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Reader Saulė contacted the news portal tv3.lt (name changed to aut. past.). While walking to the Iki supermarket, the girl heard a message that vendors buying alcohol or cigarettes could ask customers to remove their masks and show their faces. Girls, it was strange.
“I heard a message from the store that employees have the right to ask for such a thing, but it turned out to be very strange to me. I think that the government has not in vain introduced the mandatory use of masks, but has drawn up its own rules here, ”says Saulė.
The girl says that she has decided to try to buy a cigarette and see if she really asks him to remove the mask.
“I bought cigarettes at the Iki store and the seller, questioning my age, asked me to remove my mask to confirm my identity. I often hear comments that I look younger than I really am, but I never thought that my appearance would make me at risk to my health, ”says Saulė.
Remove the mask
The news portal tv3.lt contacted the Iki shopping center. Vaida Budrienė, a spokesperson for Iki, says that the record Saulė listened to is really there. It is designed to alert store customers.
“It just came to our knowledge then. As you know, we must comply with and follow the laws of Lithuania. We have always identified people by document and appearance. Because people wear masks, it is sometimes difficult for our sellers to identify the person. , even if you present an identity document.
For example, the hairstyle has changed, the eyes may be different. Therefore, if there are suspicions that the document presented does not correspond to the identity of that person, we ask that you remove the mask for a few seconds, ”says V. Budrien on tv3.lt.
Iki supermarket is not the only one that asks to show faces when buying alcohol or cigarettes. Both Maxima and Rimi have the same identification rules.
“We strictly comply with the legal requirements for the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco and tobacco products. When selling cigarettes or other tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and in case of suspicion about the buyer’s age, we always require the presentation of a identification document.
In cases where it is difficult to determine from the part of the face not covered by the protective mask whether it is the person who is a safe distance from the cash register or in the area of the self-service cash register, remove the mask briefly so the seller can be sure, ”says Maxima Communications and Image Department Director Ernesta Dapkienė.
Rimi says she has successfully recognized her clients with masks so far, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of asking them to remove the mask.
As before the pandemic restrictions, when in doubt about the buyer’s age, Rimi cashiers ask for the buyer’s identity document. So far, there have been no cases of lack of visual identification of the buyer on the basis of an identity document during the pandemic, while the requirement to wear a mask was in effect on the Rimi network.
In Latvian and Estonian online stores, in case of such a need, it is a practice to ask the buyer to remove the mask for a few seconds. <...> Therefore, we will apply this practice in Lithuania as well, if only that need arises, ”says Renata Keršienė, Rimi PR representative.
The mask must be removed safely
The Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Sales Department expresses a position similar to that of supermarkets. It is also possible to determine the age of buyers by appearance, it is not necessary to ask for proof of age, but now that everyone wears masks, it is difficult to predict the age of buyers in this way.
According to the department, sellers can currently require that you remove the mask if it is not enough to determine the age of only the part of the face that is not covered by the mask or if you see an identity document, there are doubts.
It is recommended to follow all other safety requirements when removing masks.
“If the sellers, after presenting an identity document to a person, have doubts that it is the same person, in the opinion of the Department, the sellers can request a brief, several seconds to remove the mask and establish their identity. Safety requirements must be met when removing the mask, ”states the Department of Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol website.
It is questionable whether even a brief removal of the mask is not contagious. Daiva Razmuvienė, an epidemiologist at the National Center for Public Health, says there is no threat that she will remove her mask briefly.
“There is no real threat if the medical masks are briefly removed (for a few seconds), identifying a person who buys alcohol or cigarettes,” writes D. Razmuvienė on tv3.lt.
The Alcohol Control Act prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under 20 years of age. Tobacco products can be sold to people under the age of 18.
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