i absolutely agree with all your comments-to make things worse, if a member of staff in say Tescos has sold you 20 Marlboro and has then forgotten to slide the cover back into place, then he/she is subject to a maximum £3000.00 fine should an Enforcement Officer be present at the time this "horrendous" crime is taking place-should the member of staff sell 20 Marlboro to a customer who is knowingly underage, then the member of staff is subject to a maximum £5000.00 fine and an indeterminate jail sentence because obviously selling fags is about as serious a crime as you can commit
but it should be fairly easy to spot an Enforcement Officer-he will be wearing a cheap suit and shoes that do not match, have a comb-over, a serious expression, zero sense of humour, a clipboard (his weapon of choice!), an I.D.card of course, will not be open to bribes and/or suggestions of a sexual nature because he is still a virgin at 45 and will be accompanied by his assistant who is over 6' built and like a line-backer who will provide any "assistance" should anybody dare to question his authority
you watch in another five years you go into any supermarket and you will be faced with barriers everywhere because everything we eat, drink or smoke is bad for you
dave