Tobacco Survey – Results
A survey into whether teenagers can buy cigarettes or snuff at tobacco retailers in Hafnarfjörður was carried out in January. Many retailers sold tobacco to the teenagers, and the results call for increased monitoring and supervision.
At the end of January, the sports and leisure officer of Hafnarfjörður conducted a survey to see whether minors could buy cigarettes or snuff at tobacco outlets in the town. Many outlets sold tobacco to the minors, and the results call for increased oversight and monitoring.
Two 10th-grade pupils went to retail outlets under the supervision of staff from the City of Hafnarfjörður and tried to buy snuff, and then a few days later they tried to buy cigarettes. 9 out of 14 retailers sold the teenagers cigarettes, while 6 sold them snuff, from the 14 outlets accessible to young people.
Premises with a licence to sell alcohol where tobacco is sold were not inspected. Further information from the survey is being sent to the Environmental Health Authority for the Kópavogur and Hafnarfjörður area, where it will be processed as required by law. The retail outlets that sold tobacco to the children will be sent a notice advising them on the regulations concerning the sale of tobacco. It is expected that the establishments that sold tobacco to children will receive a warning from the health authority, as stipulated in the Tobacco Control Act.
The aim is that no shop in Hafnarfjörður sells tobacco to young people.
It is necessary for retailers to establish clearer rules to ensure that age restrictions are respected. In recent years, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður has checked children's access to tobacco once to three times a year and has consistently held retailers to account. The majority of retailers in Hafnarfjörður have entered into a special agreement with the sports and leisure officer, which aims to find every possible way to prevent the sale of tobacco to children. This is the worst result in years. In recent years, the number of surveys has decreased, and it is clear that holding retailers to account is having an effect. The aim is for no retailer to sell tobacco to children and young people. Therefore, the Sports and Leisure Officer, on behalf of the Hafnarfjörður Sports and Leisure Committee, will continue these surveys. The results are shown in a graph for comparison with previous years.
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 about the buyer's age, a sale may only proceed if they provide proof of age with identification.
For further information about the survey, please contact: Geir Bjarnason – geir@hafnarfjordur.is