A 15-year-old Royal Gazette junior reporter was able to buy cigarettes from more than 20 stores last week -- despite claims that island retailers are cracking down on sales to youngsters.

The two-day investigation involved unaccompanied trips to major grocery stores, pharmacies, variety stores and food concessions throughout Bermuda.

The reporter was able to purchase Marlboro Light and Salem Light brand cigarettes with no questions asked at Burrows Lightbourn Flatts Liquors, Chatham House, Clarendon Pharmacy, C-Mart, Dub City Variety, Empire Grocery, Enterprise Grocery, The Garden Market, Hamilton MarketPlace, Hamilton Pharmacy, Hayward's, Henry's Pantry, Lindo's Family Foods, The Matchbox, The Phoenix in Hamilton, Pink's Front Street Delicatessan, Robertson's Drug Store, Scotty's Takeout, Somers Supermart, Van Buren Gas Station and White & Sons.

But many managers at the various operations said their cashiers are under strict instructions not to sell cigarettes to anyone under the legal age.

Almost all said identification was required if the cashier was not certain of the purchaser's age.

"No I.D., no cigarettes,'' said a salesperson at Chatham House on Front Street.

Some stores, including Henry's Pantry in Southampton, claim that they only readily sell cigarettes to teenagers who arrive on an auxiliary cycle.

"If they don't come on a bike, we ask for ID,'' said manager Anthony Faries.

Small operations, including Scotty's Takeout in Southampton and Robertson's Drug Store in St. George's, rely on their regular customer base and claimed they knew the ages of most youngsters who visit them.

Cigarettes were sold from behind the counter or near the cash register at almost all stores. But the Hamilton MarketPlace, Enterprise Grocery in Hamilton Parish and Lindo's Family Foods in Warwick were equipped with cigarette machines, making it even easier for youngsters to buy cigarettes.

Officials at Lindo's Family Foods and the Enterprise Grocery maintained that the stores stopped all minors seen purchasing cigarettes from their machines.

"It's really just a convenience,'' said William Moniz, manager at Lindo's Family Foods.

Enterprise Grocery manager Rosie Cross said: "Most people don't have the change and have to come to the counter anyway.'' A spokesman for the MarketPlace Ltd. did not wish to comment on the grocery chains policy, but said: "I hope that employees would stop youngsters seen at cigarette machines.'' The company's Hamilton store has concealed its machine in a small room near the store's entrance.

Although it is illegal for retailers to sell cigarettes to customers under 16, shopkeepers can be found not guilty if they claim they believed the customer was of age.

The Summary Offences Act states: "Any person who sells, or permits any person in his employ to sell, any tobacco, cigars or cigarettes to any person under sixteen years of age commits an offence against this act.'' Yet "it shall be a good defence to prove that he had reasonable cause to believe that the purchaser of any tobacco, cigars or cigarettes was of or above 16 years of age''.

NDC officials worried by sales to minors But a spokesman for Clarendon Pharmacy in Hamilton was not aware of a minimum age for cigarette sales.

The maximum penalty for the offence is six months imprisonment and/or a $2880 fine.

"We are concerned that local vendors are so careless about promoting the sale of cigarettes to minors,'' said National Drug Commission chief executive Dr.

Derrick Binns.

"Our role is to reduce abuse of all harmful substances, including cigarettes.'' Ken Hockenhull, general manager of Pitt & Company, said: "I'm very concerned that this has been allowed to happen.

"I'm sure that our retailers are aware of the law and enforce it with individual staff.'' Pitt & Company is one of two tobacco wholesalers on the Island and has a significant market share.

The Bermuda Secondary School Drug Survey of 1994, conducted by the National Drug Commission, showed that 13.5 percent of secondary school students had smoked within the past 30 days.

The report from the 1997 Survey of Bermuda Students' Experiences with and Attitudes Towards Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs, conducted last October, is expected to be released soon.