Public support crack down on children being able to buy cigarettes

07 June 2011

Polling for ASH Scotland shows that there is a large majority of people who believe retailers should be subject to a ban if they consistently sell cigarettes to under 18s. Publishing the figures today, Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of anti-tobacco charity ASH Scotland said:

 

“ASH Scotland has long supported and campaigned for more formal controls on retailers selling tobacco and for effective penalties for selling to under 18s. Our hard work has paid off as these policies are being introduced this year through the Tobacco Act. The polling we are publishing today shows that there is also public support for these policies.

 

“Retailers who sell tobacco to children can now be subject to a fixed penalty fine and if they consistently sell cigarettes to minors can face a ban. An impressive 87% of respondents support the policy of suspending the right to sell tobacco if businesses sell to under 18s, with only 4% opposing. 67% of the public also support a registration scheme for retailers who sell tobacco, a policy which is needed to help local authorities with their advice, support, and enforcement initiatives.

 

“Our polling makes clear that the Scottish public want measures in place that protect our children from being able to buy cigarettes and want irresponsible retailers to be subject to enforcement if they break the law. Whilst tobacco kills 13,300 Scots each year – a quarter of all adult deaths – it remains a major public health issue for Scotland and we need continual action to reduce this harm.

 

“15,000 young Scots take up smoking each year and evidence shows the younger you start smoking, the more harm is done to your health and the harder it is to quit. It therefore makes sense that a lethal and addictive product like tobacco that is only available to adults should be subject to regulation. It is not unusual for age restricted goods to be licensed. The sale of alcohol is licensed as a measure to protect public health and keep children from harm.

 

“Despite the minimum purchase age being 18, buying their own cigarettes still remains the main source for 15 year old smokers with SALSUS data showing 57% buying their cigarettes from shops and 16% from mobile shops. For 13 year old smokers the figures are 42% and 20%. Registration for selling tobacco and fines for selling underage are much needed measures which are part of a package of policies to prevent young people taking up smoking and will help to reduce the easy availability and accessibility many children have to cigarettes.

 

 “Retailers must register their premises by 1 October this year, and this information will finally give local authorities contact with all the premises in their area which sell tobacco. It also means there is now a level playing field between tobacco retailers, as mobile vendors must be registered too. There will be a fine of up to £20,000 or six months in jail for selling tobacco unregistered after October 1st. I hope that this registration scheme will also make retailers aware that, like all age-restricted goods, tobacco must be sold within the law.”

 

NOTES

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 1021 Scotland adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3 and 8 March 2011.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Scotland (aged 18+). Respondents were asked to state their support or opposition to the following measures:

Suspending the right to sell tobacco for businesses found to have sold or supplied tobacco to under-18s more than once:

Total support 87%; Neither support nor oppose 7%; Total oppose 4%; Don't know 2%.

Requiring local authorities to maintain a register of all retail outlets selling tobacco:

Total support 67%; Neither support nor oppose 19%; Total oppose 11%; Don't know 3%.

 

As part of the 2010 Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act, the requirement for those selling tobacco to be on a central register by 1 October 2011 with the offence of selling tobacco without being registered having a maximum penalty of a fine of up to £20,000 or six months in jail has been created, registration opened on 1 April; enforcement officers were given new powers to issue fixed penalty fines for breaches of tobacco sales laws on 1 April 2011; enforcement officers can seek a banning order (to a maximum of 24 months) from  a sheriff if three or more enforcement actions have been issued.

 

The 2008 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) is the most recent of a series of school surveys used to monitor and measure smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in Scotland. The survey was carried out in autumn 2008 and was completed by over 10,000 pupils aged 13 years old and 15 years old across Scotland.  The report is available in full at: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/local/SALSUS_2008.pdf. The findings of the report on where pupils obtain cigarettes are as follows:

Where pupils obtain cigarette

57% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a shop. (In the previous 2006 survey this was 82 %.)

42% of 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a shop. (In the previous 2006 survey this was 47 %.)

10% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a vending machine. (In the previous 2006 survey this was 10 %.)

13% of 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a vending machine. (In the previous 2006 survey this was 10 %.)

16% of 15 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a van. This is the first time this question has been posed in SALSUS.

20% of 13 year old regular smokers reported buying cigarettes from a van. This is the first time this question has been posed in SALSUS.

 

 

In Scotland, there are 13,321 smoking attributable deaths each year (Male: 6097, Female: 7224). This is 23% of all male deaths and 25% of all female deaths. (Boreham J. Male and female smoking-attributed deaths and total deaths, Scotland: 1995, 2008. Oxford: CTSU. 2010)

 

15,000 young people (13-24) start smoking in Scotland each year (Taulbut, M. Gordon, D and McKenzie, K. Tobacco smoking in Scotland: an epidemiology briefing [online]. Edinburgh: NHS Health Scotland and Scottish Public Health Observatory. 2008.)