THE second major change this year to the laws regarding smoking came into force yesterday with little fanfare to herald its arrival.

The ban on smoking in public places in July was preceded by government advertising on television and in newspapers.

There would have been few people not aware of the ban when it came into force.

A law change of similar significance came into being yesterday.

You must now be aged 18 or over to purchase cigarettes.

Before yesterday anyone aged 16 and over could buy a packet of fags.

It's a change that has our full support, just as we continue to back the smoking ban.

Anything that delays or dissuades young people from smoking is good news.

We question, however, whether the government did enough to promote this law change in advance of its implementation.

Many people - particularly young people - just do not seem to be aware of the new law.

This ignorance inevitably leads to frustration from those who are able to do something one day but banned from it the next - and we suspect it is the poor shopkeeper who will be getting it in the neck as a result.

We are told that modern-day politics is all about communication.

In this instance, it appears to have been sadly lacking.

Banning under-18s from buying cigarettes is a good move - letting them know about it beforehand would have been an even better one.