is calm nicotine cravings, the very symptom that smoking causes.

Currently, 26 percent of 16-19 year olds smoke and half of all teenagers who smoke will die from diseases caused by tobacco if they continue to smoke throughout the course of their life. It is hoped that changing the age of sale of tobacco will make it harder for under 18's to become addicted to tobacco and therefore reduce the numbers of tobacco users who unnecessarily cut short their lives through tobacco related illnesses. Increasing the minimum age at which teenagers can be sold tobacco products will also reduce the general availability of cigarettes, and could therefore discourage young people from taking up smoking in the first place.