Age Restricted Products

Age restricted products

Trading Standards enforce the law prohibiting the sale of age restricted products.

Protecting and promoting the health and well being of children and young  people is essential for us. Long-term drinking and smoking can have detrimental physical and mental side-effects, and products like alcohol and knives fuel anti-social behaviour among young people.

Having age restrictions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco helps to prevent young people from consuming such products too early in life. By restricting access to these products it contributes to the reduction in crime and disorder.

What are Age restricted products?

An age restricted product is any product that can only legally be sold to a person of a certain age. Below is a list of all age restricted products and the legal age a person must be to purchase them.

Age limits on goods

The age limit for DVDs, videos and console games depends on the item and is specified on individual items.

How we prevent underage sales

• We provide advice and support to businesses which sell age restricted products to ensure that traders have procedures in place to prevent sales to underage children.
• Work with volunteer children to carry out test purchases.
• The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 allows for test purchases of age-restricted products using volunteers; the guidelines are set out in the Code of Practice.
• Test purchases are considered effective in reducing the accessibility of such products as they target the problem at its roots.
• Knowing that test purchases are being undertaken deters traders from selling restricted products to young people who do not show a form of identification.

What happens when a sale is made of an age restricted product?

• The trader may be prosecuted.
• If the product is alcohol, the licence for the premises will be reviewed by Trading Standards and/or the Police.
• A review may result in a suspension or revocation of the licence, effectively preventing the business selling alcohol either for a fixed period or permanently. 

How you can help

If you suspect a shop or trader of selling age-restricted products to underage children, contact us immediately.

If you would like more information on how to quit smoking or improving your own health and wellbeing please go to the attached external links page.