Barred from selling tobacco

Twelve retailers in Singapore have had their tobacco retail licenses suspended and one has had its license revoked after they were caught selling cigarettes to people under the age of 18, according to a Today story quoting the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Value Supermart, at 301 Serangoon Avenue 2, had its license revoked after it was caught selling cigarettes to a 17-year-old in school uniform.

Under Singapore law, retailers caught selling cigarettes to minors have their tobacco retail license suspended for six months for the first offence and revoked on the second offence.

However, any outlet caught selling tobacco products to people under 18 and wearing school uniform, or those under 12 years of age, have their license revoked even for a first offence.

Meanwhile, 12 other outlets have been suspended from selling tobacco products for six months after they were caught selling cigarettes to minors who were not in school uniform.

All 13 retailers, which were first-time offenders, did not ask for any form of identification when they sold cigarettes to minors, claiming that they were busy or that the minors looked older than they were, the HSA said.

The HSA has suspended the tobacco retail licenses of 53 outlets and revoked those of nine others since 2015.

‘Sellers take the risk of contravening the laws if they assess age by mere physical appearance of the buyer,’ the authority said.