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18th Mar 2016

British Woman Refused Alcohol At Supermarket Because Of Her Self-Harm Scars

She was trying to buy a bottle of champagne for her friend.

Ellen Tannam

21-year-old British woman Becci Wain is speaking out about discrimination against people with mental health issues.

The Cambridge woman, who has self-harmed in the past was recently, was refused alcohol at a Tesco in Fulbourn in the UK due to her visible arm scars.

She had been trying to buy a bottle of champagne for a friend’s birthday.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5Live yesterday, Wain described the incident as “embarrassing and horrible”. Although the scars are viisble, Wain had not self-harmed in 6 months.

The cashier at the counter noticed her marks after she had displayed her ID, proving she was of age.

“Basically I look like I’m about 14, so I showed my ID and then she questioned whether I was allowed to buy it or not.”

She was then told to stand to one side and wait for a supervisor to be called, in front of a large queue of people, which left her intimidated and embarrassed.

Becci said she understood that the cashier was trying their best to do the right thing in the situation, but thinks that they could have been more sensitive in their reaction, as this type of behaviour could trigger a relapse in some people with mental health issues.

“I’m not the sort to get triggered by that situation, but for anyone who wasn’t as stable as me at the time, they could have been triggered hugely.”

She hopes this will highlight the need for sensitivity when it comes to mental health issues.

Lead Image via BBC Newsbeat