烟草在线据杂货商新闻报道编译　　日本烟草国际公司（JTI）推出了一项试验计划，以打击向未成年人售烟，它声称这是烟草供应商采取的第一步行动。

　　该公司在一项活动中投入了40万英镑，为英国西北部独立的零售商和加盟商标店提供更多的培训和支持。

　　日本烟草国际公司将向该地区的商店发送信息包，并且已经在该地区一半以上的规模较小的零售店开始测试程序，以识别那些不经常检查年轻人身份的店主，并提供“干预训练”。测试程序将需要派那些看起来年轻的19岁及以上的年青人进店，来看看他们去买烟时是否会被店主询问。

　　此举是在西北部削减了贸易标准的预算后推出的，在对商店是否冒险向儿童出售卷烟的测试中，这类情况减少了34%。

　　目前，该地区拥有最高的未成年人吸烟率之一，14-17岁的青少年中有15%被划分为经常吸烟者[西北贸易标准2013]。

　　该计划将持续到明年4月，但如果成功的话，日烟国际公司将计划与其他烟草公司在全国范围内共同行动，同时游说政府打击非法贸易并且制订立法，以堵上“代购”的漏洞。

　　“该地区政府的第一步是监管不是教育。我们的观点是，还有另一种方法，”日本烟草公司负责沟通的负责人杰里米·布莱克（Jeremy Blackburn）说：“我们与健康组织是站在一起的，我们都有一个目标，就是减少购买年青人的购烟渠道。”

　　此举受到ACS公共事务总监谢恩·布伦南的欢迎，他说，这为提高标准树立了很好的榜样。“阻止所有限制年龄的产品，不仅仅是烟草的销售，对零售商来说，每时每刻都是考验。对于任何错误或疏漏，他们都面临着严厉的惩罚，低标准、不完善的培训或程序都不得有任何借口。”

JTI Takes up Fight against Underage Tobacco Sales

　　Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has launched a pilot scheme to combat underage sales, which it claims is the first to be undertaken by a tobacco supplier.

　　The company has invested ￡400,000 in an initiative to provide greater training and support for independent retailers and symbol groups in the North West.

　　JTI is sending information packs to stores in the area and has embarked on a testing process on more than half the smaller retailers in the area, to identify those that do not routinely challenge young shoppers for ID, and to offer 'intervention training'. The testing process will involve sending youthful-looking young people aged 19 or above into stores to see if they are challenged by shopkeepers when they go to buy cigarettes.

　　The move follows budgets cuts to Trading Standards in the North West, which have seen a 34% decline in testing of stores to identify those at risk of selling cigarettes to children.

　　Currently, the region has one of the highest instances of regular underage smoking, with 15% of 14-17-year-olds classed as regular smokers [Trading Standards North West 2013].

　　The scheme will run until April, but if it is successful, JTI will look to roll out a nationwide initiative in partnership with other tobacco companies, while lobbying the government to clamp down on illicit trade and introduce legislation to close the loopholes on 'proxy purchasing'.

　　"The first step of government in this area is regulation not education. Our view is that there is another way," said JTI's head of communications Jeremy Blackburn. "We are on the same side as the health groups and all have a goal to reduce access."

　　The move has been welcomed by ACS' public affairs director Shane Brennan, who said it set a great example to raise standards. "Preventing sales of all age-restricted products, not just tobacco, is a 24/7 challenge for retailers. They face tough penalties for any mistakes or oversights and there is no excuse for poor standards, training or procedures." Enditem