Retailers found selling tobacco and vaping products to minors in latest Northland controlled purchase operations

Controlled purchase operations (CPOs) carried out by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in October, November and December resulted in 15 sales of cigarettes or vaping products to minors. As part of the CPOs, 48 retail outlets were visited across the Whangārei, Kaipara and Far North districts by trained volunteers aged between 14 and 17 years old.

A CPO is a compliance measure that ensures that tobacco and vape retailers are actively checking their customers are 18 years of age or over.

“This is a shockingly high failure rate - retailers in our region must be more vigilant when it comes to checking ID for sales to young people” says Team Lead for Compliance and Health Protection at the National Public Health Service (Northern Region), Gavin de Klerk. “If young people don’t have ID, they should not be sold cigarettes or vaping products.”

Specialist Vape Retailers (SVRs) must also take all practicable steps to prevent those under 18 years of age from entering their approved vaping premises, under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990. However, of the 17 SVRs tested, 13 permitted the underage volunteer to access the premises.

“SVRs are required to have appropriate systems and processes in place to prevent young people entering their stores, but the majority of premises tested failed on this front.”

de Klerk said the results are hugely disappointing for Northland communities, and risk increasing harm to young people from tobacco and vapes.

“Our Smokefree Enforcement Officers will continue testing tobacco and vape retailers through further CPOs across Northland, and we expect to see improvements.”

Members of the public can now report or raise concerns about illegal tobacco and vape sales to minors through a new online complaints form recently launched by Health New Zealand.

To make a complaint in your area visit: https://info.health.nz/contact-us/make-a-smoking-or-vaping-complaint.