Convenience stores are set to struggle with enforcing the generational smoking ban due to limited resources, according to an independent retailer.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, proposed by the government in March 2024, includes a new law that will make it illegal for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, to purchase tobacco products. If approved, the ban will increase the legal age for buying such products by one year, every year, starting from 2027.
However, Atul Sodha, owner of Londis Harefield in Uxbridge, expressed concerns over the practicalities of enforcing the law. Speaking on the Better Retailing podcast, he explained that retailers simply do not have the resources to ensure compliance.
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He said: “We do need things in place, no-one wants anyone smoking, but it’s more about human rights. Why would you want to take away a right from someone? Further still, how do we enforce it?
“Give us the resource to enforce it and we’d be happy to do it. We don’t have a national ID system.”
Sodha also noted that while some of his customers provide valid ID, such as a driving licence or passport, others use their phone or a photograph of their ID—methods that are not legally acceptable.
“We’ve just been checked by licensing. Overall, we had everything in place. We’ve got EPoS systems that can give you reports on when we’ve done date checks. We’ve got as much as we can possibly do, but this is just unenforceable the way they’ve got it,” he added.
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