Cracking down on teen cigarette sales

20 January 2012

Victorian authorities have cracked down on retailers selling tobacco to under-aged smokers, with young people working undercover with councils in the Cigarette Sales to Minors Program.

Health Minister David Davis said young people working under-cover with council officers had made 2,216 attempted tobacco purchases during the year, resulting in 335 breaches of the ban on selling cigarettes to under-18s.

This is an increase of 65 illegal sales to minors over the previous year. Council officers issued 135 fines and 228 warning letters to retailers who sold cigarettes to minors.

"Victoria's Cigarette Sales to Minors Program now has 42 councils actively participating, with officers vigilant to ensure tobacco products are not sold to people aged under 18.

"Test purchases over the past year found that almost one in seven retailers either did not do the appropriate age checks, or knowingly sold tobacco products to under-age people,” Mr Davis said.

In 2008 just 13.5 per cent of young Victorians aged 16 to 17 were smokers, down from 32.2 per cent in 1984. We are determined to ensure that this downward trend continues in Victoria.

Quit Victoria executive director Fiona Sharkey said secondary student smoking rates are at their lowest level in more than twenty years, halving in the last six years and continuing a downward trend.

"The large majority of adult smokers start in their teen years, so slashing teen smoking rates is vital to bringing down smoking rates across the wider community," Ms Sharkey said.

Further information

For information on Victoria's anti-tobacco strategy, visit the Tobacco Reforms website.

For help on quitting smoking, visit the Quit Victoria website.