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SINGAPORE: Eight retailers’ tobacco sales licenses were suspended for six months after they were caught selling cigarettes to people under the age of 20, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Wednesday (Nov. 11).
They were captured through surveillance and ground enforcement activities conducted by HSA.
The eight retailers are all first-time violators and were suspended between July and September this year.
These include: Sin Tong Hong Eating House at 429A Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, Fresh Foods Supermarket at 727 Clementi West Street 2, G&G Gambas at 50 Gambas Crescent, and HNH at 481 Tampines Street 44.
(Photos: Health Sciences Authority)
They also include: Happy Grocer Trading at 347 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, Reshmi Mini Mart at 856 Tampines Street 82, Superluck Food Court at 440 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8, and U Stars Supermarket at 261 Punggol Way.
(Photos: Health Sciences Authority)
Outlets cannot sell tobacco products during their six-month suspension periods.
“HSA takes a severe approach towards errant retailers and will not hesitate to take legal action against them,” the agency said.
“Tobacco Retail Licensees are reminded that they are responsible for all tobacco product transactions at their point of sale, as well as for the actions of their employees.
“Sellers run the risk of breaking the law by assessing the buyer’s age by mere physical appearance rather than asking for the buyer’s identity card or other forms of photo identification.”
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The legal minimum age to use, possess or buy tobacco products was raised to 20 on January 1 of this year and will be raised again to 21 starting next year. The legal minimum age last year was 19.
Under the Tobacco (Ad and Sale Control) Act, anyone caught selling tobacco products to people below the legal minimum age can be fined up to S $ 5,000 for the first offense and up to S $ 10,000 for the second or the following.
The establishment’s tobacco retail license will also be suspended for six months for the first offense and revoked for the second offense.
If an establishment is found selling tobacco products to customers under the age of school uniform or under 12, the tobacco retail license will be revoked, even on the first offense.
The HSA said 110 tobacco sales licenses were suspended and 16 revoked between 2015 and September this year.
