Protecting our children from tobacco

Hunter New England Health is reminding tobacco retailers that it is their responsibility to ask for age identification to avoid sales of cigarettes to minors.

In NSW it is illegal to sell to or buy tobacco products for young people under the age of 18 years. Businesses who fail to comply with the legislation risk fines of up to $110,000 or $11,000 for individuals.

Hunter New England Health routinely carries out inspections of tobacco retail outlets to monitor compliance with this legislation and this financial year has carried out inspections of over 70 tobacco retailers throughout the Hunter New England region.

More than 90 per cent of the retailers tested complied with the Public Health legislation by refusing to sell cigarettes to the 14 and 15-year-olds assisting with the program. 

A small percentage of retailers neglected to ask for identification and sold cigarettes to minors. Currently two businesses have been prosecuted and fined for failure to comply with the legislation.

Hunter New England Health Environmental Health Manager Philippe Porigneaux said the recent prosecutions should serve as a reminder to businesses to ensure that the customer is over 18 before selling tobacco products to them.

“To make sure, retailers and employees should make it routine to ask anyone who appears to be under the age of 25 for proof of age,” Mr Porigneaux said.

Mr Porigneaux said it was important to take action against businesses who sold tobacco products to children.

“Research has demonstrated that 90 per cent of long-term smokers start smoking before they are out of their teens. This is a concern because the earlier a person starts smoking, the earlier they will suffer smoking related diseases, and the more difficult they will find it to quit,” Mr Porigneaux said.

“By the age of 20, eight out of 10 of smokers regret that they ever started smoking, having underestimated the addictive powers of nicotine.

“Nicotine dependence is established rapidly even among adolescents and preventing young people from commencing smoking will reduce smoking deaths and illness and the associated costs in the long term.

“Although the societal tide is turning against tobacco, it is important not to be complacent and ensure that our young people are not exposed,” Mr Porigneaux said.

Contact: Sharna McCarthy

Phone: 02 4921 4501