In the 2010 Youth Insight Survey, 14- to 15-year-olds were asked about purchasing cigarettes. Around three-quarters who had tried to buy cigarettes said that they had not been asked for proof of age, and two-fifths were refused the sale of tobacco because of their age. Māori and non-Māori, and young people from different socio-economic backgrounds were equally likely to report being asked for proof of age and refusal of sale, but girls were less likely than boys to be refused the sale of tobacco because of their age.
Methodology
Respondents were asked when you bought, or tried to buy cigarettes, in a store during the past 30 days (one month), were you ever asked to show proof of age (ID)? Response options were:
• ‘I did not try to buy cigarettes in a store during the past 30 days’.
• ‘Yes, I was asked to show proof of age (ID)’.
• ‘No, I was not asked to show proof of age (ID)’.
Responses are reported for current smokers, except those who answered that they did not try to buy cigarettes (n=117).
Respondents were then asked during the past 30 days (one month), has anybody refused to sell you cigarettes because of your age? Response options were:
• ‘I have not tried to buy cigarettes during the past 30 days’.
• ‘Yes, someone refused to sell me cigarettes because of my age’.
• ‘No, my age did not keep me from buying cigarettes’.
Responses are reported for current smokers only, except those who answered that they did not try to buy cigarettes (n=122).
For both questions, responses were analysed by ethnicity, school decile, and gender, and statistically significant differences (p<.05) are reported.
Key Results
Around three-quarters (72%) of 14- to 15-year-old children who had bought or tried to buy cigarettes in the past 30 days reported that they were not asked to show proof of age, and two-fifths (40%) reported that they were refused the sale of cigarettes because of their age. There were no differences by ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender, on reporting being asked for proof of age. However, girls were less likely than boys to report being refused the sale of tobacco because of their age.