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Jun 1, 2011
HSA gets tough on 11 errant tobacco sellers
One licence revoked, 10 given suspensions, fines for selling to youngsters
By Daryl Chin
This drink stall in Whampoa Drive had its tobacco retail licence revoked as a worker was caught selling cigarettes to someone aged below 12 and wearing a school uniform. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
THE Health Sciences Authority (HSA), as part of efforts to stub out the demand and supply of tobacco to people below 18, is cracking the whip on 11 retailers.
In a statement on Tuesday, which coincided with World No Tobacco Day, it said it had revoked the licence of one retailer and handed out six-month suspensions and fines of up to $2,000 to the other 10.
They include mom-and-pop shops in the heartland and 7-Eleven outlets at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard and Hougang Plaza. The HSA said it took a very serious view of errant retailers and would strongly enforce the age prohibition.
In previous years, it had handed out an average of about four suspensions annually since 2006. In December last year, it raised the penalties to a six-month suspension of the tobacco retail licence for the first offence, and a revocation of the licence for the second offence.
Before that, errant retailers were fined for the first offence and could have their licences suspended for the second. One of the retailers affected is stallholder Tan Bee Hwa, who is staring at a monthly loss of more than $3,000 from having her licence revoked by the HSA today.
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
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Additional reporting by Sia Ling Xin
