Tobacco retailers prey on children

Governments should move to get all tobacco products out of 
sight and should register all tobacco dealers to improve 
regulation and enforcement, says Action on Smoking and Health 
(ASH) Australia.

ASH was responding to the release of a three-year survey by the 
NSW Health Department and the Cancer Council of NSW that shows 
smoking rates increasing for girls between the ages of 12 and 15.

The survey also revealed 22 percent of teenagers were buying 
cigarettes freely from shops, including supermarkets and petrol 
stations; and a third of the child respondents said they had 
never been asked to provide identification proving their age.

"This survey shows 'self-regulation' isn't working to protect 
children from being illegally supplied cigarettes in shops", says 
ASH Chief Executive Anne Jones. "There will always be 
unscrupulous tobacco dealers who have a long track record of 
pitching their product to kids, despite laws banning sales to 
children."

While some governments register tobacco dealers to help stamp out 
law breakers, other states including NSW have buckled to pressure 
from retailer associations which oppose more regulation — 
including storing tobacco displays out of sight.

"As a result", says Anne Jones, "there are more than a quarter of 
a million Australian school kids puffing away weekly — and 
another forty thousand taking it up every year."

A report to the federal government has recommended a registration 
scheme for all tobacco dealers. The benefits would include a 
self-funded education program, improved enforcement of laws, 
including penalties and loss of licence for anyone who sells to 
children.

"We need to put the health of children ahead of the vested 
interests of tobacco dealers, including Coles and Woolworths. 
These recommendations will not inconvenience smokers wanting 
access to tobacco.

"We call on governments to improve the health of children and 
teenagers by introducing registration schemes for all tobacco 
dealers and requiring tobacco displays to be stored out of sight 
in all retail outlets."