Four Waikato Retail Outlets Fail Compliance Test

Media information For immediate release

Date: 23 June 2009

Four Waikato Retail Outlets Fail Compliance Test

Two Te Awamutu dairy owners, a Hamilton service station employee and a Hamilton dairy owner are facing possible prosecution and fines of up to $2000 after selling cigarettes to people under the age of 18.

Waikato District Health Board's Population Health Service health protection staff visited 12 retail premises in Hamilton, Pirongia and Te Awamutu this month, in a campaign to stop retailers selling cigarettes to people under age.

Targets were supermarkets, service stations and dairies.

Health protection advisor Nick Young said staff at eight of the premises visited, followed correct procedure and refused to sell cigarettes to the 15-year-old volunteer who was briefed to give their correct age when asked.

Mr Young will contact those retailers whose staff complied with the legislation to advise them of their employees' performance.

However, one service station employee and three dairy owners sold cigarettes to the volunteer and reports on these cases will now be sent to the Ministry of Health in Wellington.

The likely result for these retail outlets will be a warning or a district court prosecution under the Smokefree Environments Act 1990.

Mr Young said he was disappointed at the level of non-compliance (33 per cent) and further operations of this nature would be conducted on an ongoing basis. Employers and their staff members needed to ensure they were fully familiar with their obligations under the act.

Additional Information

1. Young people in New Zealand continue to become addicted to nicotine at an age when many do not realise the full consequences of smoking. On average, most New Zealand youth aged 15-19 years start smoking at 14.6 years of age and almost 72% would not smoke if they had their lives over again. Almost three-quarters of youth in this age group purchase their cigarettes themselves.

2. By the time these young smokers reach an age where they would be expected to have a greater appreciation of smoking, many have difficulty stopping. By age 18, two thirds of New Zealand youth smokers regret starting and half have tried to quit. Recent studies indicate that youth smokers are especially vulnerable .to the effects of nicotine and that nicotine addiction may be heightened if smoking is initiated during adolescence.

3. The Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 (Act) prohibits the sale or supply of tobacco products to youth less than 18 years of age. The Act is a means of curtailing the availability of tobacco to a demographic group which is particularly vulnerable to initiation of smoking behaviour.

4. The Ministry of Health routinely conducts Controlled Purchase Operations to test retailer compliance with the prohibition on selling tobacco products to minors. Prior to 2004, retailers who sold tobacco products to minors were liable to a fine up to $2000. As a result of a legislative amendment in 2004; retailers who have at least two convictions for selling tobacco products to a person under 18 within a two year period may also be prohibited from selling tobacco products for up to three months.

About Waikato District Health Board and Health Waikato: Waikato DHB is responsible for planning, funding and providing quality health and disability support services for the 353,460 people living in the Waikato DHB region. It has an annual turnover of $915 million and employs more than 5300 people.

Health Waikato is the DHB's main provider of hospital and health services with an annual budget of $530 million and 4500 staff. It has seven divisions across five hospital sites, two maternity and continuing care hospitals and 21 community bases offering a comprehensive range of primary, secondary and tertiary health services. A wide range of independent providers delivers other Waikato DHB-funded health services - including primary health, pharmacies and community laboratories.

ENDS