Identification mandatory for teens to buy cigarettes

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MGEF) announced a new juvenile policy Monday to more actively restrict teenage drinking and smoking. From the end of next year teenagers will have to present their identification cards to prove they are over the age of 19 if they want to buy alcohol and cigarettes.

Venders will face a “three-strike” provision and will lose their licenses if they are caught selling liquor or tobacco to minors three times.

Currently the Youth Protection Act bans the sale of liquor and cigarette to minors, but teenagers did not have to prove they were over 19 when buying those items.

The new plan was devised by nine ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Amendments will be voted on later this month and will go into effect in 2011 and 2012.

The Korean Association of Smoking and Health said they welcome the new regulations to prohibit teenage smoking though they took a long time to ratify.

“There should be more regulations banning young smokers. For instance, we suggest not displaying advertisements for cigarettes at convenience stores,” Kim Eun-ji of the association said.

A recent survey by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) showed that 80.5 percent of 80,000 students questioned had bought or attempted to buy cigarettes.

In 2009 nearly 16 percent of male high school students and 5.3 percent of female high school students replied they smoke daily.

10대 술, 담배 사려면 신분증 제시해야

정부는 10대 흡연 관련 규정을 강화할 계획이다. 금년 말부터 신분증을 제시하도록 돼 있기 때문에 19세 미만의 10대는 술과 담배를 사는 게 더 어려워진다.

판매상은 더욱 엄벌을 받게 된다. “3진 아웃” 조항을 적용 세 번 이상 이들 미성년자들에게 술이나 담배를 판 자는 허가증이 취소된다.

현행 청소년 보호법에는 미성년자에게 술과 담배 판매를 금지하는 조항이 있으나 이 기호품을 사는데 신분증을 제시하는 강제성은 없다.

여성가족부는 월요일 이 같은 조항이 들어 있는 청소년 정책 관련 새로운 계획을 발표했다.