Excellent result in Oamaru tobacco Controlled Purchase Operation

Public Health South is pleased to announce that none of the retailers who were tested in a tobacco Controlled Purchase Operation in Oamaru last week sold cigarettes to an underage volunteer. This constitutes the best result for Tobacco Controlled Purchase Operations (CPO) in Otago in recent years.

Southern DHB Medical Officer of Health, Dr Marion Poore, congratulates the retailers, noting that this is a significant improvement on CPOs undertaken last year, in which four Oamaru retailers sold to an underage volunteer.

"By refusing to sell tobacco products to people under 18 years, retailers are not only complying with their legal obligations under the Smoke-free Environments Act, but are also playing an important part in reducing youth smoking rates," says Dr Poore.

"Very few people start smoking over the age of 18, so preventing sales to minors saves lives. If retailers stock tobacco products, it is their responsibility not to sell to underage people".

Retailers are recommended to always ask anyone who looks younger than 25 years for identification when selling tobacco.

Retailers who are caught selling tobacco products to people under the age of 18 will face prosecution. In addition, changes introduced by the 2003 amendments to the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 can result in repeat offenders being ordered not to sell tobacco products for up to three months.