Shop is fined for selling cigarettes to 13-year-old

The proprietor of the shop and the person who sold the cigarettes were fined £300 each and ordered to pay costs.

The prosecution came after the latest in a series of test purchasing exercises which the council carries out to ensure young people under 18 years of age can’t purchase cigarettes.

It was during one of these exercises, which was carried out in October 2010 as part of the ‘Stop Smoking Colin’ campaign in the Poleglass, Twinbrook and Dunmurry areas, that the offence was detected.

Councillor Andrew Ewing, Chairman of Environmental Services Committee, said: “The purpose of these test purchase exercises, as part of the campaign, was to ensure that young people could not purchase cigarettes or other tobacco products that would encourage them to smoke from a young age.

“It was very discouraging for the Council to discover that four out of the ten premises visited sold cigarettes to the underage 13-year old child.

“Following this outcome, and in line with the Council’s enforcement policy regarding the sale of cigarettes to children, prosecution files were prepared.

“The Council secured a prosecution when the proprietor and the seller in one of the four premises pleaded guilty to the sale of cigarettes to a person Under 18; and each was fined £300 plus costs.

“We hope this will be a lesson to other retailers and sellers throughout the Lisburn area to be vigilant and ensure that anyone under 18 can not purchase cigarettes or tobacco products from their premises or the premises they work in.”

The council warned it will continue to carry out test purchasing exercises across the Lisburn area and will work to ensure that any future sales of tobacco products to underage persons result in prosecution.

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