A SHOP owner who sold e-cig liquid to a child has been fined by magistrates.
On November 3 last year Oldham Council's trading standards team carried out a test purchasing operation, which involved a 16-year-old volunteer attempting to buy a nicotine inhaling product.
Under the law purchasers have to be at least 18 to buy products that contain nicotine.
The volunteer went into Royton Korner Shop, Middleton Road, Royton and was sold a NVee Pro Blackcurrant premium e-liquid (3mg/ml) by Saghir Akhtar.
On May 1 at Tameside Magistrates’ Court the 40-year-old of King Street East, Rochdale, pleaded guilty by post to one charge under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015
He was fined £165, ordered to pay costs of £2,565 plus a victim surcharge of £30.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Oldham Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Smoking is an unhealthy habit, even if it is an e-cig, so selling nicotine products to our young people is a very serious offence.
“We don’t want our children getting into bad habits so if you suspect anyone is selling products to underage people then please let us know and we’ll look to take action.”
Sales of underage tobacco can be reported www.keep-it-out.co.uk or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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