HSA Revokes Licence of Recalcitrant Retailer and Suspends Licences of Two Others Who Sold Tobacco Products to Under-18 Minors

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has revoked one retail licence and suspended the retail licences of two other errant tobacco retailers who sold tobacco products to minors under 18 years of age. (Please refer to Annex A of the pdf version for the list of retailers and photos.)

Retail Licence Revoked

2     Bedok Goodwill Store’s tobacco retail licence was first suspended for a 6-month period in 2012 for selling tobacco products to minors under the age of 18. Despite its previous conviction, the outlet continued to commit the offence, resulting in its licence being revoked. It will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco products. In the latest incident, the outlet had sold tobacco products to three minors, who were all in school uniform, in two separate incidents on the same day. The seller also took the opportunity to profit from the sales to these minors by selling the cigarettes at a higher price than the actual retail price to them.

Retail Licences Suspended

3     Two other outlets, namely 7-11 at 523 Bukit Batok Street 52 and Blu Jaz Pte Ltd, which sold tobacco products to under-18 minors for the first time, had their retail licences suspended. The suspension will prohibit the errant retailers from selling tobacco products for six months. 

Reminder to Retailers 

4     All three sellers, who were employees of the respective retail outlets, failed to check the age of the minors before selling tobacco products to them. They were caught via HSA’s ground surveillance and enforcement activities to deter the illegal sale of tobacco products to under-18 minors. 

5     HSA would like to remind tobacco retail licensees that they are responsible for all transactions of tobacco products taking place at their outlets, as well as for the actions of their employees.  

6     HSA urges all tobacco retail licensees to educate their employees on the law pertaining to the sale of tobacco products and for sellers to check the age of those who wish to buy tobacco products. 

7     Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, anyone caught selling  tobacco products to persons below the age of 18 is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $5,000 for the first offence and up to $10,000 for the second or subsequent offence.  In addition, the tobacco retail licence will be suspended for 6 months for the first offence and revoked for the second offence.  However, if any outlet is found selling tobacco products to under-18 minors in school uniform or those below 12 years of age, the tobacco retail licence will be revoked, even at the first offence. In the last three years, 25 tobacco retail licences were suspended and 21 were revoked. 

Reminder to Members of the Public 

8     HSA would also like to remind the public not to supply any tobacco products to under-18 minors.  Anyone caught buying or acquiring any tobacco product for a person below the age of 18 years is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $2,500 for the first offence and up to $5,000 for the second or subsequent offence. Similarly, anyone caught giving or furnishing any tobacco product to a person below the age of 18 is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $500 for the first offence and up to $1,000 for the second or subsequent offence. From 2013 till Nov 2015, 41 people have been caught for such offences.

9     Members of the public can view the updated List of Suspended / Revoked Tobacco Retailers here. 

10   HSA encourages members of the public who have information on the illegal sales of tobacco products to under-18 minors to call the Tobacco Regulation Branch at Tel: 66842036 or 66842037 during office hours.

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
13 JANUARY 2016

Download pdf version here479 KB

Published: 13 Jan 2016

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