SS 13.30-15.00 Special sessions
UNDER AGE SALES OF TOBACCO IN IRELAND
- AUTHOR(S): V Coghlan, C Buttimer, F Howell
- INSTITUTION: ASH Ireland - Action on Smoking and Health, Dublin, Ireland
It is illegal to sell cigarettes to children under 16 years in Ireland as per The Children's Act 1908, and The Health Promotion and Protection (Tobacco) Act 1988. There is no record of any prosecutions against a trader for a breach of these laws. ASH Ireland carried out a test purchase survey to see if traders would sell cigarettes to those under 16 years. The survey was carried out in co-operation with the Environmental Health Service. Six locations were selected throughout the country. Volunteer children, aged between 11-13 years were recruited locally, subject to parental and school approval. Each child was accompanied by an adult and an Environmental Health Officer to verify the transaction. Children were instructed to tell the trader their age if asked, and that the cigarettes were for themselves.
160 shops were surveyed, of which 143 (89%) sold cigarettes to children. The results of this survey clearly show that the business community give scant recognition to the problem of under-age tobacco sale. ASH Ireland recommends that a vigorous publicity campaign be carried out informing all concerned on the dangers of selling tobacco to under 16's and that the law restricting sale to under 16's be enforced.
Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996
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