6 Retailers Caught Selling Cigarettes to Underage People Including a Student in Uniform

If you’ve been a cashier, you’d know that when you ask for identification proof  from someone who’s buying alcohol or cigarettes, there would be two types of responses.

The first would be so elated that he’ll slowly take out his ID with a smile that never leaves his face, and then thank you for making his day. He’ll then tell all friends about this unique experience and humble-brag online about how youthful he looks. In fact, for all you know, he’ll become a regular customer even if your supermarket is in Yishun and he lives in Tampines.

Then there’ll be another type who has the skin of a baby butt but fashion sense of an Ah Pek. He’ll try to look indifferent, staring into thin air although there’s no FHM magazines around. If you look closer, you’ll see him shivering, and beads of sweat would be hiding beneath his long, blonde fringe. When you ask for his identification proof , he’ll get extremely defensive and come out with a few legit reasons, like

• He left it in his car
• He didn’t bring it
• He has his Birth Cert (BC) with him and asked if you’d prefer that instead

When you told him that you can’t sell him that pack of L&M Chill because he has no ID to prove his age, he’d stomp out of the store and sometimes even threatened to STOMP you.

But it seems like six cashiers decided to close one eye, and these retailers are now facing the consequences.

Six Retailers Caught Selling Cigarettes to Underage People

Lest you’re not aware, Health Sciences Authority (HSA) do conduct ground surveillance and enforcement activities to deter the illegal sale of tobacco products to underage people.

According to a press release by HSA, six retailers were caught selling cigarettes to underage people. As of this year, the minimum age to buy cigarette has been increased to 19 years old. Next year (2020), it will be 20 years old and by 2021, the minimum age to smoke will be 21 years old.

According to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, anyone caught selling tobacco products to persons people the MLA (Minimum Legal Age) 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.

First-time offender would have their license suspended for six months while second-time offender would have their licence revoked.

Four Retailers’ Licence Suspended for Selling Cigarettes to Underage People for the First Time

Four retailers have their licence to sell cigarettes suspended after they were caught selling to underage people for the first time. They are

China Minimart @ 417 Yishun Avenue 1
Leeds Mart @ 509 Serangoon North Avenue 4
Shell Select @ 3535 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6
Good Price Centre @ 21 Hougang Street 51

Just like you, I’m pretty shocked to see a petrol station listed down. But read on and you won’t be shocked.

Their licence would be suspended for six months.

Two Retailers’ Licences Revoked

Remember what you read earlier about repeat offender? They’ll have their licence revoked, and that happens to Fair Inn Food Place located at 806 Woodlands Street 81. They were caught once in January 2016, and caught again this time, so they can’t sell cigarettes anymore.

And one more retailer had its licence revoked for silliest reason ever: they sold it to a student in school uniform.

Excellence Supermarket, located at 131 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, isn’t that excellent when it comes to common sense: their licence is immediately revoked because according to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, any outlet found selling tobacco products to underage persons in school uniform or those below 12 years of age would have their tobacco retail licence revoked immediately, even at the first offence.

Don’t Pray Pray

If you’re a retailer or a cashier and are thinking of smoking though the system, don’t even think about it. From 2015 to 2018, 83 tobacco licences were suspended and 13 were revoked.

And some of those suspensions are from big chains like 7-Eleven or even SPH Buzz.

So don’t pray pray.