Press Releases
HSA Suspends Licences of Two Retailers for Selling Tobacco to Minors
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Consumer
Healthcare professional
Industry member
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Others
12 April 2016
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The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has suspended the retail licences of two errant tobacco retailers who sold tobacco products to minors under 18 years of age.
2 The two retail outlets, Fair Inn Food Place at 806 Woodlands Street 81 and H.R Frozen Food and Trading at 205 Choa Chu Kang Central, whose retail licences have been suspended, will not be allowed to sell tobacco products for six months. (Please refer to Annex A in the pdf for photos and the suspension periods.)
3 This was the first offence for both outlets. One of the sellers was an employee, while the other was a co-owner of the retail store. Both sellers had failed to check the age of the minors before selling tobacco products to them. They were caught via HSA’s ground surveillance and enforcement activities to deter the illegal sale of tobacco products to under-18 minors.
Reminder to Retailers
4 HSA would like to remind tobacco retail licensees that they are responsible for all transactions of tobacco products taking place at their outlets, as well as the actions of their employees.
5 HSA urges all tobacco retail licensees to educate their employees on the law pertaining to the sale of tobacco products and for sellers to check the age of those who wish to buy tobacco products.
6 Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, anyone caught selling tobacco products to persons below the age of 18 is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $5,000 for the first offence and up to $10,000 for the second or subsequent offence. In addition, the tobacco retail licence will be suspended for 6 months for the first offence and revoked for the second offence. However, if any outlet is found selling tobacco products to under-18 minors in school uniform or those below 12 years of age, the tobacco retail licence will be revoked, even at the first offence. In the last three years, 25 tobacco retail licences were suspended and 21 were revoked by HSA.
7 In accordance to the licence application criteria, any person who commits an offence of selling tobacco to a person under 18 years of age will not be eligible to apply for a tobacco retail licence.
8 Members of the public can view the updated List of Suspended / Revoked Tobacco Retailers here.
Reminder to Members of the Public
9 HSA would also like to remind the public not to supply any tobacco products to under-18 minors. Anyone caught buying or acquiring any tobacco product for a person below the age of 18 years is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $2,500 for the first offence and up to $5,000 for the second or subsequent offence. Similarly, anyone caught giving or furnishing any tobacco product to a person below the age of 18 is liable, on conviction in Court, to a maximum fine of up to $500 for the first offence and up to $1,000 for the second or subsequent offence. From 2013 to 2015, 42 individuals were caught for such offences.
10 HSA encourages members of the public who have information on the illegal sales of tobacco products to under-18 minors to call the Tobacco Regulation Branch at Tel: 66842036 or 66842037 during office hours.
HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
12 APRIL 2016