Sale of Cigarettes to Underaged Youths

Dr Janil Puthucheary asked the Minister for Health (a) how many tobacco retailers have been prosecuted in 2011 for selling cigarettes to underage youths; (b) whether the number of underage smokers has been increasing from 2004 to 2010 and, if so, whether the prosecution of errant retailers has been effective in curbing underage smoking; (c) whether the Ministry will consider imposing harsher penalties on errant retailers; and (d) what other new control measures are being considered to curb underage smoking.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: We use multi-pronged strategies and approaches to discourage the initiation of smoking in youths and help those who smoke to kick the habit. The number of underage smokers caught has increased by 18% over the past six years, from 5,884 in 2004 to 6,947 in 2010. This increase is largely due to stepped up enforcement efforts by the Health Sciences Authority and partner agencies like the Police, National Environment Agency (NEA), schools and Singapore Customs.

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It is also important that we prevent underage youths from having easy access to tobacco in the first place. Therefore, the penalties for errant retailers caught selling tobacco to underaged youths were increased on 1 December 2010. The new penalties include the prosecution of first-time errant sellers and six-month licence suspension. In addition, retailers caught blatantly selling cigarettes to youths under 12 years old or in school uniform would have their licences revoked with immediate effect. A total of 44 sellers, including 42 licensed tobacco retailers and two illegal peddlers, have been prosecuted for sales of tobacco to underaged youths in 2011 to date. These efforts have also helped tobacco retailers to be more aware of the consequences of tobacco sales to minors.

To further reduce accessibility, we have tightened the criteria for tobacco retail licences last year to prohibit tobacco sales at premises whose primary business is health-related or youth-centric products or services. These include Chinese medical halls, health supplement shops, game arcades, confectioneries, as well as candy, comic and toy stores. We will continue to explore ways to further reduce accessibility of tobacco products. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has worked with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to educate students on the harmful effects of smoking and ways to say no to offers of cigarettes. HPB also works with selected schools to implement targeted prevention and smoking cessation measures, including training for teachers and school counsellors, to help youth smokers to quit smoking. Besides schools, HPB also works closely with rehabilitative homes and self-help groups to reach out to youth smokers.

To better engage young people, HPB has also launched the "Live It Up Without Lighting Up" initiative, which highlights the benefits of being tobacco-free in areas that appeal to youths. Youths are supported via funding and other resources to organise activities to reach out to their peers, and HPB also leverages on youth-centric media and partners.

We have made some progress over the years. National surveys indicate that the proportion of Secondary One to Four students who have ever tried smoking declined from 26% in 2000 to 16% in 2009. The proportion of secondary school students who smoked at least one day in the last 30 days also fell from 11% in 2000 to 6% in 2009. Nevertheless, there is more to be done, as the prevalence of smoking among young adults aged 18 to 29 years old has increased from 12.3% in 2004 to 16.3% in 2010. My Ministry will continue to work with various agencies to protect our youths from the ills of smoking.