Five HB Retailers Sell Cigarettes To Underage Chil

18 October 2007

Five HB Retailers Sell Cigarettes To Underage Children

Recent monitoring checks carried out by Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’s public health unit resulted in five retailers selling cigarettes to underage volunteers.

The check involved two young people attempting to buy tobacco or herbal smoking products. A total of 21 retail premises in the Wairoa and Central Hawke’s Bay areas were checked. Under the Smoke Free Environments Act, It is illegal to sell tobacco or herbal smoking products to anyone aged under 18 years.

Details regarding the retailers who sold cigarettes to the volunteers have been forwarded to the Ministry of Health for a decision on whether to prosecute. The maximum fine for selling to minors is up to $2,000, while repeat offenders may be ordered not to sell tobacco products

Theresa Te Whaiti, the public health unit’s Smokefree Officer says that monitoring checks will continue around Hawke’s Bay, so to avoid being prosecuted, retailers need to continue to be vigilant about who they sell cigarettes to. “Retailers need to ensure their staff are aware of the law and should hold regular training sessions with staff. It is important that acceptable photo identification is checked. Quite simply it should be ‘No ID - No Sale’.

The public health unit congratulates all those retailers who are consistently refusing to sell cigarettes to young people under the age of 18 years. Retailers play an important part in reducing youth smoking rates in Hawke’s Bay.

ENDS

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