Wyndham Council sends teens undercover to bust shops selling tobacco to minors

Teens are being paid to buy cigarettes as part of a covert mission to bust stores that illegally sell tobacco to those under 18. And four dodgy outlets in Melbourne’s west were caught out last month alone.

Four businesses have been slapped with $645 fines for selling cigarettes to minors this month. Stock image

Undercover teens are being used to catch Wyndham businesses selling cigarettes to minors as part of a council-run sting.

Shops were each fined $645 after they were caught red-handed selling tobacco to children hired by Wyndham Council.

This month’s operation brings the total number of businesses busted in the past year to 10.

Councillor Kim McAliney said test purchasers had visited 22 tobacco outlets during May, with four shops selling cigarettes to the hired youths.

“While the majority of tobacconists are doing the right thing and requesting identification from young people, there are still some who are … breaking the law by selling their products to children,” she said.

Undercover teens are being used to catch Wyndham businesses selling cigarettes to minors.

“The store assistants who sold tobacco to children all said the same thing — that they looked over 18.”

She said the council would continue to run “covert operations” to clamp down on dodgy retailers.

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Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows 4 per cent of Victorian children aged 12-15 and 14 per cent of teens aged 16-17 regularly smoked.

“Smoking is the largest contributor to preventable deaths in Australia and is known to increase the risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many other illnesses,” Cr McAliney said.

“We are all aware of the harm tobacco does to our bodies and banning the sale of cigarettes to children is just one of the ways to eradicate the harmful habit in our community.”

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