Oamaru retailers seem to have learnt their lesson regarding selling cigarettes to underage customers.
A tobacco controlled purchase operation run last week by Public Health South revealed none of the town's retailers were willing to sell cigarettes to an underage volunteer.
This constitutes the best result for such an operation in Otago in recent years, and a marked improvement on a similar sting held in Oamaru last December, in which four of eight shops approached sold cigarettes to a 16-year-old girl.
Southern District Health Board (SDHB) officer of health Dr Marion Poole said the positives to be taken from the result were twofold.
"By refusing to sell tobacco products to people under 18 years, retailers are not only complying with their legal obligations under the Smoke-free Environments Act, but are also playing an important part in reducing youth smoking rates," she said.
"Very few people start smoking over the age of 18, so preventing sales to minors saves lives.
"If retailers stock tobacco products, it is their responsibility not to sell to underage people."
Prosecutions under the Smoke-free Environments Act provide for a maximum fine for selling tobacco products to minors of $2000, and amendments made in 2003 can result in repeat offenders being prohibited from selling tobacco products for up to three months.
Retailers caught selling tobacco products to people under 18 would face prosecution and it was recommended retailers asked anyone who looked younger than 25 for identification when selling tobacco, Dr Poole said.
Prosecutions against shop owners and assistants, brought in July following the sting in Oamaru last December, resulted in fines ranging from $375 to $575, plus $132.89 court costs and an undisclosed sum for prosecution fees.
