Major change to ID rules on cigarettes & vapes sparks fears hundreds of shops across UK will be forced to close
HUNDREDS of retailers fear they could go out of business over enforcing age bans on smoking and vape sales.
Campaigning shopkeeper Paul Cheema says new laws could be the "final straw" as they deal with aggressive customers when asked for identification.
5
5
The move comes after the hard-pressed firms are already dealing with a hike in rising business rates and feel shoplifting in their stores is going unpunished.
He has joined forces with 700 fellow shopkeepers amid fears asking for ID could lead to more violence in the shops.
On-the-spot fines of £200 will be handed out by trading standards inspectors for selling tobacco, vape and nicotine products to underage customers.
Anyone born after January 1, 2009 will not be able to buy tobacco as Ministers aim for the first smoke-free generation.
The retailers have written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds demanding more support for independent stores.
Mr Cheema said: "The proposed laws will do nothing to stop the illicit trade, but will put us in the firing line when enforcement falls on shop staff. It'll be the final straw.
"We all want to protect young people from smoking.
"But badly thought-through laws won't do that – they'll just drive more sales underground, where nobody checks ID.
"We're not asking for handouts. We're asking to be heard. The government is piling pressure on our sector from every direction:"
"I've seen the government move mountains to protect 2,700 jobs in the steel industry – and rightly so.
Police raid largest spice vapes operation after kids were left hospitalised
"But there are 445,000 jobs in UK convenience stores, and we're being ignored."
"Local shops like mine are part of the fabric of British life. We're open early, open late, and we're there for people when no one else is.
"But there comes a point where enough is enough."
There are also fears that adults will go to illicit stores to buy tobacco which will reduce the income for smaller stores.
Tobacco sales account for 15 per cent of the sales with six million people who see smoking as a way of life.
A government spokesperson said: "Small businesses are the lifeblood of our high streets, and our Plan for Change will help ensure they thrive.
"We're taking tough action on shoplifters, and worked with retailers to help them get ready for the ban on single use vapes.'
5
5
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lidl will soon begin selling Shark carpet cleaner dupe that is £170 cheaper
LIDL will soon begin selling a Shark carpet cleaner dupe that is £170 cheaper. The Vax Dual Power Carpet Cleaner is almost identical to the pricey branded version. The product is set to land in stores next Thursday, June 19 giving customers just a few days to wait to get their hands on it. Like the original it comes with a powerful suction making it easy to lift dirt from your carpets. The product is part of the bargain stores "Middle of Lidl" offers, which land in stores every Thursday and Sunday. The items are usually sold at a low price and only available while stocks last. Lidl's carpet cleaner will cost £79.99 when it lands in stores next week. Its take on the Shark carpet cleaner gives customers the chance to save £170. The branded product is on sale for £249.99 on the Shark website marked down from its typical retail price of £299.99 If you are keen to pick up Lidl's cut-price version, you will have to act quickly, as it is a limited edition item; once it's gone, it's gone. It's one of many dupes rolled out by the discounter in recent times. Shoppers have been rushing out to buy a £3.99 dupe for the real Sol de Janeiro body spray, giving customers a chance to save over £20. Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel Elsewhere customers have been going wild for its take on Dyson tower fan The Silvercrest Bladeless Tower Fan is currently on offer for £54.99 when you use the Lidl Plus app. That's £15 off its regular price of £69.99. In comparison, it's £225 cheaper than the popular Dyson Cool Tower Fan, which will set you back a hefty £280. How can I save money when shopping at Lidl? Lidl reduces items at the start of the day and the best deals can be found between 7am to 8am, when most stores open. Shoppers can often find cooked meats, salmon fillets and breads reduced by 30% or more. Not only does Lidl have its own range of reasonably priced alcohol, it also has its own knock-offs of branded favourites – so say cheers to its bargain boozees. Everyone knows about the "Middle of Lidl" – it's here where you'll find a load of random stuff that you didn't realise you needed, at decent prices. But if you are hoping to avoid spending more than you planned, you can check what will be in the "Middle of Lidl" on the supermarket's website in advance. The Middle of Lidl is refreshed every Thursday and Sunday. How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment two women brawl in arrivals hall at Gatwick before it's broken up by airport staff
This is the shocking moment two women started throwing punches after arriving at Gatwick Airport. Click above to watch the full video.
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
If the BBC licence fee is scrapped, Doctor Who should disappear behind a paywall
I've spent most of my career watching television and, through thick and thin, I've always stood up for the BBC. Currently, for £14.50 per month, the licence fee pays for national and local TV and radio, the iPlayer, BBC Sounds, the BBC website, a selection of apps and the BBC World Service. That represents incredible value for money, but the Corporation's Royal Charter is up for renewal in 2027. It's been a decade since the last renewal, and in that time, the media landscape has changed beyond recognition. In 2017, Netflix were sending me DVDs through the post; now streaming services, YouTube and social media have changed the way we watch and have made it increasingly difficult to argue the future of the compulsory TV licence. This means even dyed-in-the wool supporters like me have to argue that the BBC's financing method has to change. In an interview with the Sunday Times, BBC chairman Samir Shah has argued that the licence fee should be included with council tax payments, with a sliding scale of payments according to the value of your property. This sounds sensible – but with no council tax in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, that rather puts a spanner in the works. As a huge supporter of public service broadcasting, I'd suggest something different: make the BBC a two-tier service, with a basic offering for all supplemented by premium services for those who want to pay extra for them. Once rid of the licence fee, a pared-back BBC could then be paid for out of general taxation, with a subscription service offering premium extras. 'BBC Basic', as it might come to be known colloquially, could breathe life into its Reithian principles – to inform, educate and entertain, offering all the important things that hold the nation together as well as a real service element: news, consumer programmes, popular drama like EastEnders and Death in Paradise, and revealing and positive documentaries. Such a service would hopefully 'breadcrumb' viewers into paying for tasty and desirable treats, either via a rolling monthly subscription, or with individual programmes available to rent on demand. 'BBC Premium' might offer full coverage of sporting events (there could be highlights on the basic package), some popular flagship programming such as Strictly Come Dancing and Race Across the World, and all the programmes that cost more to produce, such as major dramas and nature series. As with the streamers, you'd get your first episode on the basic package and pay for the rest. Shows that you pay for should be the icing on the cake of the BBC, and I'd even argue for shows like Doctor Who to go behind a paywall. Who else but the Beeb is making popular sci-fi with incredibly high production values, whose every plot twist and casting decision dominates the headlines? The BBC has a massive archive of programming which could be open to subscribers. This would require spending money on rights clearances, but this would fit in with the corporation's public service ethos. The iPlayer recently ran a pop-up TV station, Memories, aimed at those with dementia, but providing an incredible historic insight into the past, from arts programming to life in an insurance company in the 1970s (quite niche, but I enjoyed it), so a bigger offering than the current meagre and largely unchanging collection could prove a big draw. Archive material could also fill some daytime TV slots on a basic package as a money-saver and something for those of us bored with endless property programmes and gameshows. The BBC's commercial arm is a big success, with 2023/24 figures showing sales of £1.9 billion, with the most popular shows sold to other broadcasters around the world including Planet Earth III, The Famous Five, The 1% Club and coverage of the Coronation. It has also made shows for Netflix and Apple TV+ that have never been shown on the BBC. Such commercial creativity should be able to come up with new programming that entices viewers to pay for a premium service, perhaps working with social media content creators to draw in the much-desired younger audience and reshape broadcasting for a new era. As much as I've loved Auntie Beeb over the years, she has to change. She's not an auntie to younger viewers, more like one of those distant relatives you avoid at all costs because you think she's really boring. But you could probably learn something from her, which is why the good things that come from the BBC must continue, even though you're going to pay for them in a different way.
