Sale of Cigarettes to Accessible to Young Smokers

The Health Ministry will continue to explore ways to make best Virginia cigarettes less easily accessible to the young. Responding to Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Janil Puthucheary's question in parliament on Monday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said the government has already tightened the criteria for tobacco retail licences last year. Shops whose primary business are health-related or youth-centric products or services are not allowed to sell cigarettes, and these include Chinese medical halls, health supplement shops, game arcades, confectioneries, as well as candy, comic and toy stores. Mr Gan said the number of underage smokers caught has increased by 18 per cent over the past six years, from 5,884 in 2004 to 6,947 in 2010. This increase is largely due to stepped up enforcement efforts by the Health Sciences Authority, police, National Environment Agency, schools and Singapore Customs. Since December 2010, those who sell cigarettes to underage youth are slapped with stiffer penalties. First time offenders will be prosecuted and they will receive a six-month suspension. He added that 44 tobacco sellers have been prosecuted in 2011 to date, for selling cigarettes to underage youth.