Parents stunned by little known Christmas cracker law - that could leave you with a hefty fine
Parents have been left stunned after discovering that Christmas crackers are subject to the same age restriction laws as alcohol, cigarettes, and scratch cards.
For millions of kids across Scotland, pulling crackers over Christmas dinner is a much-loved tradition. But sending your child to pick up the festive toy could see them return home empty handed - or with a hefty fine.
A little-known law dictates that children under the age of 12 cannot buy a packet of Christmas crackers because they are classed as a category 1 firework - the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015.
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If a retailer is caught ignoring this law and selling crackers to underage children, they face a fixed penalty fine of £80. This sum rockets for ongoing offences, with repeated sales leading to fines of up to £5,000 and shop owners facing a staggering £20,000 charge for repeated breaches.
Although there are only age restrictions on selling Christmas crackers rather than using them, supervision is still strongly advised. The small novelty items contained within crackers pose a choking hazard to young children, especially those aged three and under.
Cynthia Ewers-Cobb, founder of Green Eco Lifestyle and a devoted mum, told the Mirror that parents should "remain vigilant" this festive season if they plan to allow their young children to pull Christmas crackers.
She said: "It's essential you supervise your child when they are pulling the crackers as an extra safety measure. Make sure you are actively participating in the cracker-pulling with your child so you can avoid any potential risks."
The warning was echoed by leading NHS children’s doctors, who revealed that surgeons have had to perform life-saving operations to remove swallowed Christmas cracker toys from children in recent years.
In fact, the number of children being admitted to hospital after ingesting small objects has doubled over the last 10 years to 228, rising from 115 in 2011 to 228 in 2021, according to NHS Digital data.
NHS National Clinical Director for Children and Young People Professor Simon Kenny stressed: “This time of the year is meant to be one of joy as families come together – and the last thing anyone wants is to spend Christmas at hospital as their child undergoes life-saving surgery."
He added: “But unfortunately we are seeing an increase in the number of children at hospital because they have swallowed a foreign object – double the number we had 10 years ago – and the consequences can be devastating, especially when that object is a button battery or magnetic ball causing irreversible damage."
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