Dave Thompson MSP

SKYE, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson, a vice-president of the Trading Standards Institute, has been invited to open a conference for the organisation on Age Restricted Products.

Mr Thompson, who is also convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee, was delighted to accept the invitation and will present the opening speech at the conference in Carnoustie on August 31.

He said: “Trading standards have an important role keeping our young people safe through the enforcement of age restricted sales legislation, which covers a wide range of products and services, ranging from tobacco to fireworks, from solvents to sunbed use.

“The misuse of these products and services and their illegal trade have far reaching consequences that affect all of us by impacting on the health, safety and prosperity of our communities.

“The scale of the problem is not to be underestimated; BBC investigations found that half of all hand-rolled tobacco smoked in the UK is counterfeit, as is one in five cigarettes, and that up to a quarter of licensed premises in some parts of the UK have been found to have counterfeit alcohol for sale.  The cost to health, our health service, and the economy is massive.

Notes:

Trading Standards Institute Press Release:

Scotland is putting age restricted products in the spotlight with a Conference bringing together key players including trading standards, health sector, police and manufacturers.

Age Restricted Products – a Collaborative Approach is a Conference, on 31 August, aims to hit home the complex impact issues around age restricted products have on our society, and the need for a strategic, multilateral response.

The event also sees the updated Angus Code of Practice on Ages Restricted Products, endorsed by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Though the Conference is in Scotland, its scope and purpose are relevant to the United Kingdom as a whole.  Indeed the Local Better Regulation Office is currently consulting on creating a similar new code of guidance on age restricted products and services for England and Wales.

Legislative restrictions exist for a wide range of products, from tobacco and solvents to alcohol and knives.  Most regulation in this area shares common objectives of protecting children from harm and limiting access to products that can negatively impact on communities.

Trading Standards Institute’s vice president Dave Thomson MSP, who opens the Conference, said: “Trading standards have an important role keeping our young people safe through the enforcement of age restricted sales legislation, which covers a wide range of products and services, ranging from tobacco to fireworks, from solvents to sunbed use.

“The misuse of these products and services and their illegal trade have far reaching consequences that affect all of us by impacting on the health, safety and prosperity of our communities.

“The scale of the problem is not to be underestimated; BBC investigations found that half of all hand-rolled tobacco smoked in the UK is counterfeit, as is one in five cigarettes, and that up to a quarter of licensed premises in some parts of the UK have be found to have counterfeit alcohol for sale.  The cost to health, our health service, and the economy is massive.

TSI lead officer and Angus Senior Trading Standards officer Brian Smith said: “With a Government consultation under way to review the Consumer Landscape we wanted to showcase the successful partnership working we are doing in Angus and to make a clear statement about our views within this Landscape.

“The age restricted products sector is a very complex area that needs to be tackled in a strategic, multipronged way to touch all of its aspects, which include anti-social behaviour, health issues, links to organised crime and the grey economy.

“The conference is an opportunity for all parties to come together to have a better understanding of all the implications of age restricted products related issues, and to encourage us all, across the country, to start moving collectively on this.

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TSI have a Fair Trading Award available to educate businesses and provide them with certification of their training in underage sales.  The FTA contains a stand alone module on underage sales.