As retailers, we service the requirements of our customers and would be very foolish to pass judgement on adults who choose to spend their money in our stores. That does not mean that we don’t have responsibilities to manage the access to Age-restricted products in accordance with both the law and common sense.
There would appear to be a surge in popularity for vaping products and even though there is not at this time ANY age control on selling these products, we would have to urge you to give a clear direction to your staff to ensure that only persons over 18 are permitted to buy these products that contain nicotine.
We would also urge you to REMIND your staff that they can be prosecuted if they sell any tobacco product ( including cigarette papers, filters and tubes) to a person under 18. Such a prosecution would prevent them from travelling to many parts of the world and would need to remain on their criminal record for a number of years. Your policy of preventing access by minors relies entirely on your staff being vigilant and aware of the negative outcomes, not just for you but also for them- REMIND THEM FREQUENTLY OF YOUR PREVENTION POLICY.