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Keeping our children safe from Tobacco
Keeping our children safe from Tobacco
Hunter New England Health is reminding tobacco retailers that it is their responsibility to ask for 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. Hunter New England Health routinely carries out inspections of tobacco retail outlets to monitor compliance with this legislation.
During the past three months Public Health Officers inspected 180 tobacco retailers throughout the Hunter, New England and Lower Mid North Coast regions.
More than 90 per cent of 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. This resulted in letters of warning and will lead to prosecution if this offence is repeated.
Hunter New England Health Protection Director Dr David Durrheim said effective tobacco control depends on successful implementation of complementary strategies.
“Supportive legislation is one of the strategies that have proven particularly effective in limiting the harmful exposure of children to tobacco.”
“The uptake of smoking by young people is of concern as the earlier the initiation of smoking, the earlier the risk of smoking-related disease, and the harder it is to quit.
“By the age of 20, 8 out of 10 of smokers regret that they ever started smoking, having underestimated the addictive powers of nicotine,” Dr Durrheim said.
The teenage years are the most common time for taking up smoking with eight in 10 smokers starting in their teens.
A survey of NSW secondary school students in 2005 found that over 20 per cent of 12 to 17 year old students in NSW had smoked tobacco in the past 12-months, and more than 10 per cent considered themselves smokers.
“Although the societal tide is turning against tobacco, it is important not to be complacent and ensure that our young people are not exposed,” said Dr Durrheim.
Contact: Tanya Carlyle
Phone: (02) 49392602
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