Sales to children
It is against the law to sell various items to children under a certain age.
The items and minimum ages are as below:
- alcohol - age 18
- confectionary containing alcohol - age 16
- cigarettes including vending machines - age 18
- fireworks including sparklers - age 18
- party poppers, caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, serpents, throwdowns - age 16
- videos, DVDs, computer games - ages 12, 15, 18, 18Restricted
- cigarette lighter fuel, refill canisters containing butane - age 18
- solvents e.g. solvent based glues, marker pens, correction fluid - age 18
- lottery tickets, scratch cards - age 16
- air weapons, crossbows - age 17
- knives and other bladed items - age 18
- aerosol paints - age 16
- petrol - age 16.
Can you help us by volunteering for our age-restricted sales exercises? If so, please complete our online form in the related links section.
Do you want to report a trader who has sold alcohol to a child under 18? If so please visit our reporting sales of alcohol to children page.
You can download our 'It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18' A3 poster below. Please note that this poster should only by printed in A3 size, as the wording and minimum size for this notice is prescribed by law.
A training/refusals log is also available below for you to download and use.
There is a link below to the Wine and Trade Association website from which you can download and print your own Challenge 25 resources, such as posters and badges.
Please use the links in the more information section to view or download our leaflets.
Related documents
The following documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the PDF software for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)
- It is illegal to sell tobacco products poster A3 (110KB)
- Cigarette Lighter Refills and Solvents (138KB)
- Refusals log (68KB)
- Reporting sales of alcohol to children under 18 (122KB)
- Restrictions on the sale of knives and other bladed items (135KB)
- Sale of tobacco (includes vending machines) (134KB)
- Sales of aerosol spray paints (129KB)
- Sales of alcohol at licensed premises (134KB)
- Selling cigarette lighters (134KB)
- Videos and DVDs for sale and hire (148KB)