Kent Community Alcohol Partnership (KCAP) - Retailers/Publicans

Alcohol retailer or publican?

If you are in a KCAP area you should already be in regular contact with your local police officer, licensing officer and trading standards officer.  You can also download an information pack here (pdf).

But remember;

Accept that it is difficult to judge the age of youngsters

Most people will have some difficulty with judging the age of a young person. Whether or not someone appears to be over 18 will depend on who is making the decision.

 

Operate a “Challenge 25” policy

This gives staff support and encouragement to ask for ID from any person appearing to be under 25 years of age. This allows for a margin of error as a young person can look much older. Make sure you advertise this in your premises so customers are aware.

 

Always ask for ID

Whether operating a Challenge 25 policy or not you and your staff should always ask for proof of age when selling an age restricted item. This can take the form of a passport, drivers licence or a PASS approved ID card.

 

Train staff

Ensure that your staff are aware of their responsibilities under the various legislation for age restricted products. This training should be given before they are allowed to operate the till system and should be repeated regularly. This could mean a more intense method of training used at the start of their employment with regular updates and refreshers continued throughout. Keep documented evidence of this training.

 

Keep a refusals book

The law recognises that despite your best efforts, mistakes can be made. It is good practice to keep a refusals book to show that your procedures and training are working. You should review this on a regular basis to see if any patterns emerge.