Memorandum by British American Tobacco
THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY AND THE HEALTH RISKS
OF SMOKING (TB 28)
SMOKING AND
YOUNG PEOPLE
259. British American Tobacco believes in,
and is firmly committed to, the principle that smoking is an adult
choice and that those under-age should not smoke. Our market is
adult smokers. We ensure through company policy and practice,
voluntary agreements between the UK tobacco companies and the
Government, and compliance with laws, that our advertising and
marketing for tobacco products are directed to adult smokers.
British American Tobacco defines adults as those who are over
18. Local law or voluntary industry agreements may define the
age as higher or lower, if lower, we will maintain our policy
of over 18 years of age or, if higher, we will conform with local
laws of industry agreements. We also support the strict enforcement
of laws preventing the sale of tobacco to persons under the legal
age and have repeatedly recommended to the UK Government that
it should raise the age limit to over 18.
260. For some teenagers, smoking is regarded
as a rite of passage into adulthood. Research has repeatedly shown
that family members, peers and acting in defiance are the most
significant factors determining an under-age person's decision
to start smoking (Larson and Thomas, Gallup Organisation, 1993).
We regret that some young people smoke before the legally permissible
age. The tobacco industry, including companies within the British
American Tobacco group, has been actively involved in promoting
campaigns around the world to prevent/reduce smoking by those
under-age. These campaigns have included support and training
for the retail trade in enforcing the law against sales of cigarettes
to under-age people. Early programmes provided materials for use
by parents and educators to help under-age people. Early programmes
provided materials for use by parents and educators to help under-age
people reject peer pressure to smoke, eg a joint public service
programme launched in 1984 by the US Tobacco Institute and the
National Association of State Boards of Education.
261. British American Tobacco continues
today to be committed to supporting a wide variety of programmes
to prevent/reduce under-age smoking. In all of these efforts,
the main thrust is to help those under-age to avoid cigarette
smoking, with the emphasis on education and restricting access,
eg teaching them how to resist peer pressure, teaching retailers
about laws governing sales to minors, and working to reduce the
opportunities for those who are under-age to acquire cigarettes.
One example of such a campaign is the "No Excuses" campaign.
262. The "No Excuses" campaign
is funded and developed by the UK tobacco industry in co-operation
with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. The campaign
has two simple messages:
"There is no excuse for selling cigarettes
to kids."
"No excuse will be accepted from a kid."
263. As part of the campaign, newsagents
were encouraged to increase staff training and are supplied with
a range of eye-catching materials, such as posters and stickers
to back up the message. If in doubt about a customer's age, the
newsagent was encouraged to ask for age verification. A freephone
hotline was also set up for people to ring anonymously with details
of places where under-age persons were being sold tobacco. The
information was passed on to the local trading standards authority
for officers to take appropriate action.
264. Regulations governing the legal age
to buy tobacco products are imposed in all regions of the world
but not in all countries. Most countries that have enacted laws
prohibiting sales to under-age purchasers have placed the legal
responsibility on the seller.
265. British American Tobacco has supported
domestic laws and regulations imposing:
— restrictions on retailers selling
tobacco products to persons below a minimum legal age;
— proof of age identification;
— penalties or sanctions for violation
of law by retailers.
We would not, however, support any move to turn
children into criminals by making it an offence for children to
buy cigarettes and to expect the law enforcement authorities to
prosecute children who fall foul of such an offence.
| 
