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Sales of Cigarettes from Vending Machines
It is an offence to sell cigarettes to a child under
18 years of age from a cigarette vending
machine. Furthermore when such a sale occurs the owner
of the machine, or the proprietor of the premises where
the machine is kept, may be ordered by the courts
to
take such precautions to prevent the machine being
used by under aged children, or if necessary, to remove
the
machine. Failure to comply with such an order may result
in criminal proceedings.
Many pubs, restaurants, hotels, clubs and leisure
centres have vending machines on their premises. It
is an offence
to sell cigarettes to anybody under 18
years and if a vending machine is situated in an unsupervised
area it may result in an illegal sale due to the easy
accessibility of the machine.
In order to ensure you, as the owner of the premises,
has complete control over the vending machine, it is
advisable to take the following precautions:
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Ensure the vending machine displays the required
statutory notices as shown below. Position the
machine in a bar area, snug or lounge preferably
not in a lobby or entrance area.
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Try to place the machine in full view of the
bar staff at all times to ensure it is continually
supervised. |
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Provide bar staff with instructions and training
on monitoring sales from vending machines to ensure
that no illegal sales take place and on what to
do if a child attempts a purchase. |
The following notice must be displayed on the vending
machine :
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THIS MACHINE IS ONLY FOR THE USE
OF PEOPLE AGED 18 OR OVER
IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL TOBACCO
PRODUCTS TO ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18
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You may need to contact the vending machine owner in
order to obtain their permission or assistance in repositioning
vending machines.
This advice is provided to ensure that you have taken
sufficient precautions to help to minimise opportunities
for children to buy cigarettes from vending machines,
as this is an easier option than buying them from a
shop.
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