Underage alcohol, cigarette and firework sales

A parents guide
Every parent wants to protect their child from dangers. Some of these dangers can come in strange forms, such as the sale of certain types of goods. Below are a few of the things which the government has decided must not be sold to children under a certain age.

Cigarettes
It has now been medically proven that cigarettes can damage your health, and as any adult who does smoke, or who has smoked, is well aware, they can be addictive, making it very difficult to stop. Because of the dangers to health, and in an attempt to protect children for as long as possible, it is illegal for a shop to sell cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18. It is also illegal to sell loose cigarettes to anyone, regardless of their age.

It is the duty of trading standards to enforce the law relating to the sale of goods which are age restricted. In Salford, this means that we advise traders what the law says and periodically we do spot checks to ensure that they are not selling to young children. In recent years, young volunteers have visited shops throughout the City. These youngsters, who are aged between 14 and 16, visit shops and attempt to buy cigarettes. As a result of their help, we have prosecuted a small number of shops for selling to underage children.

If you know of any shops that are breaking the law, tell us.

Cigarette lighter refills
Some young persons buy cigarette lighter refills and sniff the contents to intoxicate themselves. Until 1 October 1999 it was only an offence to sell solvents to persons under the age of 18 if a shopkeeper suspected that the young person was going to abuse them in this manner. From 1 October 1999, it became an offence for traders to sell cigarette lighter refills containing butane to anyone under the age of 18, regardless of their intended use.

Alcohol
Alcohol, like cigarettes, when taken to excess, can also be responsible for a wide range of health problems. It can also lead to behaviour problems which are socially unacceptable. Again, like cigarettes, excessive drinking can become addictive. For their protection, children under the age of 18 are not permitted to purchase alcohol.

Trading Standards can now carry out test purchases for the sale of alcohol.

Fireworks
During the period prior to Bonfire Night, fireworks are for sale at any number of local shops. When used correctly, they can be entertaining and exciting. However, in the wrong hands, they can be very dangerous, as any hospital emergency room can testify.

Currently, fireworks cannot legally be sold to children under the age of 18. The new proposals also mean that, from December 1997, packets of sparklers have to carry warnings that they were not suitable for anyone under the age of 5.

At the moment, trading standards enforce the law relating to underage sales, but not storage and licensing of fireworks. These tasks are the responsibility of either the police or fire brigade. Trading Standards in Salford are currently only responsible for ensuring that any fireworks sold in Salford meet the safety standards and that shopkeepers do not sell fireworks to anyone under the age of 18.

If you think any fireworks are unsafe, or know of any shops which are selling to under 18s, contact us at the address or number at the end of this leaflet.

Lottery tickets
Even children dream of having more money than they have, however, to discourage them from gambling, it is illegal for a retailer to sell a lottery ticket or scratch card to anyone under the age of 16.

Trading standards departments up and down the country work closely with the lottery organisers to make sure the law is obeyed. Any retailers who do sell to children under 16 risk losing their licence to sell lottery tickets.

Videos
Not all videos are suitable for young children to view. Because of this, videos are classified with age restrictions. These classifications are marked on the videos and parents need to be aware of this when buying or renting videos. As an example, some videos are only suitable for people over the age of 18 and are marked as such. It is against the law for any shopkeeper to hire or sell a video to anyone who is under the age marked on it.

Trading standards enforce this law in Salford and, as with cigarettes, advise traders as to what it says. We also do spot checks with the help of young children and can prosecute any traders who do not comply. If you know of any traders who are selling or hiring videos to children of a lower age than the classifications marked on them, contact us.

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009