The Best Guide for the NN12 Area

A shop sold an e-cigarette to a 16-year-old girl during a test purchasing operation carried out by West Northamptonshire Council’s Trading Standards team.

The girl, under the supervision of Trading Standards’ officers, visited five shops during the exercise, attempting to buy e-cigarettes at two shops and cigarettes at the others. The legal age to buy these in the UK is 18.

Three of the shops correctly asked for her ID and refused sale when she could not produce any, while another refused sale but failed to ask for ID. However one of the shops sold the girl an e-cigarette after making no checks at all, and will now face further investigation.

All of the shops chosen for the exercise were the subject of complaints over underage sales, and shopkeepers across West Northamptonshire are being reminded of the proof-of-age checks they must make before selling tobacco or e-cigarettes.

Most businesses do this by operating a Challenge 25 policy. If a customer looks under the age of 25, proof of age is required, and staff must be trained to verify the customer’s age before selling age-restricted products.

The vape test purchases were part of an enforcement project supported by the Department of Health & Social Care that aims to ensure e-cigarettes or e-liquids are not sold to people under the age of 18.

It follows a previous operation in February, when two out of the five shops visited sold e-cigarettes to a 15-year-old girl.

Councillor David Smith, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Engagement and Regulatory Services on West Northamptonshire Council, said: “While it is encouraging that four out of the five shops refused to sell to the test purchaser, the failure by one of the shops to even make the most basic checks is disappointing.

“Asking someone how old they are, or making an assumption about their age is not enough. All shops must have policies in place to challenge young people buying restricted goods, such as alcohol, tobacco or vaping products.”

People can report underage sales to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133