Sponsored by
Children buying cigarettes from vending machines
CHILD smokers are able to buy cigarettes from vending machines across Northumberland without being challenged, it has been revealed.
Test purchases across the region have shown children as young as 11 can easily buy cigarettes from the machines.
The tests were carried out by Trading Standards officers using a range of volunteer purchasers aged from 11 to 16 who went into bars and pubs, amusement arcades, bowling alleys and other outlets.
In 58 out of 99 cases across the north east the children were able to buy cigarettes from machines unchallenged.
In Northumberland all ten text purchases were successful – the highest number in the region.
On some occastions staff even helped when they were having difficulty getting the money to stay in the slot, and one 15-year-old was given change by staff to make sure he could buy from the machine.
The majority of failures were as a result of faulty coins or machines rather than being stopped by staff.
Even the 11-year-old test purchaser was only turned away twice in 14 attempts.
Out of 99 attempts, 58 were successful, 13 failed due to the machine being faulty or switched off, 21 for other reasons, and just seven clear refusals due to staff supervision.
The North East Trading Standards Association has recently called for cigarette vending machines to be banned and undertook this work to show just how easy it is for children to buy this dangerous product, even though the legal age of sale for tobacco in the UK is now 18.
Richard Ferry of the associationsaid: "We have always thought that these machines are a menace and this massive regional study shows that it really is time to ban these machines.
"Vending machines are expensive but remain a significant source of cigarettes for young people, which is why we carry out regular checks like these.
"We must reduce the availability of a dangerous product to youngsters and banning vending machines would have a big impact.
"It seems that too often, the staff aren't taking any notice of the advice and training we give them or the industry code of practise that says they should be able to supervise the machines.
"We will always aim to work with premises to inform and educate as first steps, but will prosecute in persistent cases where warnings are ignored.
"In many cases the machines were out of sight of the staff who were supposed to be supervising their use and the children could walk up unchallenged."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Blyth
Sunday 19 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -0 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: South west
