The availability of cigarettes to minors in Perth, Western Australia

Legislation controlling the sale of cigarettes to minors is not suf ficient to restrict the availability of cig arettes to this group and additional strate gies are required to supplement the legis lation and to encourage retailers to com ply with the legislation.

Abstract

National Centre for Research into the Prevention of Drug Abuse, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6001 S Carruthers C McDonald Abstract Objective -To assess the availability of cigarettes to minors ( < 18 years of age) and to compare the results with retailers' knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviour with respect to the 1990 West Australian (WA) Tobacco Control Act. Design Two adolescents with an appar ent age of approximately 15 years attemp ted to purchase cigarettes from 230 retail outlets in the Perth metropolitan area. The same 230 outlets then took part in a telephone-administered survey designed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and be haviour relating to the WA 1990 Tobacco Control Act. Main outcome measures-The relation ship between the number of successful adolescent attempts to purchase cigar ettes and retailers' self-reported knowl edge, attitudes, and behaviour regarding the WA 1990 Tobacco Control Act. Results Although 75 % of retailers sta ted that they agreed with, and supported the Act, the two adolescents were able to purchase cigarettes in 89% of the 230 retail outlets visited. Ninety-one per cent of retailers maintained that the govern ment warning sign was clearly displayed on their premises but the two adolescents claimed that the sign was prominently displayed in only 30 % of the retail outlets visited. Conclusion Legislation controlling the sale of cigarettes to minors is not suf ficient to restrict the availability of cig arettes to this group. Additional strate gies are required to supplement the legis lation and to encourage retailers to com ply with the legislation.