Retailer sting: 48% sold cigarettes to minors

SHOP owners came under fire last night after a survey showed almost half of retailers were willing to sell cigarettes to minors.

The Office of Tobacco Control’s research was a serious indictment of retailers and pub and hotel owners after it revealed the extent to which youngsters could get their hands on cigarettes.

Researchers went undercover with children under 18 years of age, attempting to buy cigarettes in 1,526 shops and licensed premises. The audit, carried out in August last year, found 48% of staff in shops sold packets to minors. Furthermore, when it came to the ages of those undercover, almost one in three 15-year-olds could have purchased cigarettes.

Health Minister Mary Harney said the survey was “shocking”. Retailers had to demand identification from teenagers buying cigarettes, she insisted.

“Please ask for IDs. If you don’t, you’re encouraging young people to begin a journey of disease, addiction and premature death.”

Laws to restrict tobacco advertisements in stores are still pending. Ms Harney said these would be effected soon.

However, the Irish Cancer Society said there was still an immense amount of work to be done in relation to more tobacco control measures.

“Government policy should not continue to facilitate access by the tobacco industry to young people living in Ireland,” said its health promotion manager Norma Cronin.

The research, Tobacco Control and the Irish Retail Environment, also looked at ways minors were prevented from buying cigarettes, the areas where IDs were least requested and the extent of tobacco advertisements in shops.

The undercover minors were prevented from buying cigarettes in 54% of premises with token-operated vending machines.

Areas in the south of the country were the worst for sales to minors, where some 54% of staff sold cigarettes to those underage.

Overall, 92% of stores visited had some form of tobacco advertising.

The second part of the research looked at attitudes to advertising as well as harsher measures to restrict smoking.

Among 1,034 people quizzed, it found more than two-thirds backed a total ban on tobacco advertisements in stores to prevent young people taking up the habit.

Retailer representatives said they were disappointed with the survey’s results.

“Our members who sold tobacco to minors in this instance must take responsibility.

“We are committed to eradicating the sale of tobacco to under-18s and the failure rate in this instance is, obviously, unacceptably high,” said Vincent Jennings of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association.

Mr Jennings reiterated a call to make the Garda Age Card mandatory for everyone in Ireland between the ages of 18 and 23.

He said Ireland was one of a minority of EU countries that still did not have an identity card culture for age verification.

Tobacco access: The reality

* 48% of shops were willing to sell cigarettes to minors.

* 64% of minors could buy packets in pub and hotel machines.

* 45% of stores had confectionery beside tobacco displays.

* 8/10 people think special licences should be issued for places selling cigarettes.

* Refusal rates were lowest in garages, with 54% of minors able to buy packets.

* 40% of places had cigarettes displayed on open shelves.