Move To Ban Sale of Cigarettes To Children Urged
By M K Anwar

Bandar Seri Begawan - The dangers of smoking cigarettes have been widely publicised in the media and through campaigns by the Ministry of Health.

Many have already called for a ban on smoking at offices, commercial areas and schools.

However, another concern is the need to enforce the law to ban sale of cigarettes to underage students and children.

It has been observed by the Bulletin and through many complaints made by the public that certain corner shops or small mini-marts are allegedly selling cigarettes to minors without any questions being asked.

It is important that the dangers of smoking are realized at an early age but with the easy access to cigarettes by teens, the warnings seem to be lost and ignored, some elders pointed out.

It is a common scene for people nowadays to see young children puffing cigarettes in public. Studies have proved that if cigarettes are easily available, teens are more likely to smoke.

Many countries have already imposed a ban on the selling of tobacco or cigarettes to children.

It is generally acknowledged that if minors are restricted from buying cigarettes then it is possible to stop them from tasting it as many fail to comprehend the harm and risks of smoking cigarettes.

Though banning cigarettes sale to underage teens is understandably difficult to enforce, with the assistance and cooperation from shop owners and the public, restricting the sale is a possibility, observers said.

At the same time, parents who smoke are also advised not to send their children on errands to buy cigarettes.

Several shops told the Bulletin that they do restrict the sale of cigarettes to children but then some parents come to the shops to demand why they refuse to sell cigarettes to their children.

“We have experienced it many times. A child would come and ask to buy a pack of cigarettes and when we refuse the child’s father would come later to scold my workers as to why they didn’t give his child the cigarettes,” lamented a shop owner.

As part of other comprehensive government programmes to prevent future tobacco addiction and smoking-related diseases and deaths, restricting minors' access to cigarettes should also be considered as a top priority, observers said. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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