Sales to Children Trigger Belfast Tobacco Crackdown

By GlobeBids News Desk | 11 August 2026

A Belfast barber shop has been barred from selling tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products for three years after cigarettes were sold to a child volunteer during council test purchases.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court imposed a Restricted Premises Order on Sultan Barbers, which trades from 23 Shaftesbury Square. The prohibition covers tobacco as well as nicotine-inhaling products, including e-cigarettes and vapes.

The court also issued a separate order against the business owner, Sultan Alsalem Alhamada. It prevents him from selling the covered products from any location for the same three-year period.

Complaints led to an underage test purchase

Belfast City Council brought the case after receiving complaints that tobacco products were being sold to children at Sultan Barbers.

The council’s Tobacco Control Officers then arranged test-purchase exercises using a child volunteer. Cigarettes were sold to the volunteer during those checks, according to the council’s account of the case.

Officers also established that the Shaftesbury Square shop was not registered to sell tobacco or nicotine-inhaling products. The enforcement action therefore addressed both the underage transaction and the absence of the required retailer registration.

Two court orders create wider restrictions

The Restricted Premises Order applies directly to the Sultan Barbers premises. For three years, tobacco, e-cigarettes, vapes and other nicotine-inhaling products cannot legally be sold there.

The Restricted Sales Order has a broader personal effect. Because it applies to Sultan Alsalem Alhamada, the owner is prohibited from selling the same products at any location during the three-year term, rather than only at the barber shop named in the case.

Together, the orders restrict both the premises where the test purchase occurred and the individual responsible for the business. The council described the ruling as the outcome of proceedings it took before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on 11 August 2026.

Northern Ireland law prohibits sales to under-18s

Under the Tobacco Retailers Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, retailers must not sell tobacco or nicotine-inhaling products to anyone under 18. Businesses selling those products must also be registered.

District council Tobacco Control Officers enforce the legislation across Northern Ireland. Their work includes helping businesses follow good practice and comply with their legal responsibilities, as well as investigating suspected breaches and organising test purchases.

The case comes amid continuing concern about youth access to vaping products. Public Health Agency research published in 2025 indicated that 15% of children and teenagers in Northern Ireland vape regularly, while one in five had tried a vape at least once. Among regular users, only half reported experiencing any difficulty when buying nicotine-inhaling products.

Source: Belfast City Council