Birmingham Store Loses License for Illegal Sale of E-cigarette and Alcohol to Minors

According to a report by the Birmingham Mail, a shop located in Wolverhampton, UK, has lost its license for illegally selling e-cigarettes and alcohol to two 17-year-old girls.

In December 2022, the market regulatory authorities received their first reports about the situation at this store, as they were inundated with numerous complaints alleging that products with sales restrictions were being sold to minors.

This week, the licensing authority of the city council heard a report on the matter, which stated that two authorized volunteers purchased a Crystal Pro Max Fresh Mint 4000+ disposable e-cigarette, a can of REDDS Zurawina fruit beer with a 4.5% alcohol content, and a can of REDDS Marakuja fruit beer with a 4% alcohol content on July 3. The purchases were made without any challenges or objections.

This store is located within the constituency of Member of Parliament Celia Hibbert. As it is situated within her constituency, she also represents the store and speaks on its behalf. She stated:

I am a highly regarded advocate for Payne's small business, and Mr. Abdullah is very responsible and courteous. This is a small enterprise, and if he were to lose his license, it would not only have a disastrous impact on him personally, but also on our district, as we take great pride in our small businesses.

Dianne Slack, a regional official from the market regulatory department, informed the committee that selling e-cigarettes to two underage volunteers is illegal in the UK. She also highlighted that during store inspections, there was no tobacco notice and no record of refusal to sell. Additionally, the cigarette shelves were left open, resulting in the exposure of tobacco products.

Earlier, concerns were raised by the Ministry of Health and the West Midlands Police Department regarding compliance with the four licensing objectives outlined in the 2003 Licensing Act. After considering all the evidence and statements from each representative, the Licensing Committee made the decision to revoke the license.