SALE OF CIGARETTES TO SCHOOL-CHILDREN AGED 14 AND 15 YEARS IN NEW-ZEALAND

Aims. To determine the sources of cigarettes and extent of illegal sal es to 14 and 15 year old children, and to examine associated risk fact ors in order to more effectively reduce tobacco access to children. Me thod. Nationwide cross sectional survey of fourth form school children in New Zealand by means of an anonymous self administered questionnai re. Results. Questionnaires from 14 097 fourteen and fifteen year olds were analysed, with over one third smokers. Twenty four percent of th e whole group (3432) had bought cigarettes in the last year. Of smoker s, 59.9% bought their own, with the great majority (68.9%) from dairie s, particularly females. Ninety five percent said it was ''easy'' or ' 'very easy'' to buy cigarettes, and this was a major risk factor for t his behaviour (relative risk (RR)=2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1 .74, 2.32, and RR=2.54, CI 2.28, 2.83, respectively). Only 24.6% child ren had ever been refused cigarettes because of age and all points of sale were comparable in this respect. Heavy smokers and males were mor e likely to have been refused. While refusal was associated with a fou rfold increase in the perception that it was difficult to buy cigarett es, there was only a minimal reduction in the risk of children buying their own cigarettes (RR=0.95, CI 0.91, 1.00). Conclusion. We have sho wn that the illegal sale of cigarettes to children is unacceptably eas y and accurately perceived as such by children who smoke. The active e nforcement of existing or future legislation is essential, with prosec ution of offending retailers, if we are to make any progress to reduce the high prevalence of smoking in New Zealand children.