Can you tell their ages?
Nine out of 10 staff in high street shops selling age-restricted products such as alcohol and cigarettes were unable to tell the correct age of youngsters when shown their photograph. Independent research recently commissioned by CitizenCard, the national proof-of age card, showed that at least two of these young people would have been sold goods they were too young to buy, while three of them would have been refused a purchase they were legally entitled to make.
Mike Bowen, Chairman of CitizenCard, said:
The research showed that, without proof-of age, it is all too easy for retailers to unknowingly break the law by selling to children who do not look their age.
He continued:
With sophisticated clothes and make-up, it's becoming increasingly difficult to guess young people's correct age. This is a worry for parents, unfair on retailers, and a potential embarrassment for young people themselves. Teenagers who look younger than their age may be refused a purchase in front of their peer group despite being old enough.
CitizenCard, the only nationally available proof-of age card, has issued 25,000 completely forge-proof cards since its launch a year ago.
