Jump to full article: Gulf Daily News (bh), 2009-01-16
Author: Mandeep Singh and Basma Mohammed
Intro: A CALL went out yesterday for a nationwide crackdown on cold stores and coffee shops who sell cigarettes to minors. It should be spearheaded by the Health Ministry and municipal councils in co-operation with the Interior Ministry, say councillors.
The call comes after a Health Ministry and Interior Ministry joint raid on an East Riffa cold store where an Asian salesman was caught red-handed selling cigarettes to children.
Municipal council vice chairman Abbas Hassan Mahfoodh said that they had reports about the store's practices.
"We co-ordinated with the Interior Ministry and inspectors of the Health Ministry and kept watch on the premises," he said.
Mr Mahfoodh said some neighbourhood children were also drafted in to act as decoy customers . . . .
Committee chairman Adnan Al Malki said the salesman was selling cigarettes to children for 50 fils each at the Bu Kawarah cold store.
"I first went to the place unidentified to see for myself and witnessed with my own eyes the worker selling a cigarette to a 14-year-old boy," he said.
"The store was full of 12 to 14-year-olds smoking like there is no law."
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