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NEWS SOTARS& ENTERTAIN T WIJpS ~ ~ ~ a pi ionitîolsAT at poovoncoalsrw -o H~lardball May 12 k Page 4 Page 23 Page Bi7, x Weeke Wk% irk»d PWo»1(11 mpo A METROLAND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL. 146 NO. 12 FRIOAY APRIL 22,2005 $1.0O (GSTincluded) 52J S"sing Communication to BuidBetter Commuinites" More stores selling cigarettes to minors By MELANIE HENNESSEY The Champion The number of gas bars and con- venience stores willing to seli cig- arettes to mninors is on the tise in Halton. Figures put forward by the Halton Region Healts Departmnent last week sbowed 15 per cent of gaa bars checked for compliance st year using test shoppers were willing to, seil tobacco to, minors, up from six per cent in 2003. At convenience stores checked, 10 per cent were ready to, sell cigarettes to youths, whie only tbree per cent felI in this case- gory in 2003. Tise healts departinent also found lait year that 40 per cent of the supermarkets surveyed in 2003 no longer seil cigarettes and fewer restaurants, bowling alîcys, bil- liard halls, arenas and smoke shops are seffing tobacco. None of these establishments were found to be non-compliant lait year, but sorte were willing to, selI cigarettes to minors in 2003 and received warnings aI thse timne. "T'he overall non-compliance rate for aIl prenuse types was Il per cent in 2004, as compared to seven per cent in 2003, but this différence is not statistically signifi- cant," a report from Cofmmîssioner and -Down to arth "thre-y«arol KaIegh Ryan thik gren as a. tMk. a dose be0 et a WorowQ orange sna- we.d - a perennlal notad foS Re bright yellow to orange daly-IIke blom - on We EaMt Day., Photo b>' GRAHAM PAINE Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal said. In total, 250 out of 463 tobacco retailers in the region were surveyed last year, which is up from the 245 out of 472 checked in 2003. Halton Environmental Health Manager Tony Amnalfa .explained the number of retailers that seil tobacco varies from year to year and it takes flic health departmnent a while to track down which locations are actually selling. The number of checks done on each premise type also varied from year to, year. "We set somne priorities. but somnetimes we juat run out of timne in termas of bow many we actually do (check)," Mr. Amalfa said. This year the Region plans to check ail retailers that seli tobacco in Halton. In each local municipalisy the health departmnent also broke down thse numbers and compared variety store compliance rates. Oakville saw the biggest increase from year to year, going from O per cent in 203to 14 per cent in 2004 willing to selI see COUNCILLOR on page 21 'aded Comment .........-7 Dateline ........ 13-16 Classified .......29-32 Real Estate.........33 FRIDAY, APRIL 22. UM* è WWPUn Mur - IW - .Euiuo W Ba *Hom HWiu* - .AMi Fabn * -Pdu Cethgp Ton0 R Us* *s&r - Pau Depor* - LaIs Wd SEUECOO 00M ONUY www.miltontoyota.com