Tobacco is still being sold to minors.

In March and April, the prevention officer for Hafnarfjörður conducted a survey to see whether teenagers could buy cigarettes or snuff at tobacconists in Hafnarfjörður.

Two pupils from Year 10 went to retail outlets under the supervision of staff from the City of Hafnarfjörður and tried to buy snuff, and then some time later tried to buy cigarettes.

Two out of 15 retailers sold cigarettes to the teenagers, while six out of the 15 retailers selling snuff were willing to sell it to them.

Places with a licence to sell alcohol where tobacco is sold were not visited.

Further information from the survey is sent to the Health Surveillance Authority for the Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður area, where it will be processed as required by law. A warning will also be sent from the prevention officer to the outlets that sold tobacco to the children.

One retailer sold the teenagers both cigarettes and snuff.

It is expected that establishments which sold tobacco to children will receive a warning from the health authority, as stipulated in the Tobacco Control Act. In recent years, retailers have adopted increasingly clear rules to ensure that age restrictions are respected. The City of Hafnarfjörður has, for the past few years, checked children's access to tobacco two to three times a year and has consistently monitored retail outlets.

The majority of retail outlets in Hafnarfjörður have entered into a special agreement with the prevention officer, aimed at finding every possible way to prevent the sale of tobacco to children.

The most recent surveys have shown similar results to the current ones, although there has been an increase in the sale of snus and a decrease in the sale of cigarettes. The aim is for no point of sale to sell tobacco to children. Therefore, a prevention officer, on behalf of the Family Council of Hafnarfjörður, will continue these surveys.

The result is shown in a graph for comparison with previous years – you can click on it to see a larger version.

The prevention officer, Geir Bjarnason geir@hafnarfjordur.is, is available to provide further information about the survey.

 Article 8 of the Tobacco Control Act contains clear instructions regarding the sale of tobacco. Tobacco must not be sold or given to anyone under the age of 18. This prohibition must be displayed prominently where tobacco is sold. If there is any doubt as to the buyer's age, a sale may only proceed if they provide proof of identity showing that they are 18 years of age or older.