Thursday 29 October 2015

Message still not getting through to some tobacco retailers

Three retailers sold cigarettes to underage volunteers during controlled purchase operations carried out in the Wellington region during September.

Regional Public Health put 40 retailers to the test in operations carried out in Porirua, Karori, Churton Park, and Paraparaumu. The premises that sold cigarettes to the underage volunteer were: Karori Mini Mart, Churton Park Store and Driftwood Superette Kapiti.

All three sellers will be issued an infringement notice of $500 for selling cigarettes to a minor.

Controlled Purchase Operations are conducted by Smoke-free Enforcement Officers using an underage volunteer to ensure retailers comply with the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990. Volunteers are required to disclose their true age if asked by a retailer, or state they are not carrying any identification.

Smoke-free Enforcement Officer Jessica Punton says, “The volunteer was refused the sale of cigarettes at 37 premises during this operation, these premises asked for identification from the volunteer. If every person who looks under 25 years old is asked for ID and cigarettes are only sold to those that produce evidence of their age, then there would never be any sales of cigarettes to minors”.

Prior to these operations being conducted, retailers are visited and educated on the Smoke-free Environments Act to ensure they have procedures in place to not sell cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 years. Retailers may be selected for a controlled purchase operation because they are in close proximity to schools, have been warned about selling to minors in the past, or it has been some time since the last operation in the area.

One of the best things people can do for their health is to quit smoking. Retailers can assist people significantly by not selling cigarettes. Retailers can choose to stop selling cigarettes and there is a website designed to help retailers who wish to become tobacco free, it is http://www.smokefreeshops.co.nz/tobacco-free-retailers-toolkit/.

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