Society bids to cut under-age drinking

HEART of England Co-op has extended its proof of identity scheme to include under 25s attempting to buy cigarettes and alcohol in a bid to curb binge drinking...

Previously, the scheme affected anyone who appeared under the age of 21. From now, any customer who appears to be under the age of 25 will be asked to prove their date of birth. 

 

Those who can prove they are at least 18 — the legal minimum age to buy cigarettes and tobacco — will be allowed to continue their purchase. Those who are unable to prove their age will be turned away. 

George Flower, General Manager, Food Division, said the society introduced the new restrictions following repeated attempts by underage teenagers to convince staff they were 21.

Mr Flower said: “It can be very difficult to tell whether you are serving cigarettes or alcohol to an 18-year-old or a 16-year-old, so we have introduced these measures not only because we have a moral and social responsibility to our members and customers, but also because we have a responsibility to safeguard our staff.

“By raising the benchmark to 25, we hope it will eliminate all risk of sales to minors.

“We are sure our customers will understand we are trying to act responsibly.”

 

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