The Environmental Health Section proactively ensures tobacco retailers are aware of the requirements not to display and/or sell tobacco products to those under 18. As well as advisory visits to businesses, staff also carry out test purchase initiatives of tobacco products by under age children to check that retailers are complying with their responsibilities. Please see the section Good Practice Advice and Guidance (can a hyperlink to this section be created?) for further information.
It is illegal to display and/or sell Tobacco Products to anyone under 18. Anyone who displays tobacco products to anyone under 18 can be fined up to £5000 and/or face up to 2 years imprisonment. Anyone who sells tobacco products including cigarette papers to anyone under 18 can be fined up to £2,500 and/or face up to 6 months imprisonment.
Warning notices must be displayed in tobacco retailers stating ‘it is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18.’ (Click here for poster)(Hyperlink to statutory poster: http://noidnosale.org/cms/uploads/2013/11/NINS_A3_STATUTORY_NOTICE.pdf). Anyone selling tobacco and not displaying the notice can be fined up to £1,000.
Cigarettes must be sold in their packs: retailers breaking a pack and selling single cigarettes to any person can be fined up to £1,000.