• ID checking for purchase of cigarettes is becoming as important as that for alcohol and other products.
• Purchasers work in teams of two under supervision.
• All test purchasers are a minimum of 16 years of age, although appearing younger.

• Cigarette purchase programme may be conducted as a stand-alone exercise or in conjunction with an alcohol purchase campaign
• The legal minimum age for buying tobacco in England and Wales is set to rise to 18 in October 2007

• Notation made of Point of Sale material and whether it is in accordance with the retailers policy
• Purchase or non-purchase recorded with as much information as has been noted including whether staff display POS material, how transaction was made and conducted

• All data is collated and statistics produced to show percentages of successful/refused transactions
• Transaction or attempted purchase may be videoed for record
• Shoppers will dress for the part, often wearing appropriate school uniform