 Children have been allowed to "test purchase" cigarettes since 2005 |
An operation by Trading Standards officers in Edinburgh has revealed that children were able to buy cigarettes in almost half of the shops tested. The officers sent two 15-year-old volunteers into 40 shops to discover if they would be able to buy cigarettes.
The undercover volunteers were able to buy cigarettes in a total of 18 stores. The owners have now received formal warnings.
The legal age at which tobacco can be bought rose from 16 to 18 last month.
The same operation also revealed that almost a third of shops were failing to display signs, required by law, which informed customers that cigarettes can no longer be purchased by anyone under the age of 18.
Children have been allowed to "test purchase" age-restricted goods since 2005.
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