Most shops selling cigarettes to underage smokers

The Stop 18! Campaign sent a group of adults looking younger than their actual age into shops to try and purchase a packet of cigarettes. Most of the 990 purchase attempts carried out proved to be successful without having to show their ID.

The job was easiest in the southern city of Kraków, with a 74-percent effectiveness, followed by the coastal city of Gdansk and the capital, Warsaw.

Almost a half of the tested vendors were young, who found it particularly difficult to say no to people just several years younger than themselves, concludes the Stop 18 campaigners.

The coordinators of the programme stress that the survey’s findings would be even more alarming if teenage access to black market cigarettes was taken into account.

“Such cigarettes are cheaper, and so more accessible to minors,” says Michał Pełczyński, chief coordinator of the Stop 18! Programme.

“Such products are sold at markets lacking the obligatory ban information, required under the new law on the protection of health,” he added.

The sale of tobacco-based products to minors carries a fine of up to 500 zloty (over 120 euro).

The initiative was carried out for the 14th time by local governing bodies nationwide, with the backing of the police, city guards and the Polish Scouting Association. (ab/pg)