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SINGAPORE: As the legal minimum age for smoking increases from 20 to 21 on January 1, retailers are giving updates to their employees and preparing to put up posters informing customers of the change.
In November 2017, Parliament passed a law that would raise the minimum smoking age from 18 to 21 in three years.
The minimum age to buy, use, possess, sell or supply tobacco products increased from 18 to 19 in 2019, and from 19 to 20 in 2020 as part of the government’s plans to reduce smoking.
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“It aims to prevent young people from starting to smoke by limiting access to tobacco products and further denormalize smoking, especially for those under the age of 21,” the Ministry of Health said in a press release issued on Wednesday (30 from December).
The tobacco industry, including retailers, importers and wholesalers, were reminded of the changes, he said, and distributed to retailers to display circulars stating that the sale of tobacco to people 21 and under is prohibited.
Both retail chains and independent providers said they are ready for the revised minimum age to go into effect.
HAO Mart store managers will inform employees of the upcoming minimum age change, a spokesperson said. These informational meetings are currently ongoing and are held in person or via phone calls.
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Notices explaining the new guidelines will also be posted on store tobacco cabinets, the representative said, adding that HAO Mart makes potential employees watch the Health Sciences Authority video on tobacco sales earlier. to join the company. There are 49 HAO Marts in Singapore.
Similar measures have been implemented across Dairy Farm Group’s line of retailers, including Giant, 7-Eleven and Cold Storage, with signs about the new rule to be displayed beginning the new year in “highly visible parts” of the store, such as at the exit counters, main entrance and in the tobacco cabinets, a spokesperson said. There are 48 Cold Storage, 53 Giant and 417 7-Eleven stores in Singapore.
Employees have also been told to ask customers for photo ID to verify their age, the spokesperson added.
A FairPrice spokesperson said its front-line workers are trained to refuse the sale of tobacco to customers under 21.
“When in doubt, they should politely request proper identification to confirm the age of the customer. No sale will be made if the customer cannot provide a valid photo ID, ”added the FairPrice spokesperson. There are currently 148 FairPrice outlets and 144 Cheers convenience stores that sell tobacco products.
Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association President Hong Poh Hin said his group will send letters to its 400 members next week to remind them to post the notices in a conspicuous place.
The letter will also tell cafeteria owners to make sure their workers abide by the rule and to be “very careful” when verifying identity cards, as customers in their 20s who have been able to buy cigarettes for some time time this year they won’t. They will be able to do so from Friday until they turn 21, said Hong, who runs a cafe in Serangoon.
The owner of a grocery store in Whampoa said he and his wife have been on guard against selling cigarettes to customers because they fear getting in trouble with authorities.
They will always ask to verify the identity card of anyone who looks young, said Ong Beo in Mandarin, who runs the Siong Wan Co. store. And they will refuse to sell if the person says they forgot their card.
Increasing age will act as an obstacle for young people to start smoking, as most people in Singapore who start the habit do so when they are 21, said public health expert Yvette van der Eijk of the School of NUS Saw Swee Hock. Public health.
Dr van der Eijk said that raising the minimum age is not a “magic bullet” to curbing tobacco use, although it will help reduce smoking rates along with other policies introduced in recent years. These include banning tobacco displays in stores and requiring that tobacco products be sold in plain packages.
Retailers who sell any tobacco product to a person under the age of 21 could be fined up to S $ 5,000 for their first offense and S $ 10,000 for subsequent offenses, the ministry warned.
Your tobacco retail licenses will also be suspended for the first violation and revoked for subsequent violations.
If any establishment is found that sells tobacco products to minors in school uniforms or those under 12, their tobacco sales license will be revoked, even if this is the first time they have done so.
People caught giving or supplying tobacco to minors under the age of 21 can be fined up to S $ 500 for their first offense and S $ 1,000 for subsequent offenses, while people caught buying or acquiring tobacco for one person children under 21 can be fined up to S $ 2,500 for the first offense. offense and S $ 5,000 for subsequent offenses.
Underage smokers found to be using, purchasing or storing tobacco products face a fine of up to S $ 300.
