THE majority of smokers take up the habit as teenagers. That’s why Cardinia Shire Council is to be congratulated for prosecuting a local retailer that has a history of illegally selling tobacco to young people (‘Tobacco ban on store’, Gazette, 9 April).
A combination of approaches have seen adult and teenage smoking rates drop to record lows – anti-smoking advertising campaigns, an expansion of smoke-free areas, and regular tax increases which will see the average cost of a pack continue to rise beyond $20.
With research showing that one-in-five Victorian students who smoke bought their last cigarette themselves, regular testing of retailers to ensure they are not selling tobacco to minors is an important part of this strategy.
We all have a role to play in reducing the devastating cost and damage caused by tobacco. The fine and ban from sale of tobacco imposed on this retailer will serve as a sound reminder for other retailers in Cardinia Shire to make sure they are complying with the law, and doing their part to help protect young people from tobacco’s deadly harms.
Fiona Sharkie,
Executive Director, Quit Victoria.
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