Circumventing sales laws: examining modes of tobacco acquisition among school-age children
Author(s)
Thomas Tjelta, Amanda Amos and Deborah Ritchie
Presenter(s)
Thomas Tjelta PhD Student, CPHS Medical School, University of Edinburgh
Abstract
Objectives and methods: To examine young people’s cigarette access strategies in two areas of deprivation in Scotland following the increase in the minimum age of sale in the UK. Individual, paired and triadic interviews were undertaken with 13 and 15 year old young people (n=60) in two disadvantaged communities in Edinburgh.
Results: Young people experienced very little difficulty accessing tobacco, despite a high reported frequency of ID requests. Cigarettes were perceived to be readily available via retail purchases, proxy purchases, social and ‘illicit’ sources. A number of strategies were employed in securing access, including developing relationships with retailers and targeting particular individuals for proxy purchases. ‘Fag-houses’ were reported to supply illicit and/or counterfeit product for around half the standard retail cost.
Conclusions: National surveys have shown a decline in the proportion of young people ‘usually’ accessing cigarettes from shops following the increase in the age of sale. However, this has coincided with an increase in the proportion of young people accessing cigarettes from social or ‘informal’ sources, and these do not report on proxy purchases. Findings suggest young people have recourse to a range of alternative sources where retail access is curtailed, and employ a range of strategies in circumventing sales restrictions.
