Underage sales

What are age restricted products?

Age restricted products are:

• Adult magazines - 18 years
• Airguns and pellets - 18 years
• Alcohol - 18 years
• Aerosol spray paint - 16 years
• Butane gas lighter refills - 18 years
• Caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwndowns - 16 years
• Cigarettes and tobacco products - 18 years
• DVDs, videos and computer games - 12, 15 or 18 years (depending on content)
• Fireworks and sparkers - 18 years
• Liqueur chocolates - 16 years
• Lottery tickets and scratch cards - 16 years
• Offensive weapons (including knives, crossbows and razor blades) - 18 years
• Petrol - 16 years
• Solvents and volatile substances - 18 years
• Tattooing - 18 years

If you are attempting to buy any of these items you may be asked to prove your age.

Who is breaking the law?

Both the seller and the underage customer are committing a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution. The retailer may lose their licence.

A retailer may also be held responsible if their employee allows an underage sale to take place.

Preventing underage sales

We carry out test purchasing surveys throughout the year. This involves getting young people to attempt to buy age restricted products, under the supervision of a Trading Standards officer, to prove that a business is breaking the law.

We also reply on the public to inform us of underage sales.