Monash businesses fined and reprimanded for selling cigarettes to minors

Tim Michell
January 29, 2013
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader

TWO Monash businesses have been fined and six reprimanded after being caught selling cigarettes to minors in an undercover council sting.

The Department of Health operation saw Monash Council employ a teenager to go undercover to buy cigarettes, visiting 20 businesses across the municipality.

Of those, eight sold cigarettes to the 16-year-old boy, including one that had previously been found to be selling cigarettes to minors and one the council had received complaints about.
Those businesses, in Glen Waverley and Mt Waverley, were both fined $563.

The remaining six shops were issued with a warning notice and told they will be fined if they are caught again.

The council has also asked the Federal Government to investigate the Glen Waverley business after it was found to be in breach of Federal Government plain packaging laws.

The business is alleged to have sold a cigarette packet with Asian writing on it to the boy at a much lower price than an average cigarette packet.

“We can’t allow a retailer to bypass laws that are in place to discourage smoking,” Monash Mayor Micaela Drieberg said.

Cr Drieberg said the council was disappointed by the results, after a 2012 audit of 43 businesses resulted in no fines or warnings.

It follows the council taking a strong stance against smoking in alfresco dining areas, including writing to the State Government demanding a Victoria-wide ban.

If you have concerns about someone selling cigarettes to minors, contact the council on 9518 3540.