Cigarette lighter refills

What does the law say about the sale of butane gas lighter refills to young people?

It is an offence for anyone to sell butane gas lighter refills to anyone under the age of 18.

Why is this the case?

Substance abuse statistics have shown that cigarette lighter refills containing butane gas are the category of product associated with most deaths.

Should I display any notices for customers?

There is no legal requirement to display a warning notice, however, you may want to consider displaying them conspicuously as part of your system for avoiding illegal sales. A suitable form of wording might be:

What are the penalties for breaking the law?

If an illegal sale is made, you could be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £5000, or a prison term of up to 6 months, or both. 

What about other products that can be abused?

You should read the separate advice sheet on sales of intoxicating substances.

What should  do now?

You should set up a system to ensure that you have done all that is reasonable to prevent you or a member of your staff selling butane gas cigarette lighter refills to young people. You should now read the Preventing underage sales section of this pack for practical guidance on how best to do this.

If you are unsure how old a person is, ask for proof of age. If any doubt remains, always refuse the sale.