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TEACHERS NOTES
Age restricted
products
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read
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AGE RESTRICTED PRODUCTS
Consumer laws control the quality and safety of goods
and services. In some cases, goods cannot be supplied to
anyone below a certain age. These laws exist to safeguard
the health of young people. We need to be aware of the
legal age at which different rights or responsibilities apply.
Discussion should include:
• Why we have laws to protect younger people.
• Why your rights and responsibilities change as you get
older (so that you can do more and more is expected
of you).
• Are any of the laws outdated and should they be
scrapped or changed.
• Why shopkeepers ask for ‘proof of age’?
• Why ‘proof of age’ cards are useful to all age groups.
Consider travelling by trains, boats and planes, cinema
entry, festivals, purchase of some videos and computer
games, lottery tickets/scratch cards and night club entry.
Some facts:
• It is illegal to buy alcohol if you are under 18. You can
be stopped, fined or arrested by the Police if you are
under 18 and drinking alcohol in public. The police can
confiscate the alcohol. The person who sells the alcohol
to you can get a criminal record and be fined up to
£5,000.
• It is a crime if somebody who is over 18 buys alcohol for
a person who is under 18 years old. This is called ‘proxy
purchasing’. They can receive an £80 on the spot fine or
face prosecution with a fine up to £5,000.
• If you work in a shop, you cannot sell alcohol if you are
under 18.
• Challenge 25. A shopkeeper should refuse to sell age
restricted products to anyone who appears to be under
the age of 25 years old and does not have an acceptable
form of photo identification (ID), like a PASS card. A
shopkeeper can be fined for selling age-restricted
products to people who are under age.
• PASS cards have a distinctive PASS logo in the hologram.
The table below shows what age you have to be to
legally buy certain things.
Buy and drink alcohol in a licensed
premise in Britain
18 or over
Tobacco products
Lighter refills containing butane
Volatile substances/solvents (ie paint
thinners/some types of glue)
Weapons or knives
Crossbows
Fireworks & sparklers
DVDs, videos, video and computer
games: Classification 18
Airguns and pellets 17 or over
Aerosol (spray) paint
16 or over
Lottery tickets / scratch cards
Buy a pet
Caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches,
party poppers, serpents and
throwdowns
Can drink beer, wine or cider, so long
as they are 16 or 17 and accompanied
by an adult and is bought the drink
with a table meal (ie only a place
specifically set aside for meals – not in
a bar. The alcohol has to be purchased
by an adult
DVDs, videos, video and computer
games: Classification 15
15 or over
Christmas crackers. DVDs, videos, video
and computer games: Classification 12
12 or over
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Legislation prohibits the sale, supply, offer to supply, or
hire of specified products to persons under the minimum
legal age. There are age restrictions (under the age of
18) applicable to tobacco products, offensive weapons
(knives and similar), crossbows, adult fireworks, solvents,
airguns, lighter refills containing butane, and alcohol.
There are age restrictions (under the age of 16) applicable
to low-hazard low-noise fireworks (party poppers and
similar products), lottery tickets, and aerosol paint. The age
restriction for Christmas crackers is 12. There are different
age restrictions on videos, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs
(collectively referred to here as ‘video recordings’ - 12 and
over, 15 and over, and 18 and over) and video games (12
and over, 16 and over, and 18 and over).
Legislation also provides requirements for certain
warnings and notices to be displayed when selling
particular products.
Traders should always ask young people to produce proof
of their age, such as the national Proof of Age Standards
Scheme (PASS) card, a photocard driving licence or a
passport.
TOBACCO
This area is covered by the Children and Young Persons
(Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991, the Children and
Young Persons Act 1933, and the Protection from Tobacco
(Sales from Vending Machines) (England) Regulations
2010.
Under this legislation, it is an offence for any person to
sell cigarettes, tobacco products or cigarette papers to
anyone under 18 years of age, even if they look older. This
is the case whether or not the cigarettes are for the young
person’s own use. It is also an offence to sell cigarettes
unless they are in quantities of ten or more and in their
original packaging. This means that packets of cigarettes
cannot be split to sell lesser quantities.
ILLEGAL TOBACCO
Illegal tobacco is usually fake products, smuggled genuine
products or brands specifically made for the illegal
tobacco market.
Young people are being offered illegal tobacco more than
adults, making it easier for them to smoke. Dealers see
underage smokers as easy targets.
Illegal tobacco has strong links with crime and criminal
gangs, so many of the people smuggling, distributing and
selling it are involved in drug dealing, money laundering,
people trafficking and even terrorism.
Additionally, fake cigarettes often prove to contain
substances that make it even more dangerous than
regular tobacco, and criminals avoid paying duty on
smuggled imports.
Research shows that illegal tobacco:
• Encourages children to start smoking
• Prevents adult smokers from giving up
• Brings organised crime into our communities
Selling illegal tobacco is a crime.
Crimestoppers
Call 0800 555111 for anonymous public reporting.
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TABLE OF PENALTIES FOR SELLERS OF PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER
CERTAIN AGES
The following table, showing penalties for selling, supplying, offering to supply and hiring (as appropriate to the
legislation) products to persons under certain ages. These penalties are in place to protect young people and a good
reason to stop shops selling to those underage.
PRODUCT AGE RESTRICTION MAXIMUM PENALTY
Adult fireworks and sparklers (category 2 [outdoor use
- confined areas] and category 3 [outdoor use - large
open areas] fireworks)
18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Aerosol paint 16 and over £2,500
Alcohol 18 and over Unlimited fine and forfeit of licence
Christmas crackers 12 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Crossbows 18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Knives / axes / blades 18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Lighter refills containing butane 18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Lottery tickets / ‘instant win’ cards 16 and over Unlimited fine and two years’ imprisonment
Party poppers and similar low-hazard low-noise
fireworks (category 1) (except Christmas crackers)
16 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Petrol 16 and over Unlimited fine and 12 months’ imprisonment
Tobacco products 18 and over £2,500
Video recordings: U (universal) Unrestricted N/A
Video recordings: PG (Parental Guidance) Unrestricted N/A
Video recordings: classification 12 12 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video recordings: classification 15 15 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video recordings: classification 18 18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video recordings: classification R18
18 years and over in a
licensed sex shop
Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video games: PEGI rating 3 Unrestricted N/A
Video games: PEGI rating 7 Unrestricted N/A
Video games: PEGI rating 12 12 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video games: PEGI rating 16 16 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Video games: PEGI rating 18 18 and over Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Volatile substances / solvents (offence to supply /
offer to supply to under 18s occurs ONLY if the person
knows or believes it is to be used for intoxication)
18 and over (but see left) Unlimited fine and six months’ imprisonment
Resources and links
Trading Standards - selling alcohol
Citizens Advice - young people health and personal
Talk to Frank
Drink Aware
Keep it out
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Question 4
You may be asked to show
proof of your age when you
go in to a shop to buy an age
restricted product, like alcohol
or cigarettes.
How could you prove your age
to the shopkeeper?
a) Tell them your date of birth
b) Ask them to phone your Mum
c) Show them your Proof of
Age Standards Scheme
card (PASS)
Question 5
Your friend is under 18 and
she asks another person who
is over 18 to buy her some
alcohol.
Is this legal?
a) No, it is a crime
b) Yes, it is ok
c) It is ok, as the person is
over 18
Question 6
Why are there laws around
age restricted products?
a) To spoil young people’s fun.
b) To safeguard the health of
young people
c) To make extra work for the
shop manager
Question 1
How old must you be before
you can buy cigarettes or
alcohol?
a) 12
b) 16
c) 18
Question 2
How old must you be before
you can buy spray paint?
a) 12
b) 16
c) 18
Question 3
How old must you be before
you can buy Christmas
crackers?
a) 12
b) 16
c) 18
Questions
6
Answers
Age restricted products
Name:
Question Answer
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
