Teen-proof cigarette machines in the works

[Joey_Batch_File]

The machine works only when customers prove they are old enough by swiping a credit card and a valid identification with a magnetic strip. A virtual sales clerk on the machine's video screen tells kids they're too young.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/08/06/cig....ap/index.html


Do you think this will have any effect on underaged smokers buying cigarettes? I know a few pool halls in my state have vending machines in the 21 + sections, but you still see the young ones sneaking in for a pack. Plus, if all you need to do is swipe your card, whose to say its YOUR card????

[khrist]

heh.. i dont think that will work.. at MOST liquor stores near my place we can buy cigarettes underage.. i know some 14 year olds that go in and buy alcohol and they never get carded... its all about the money you know? lol and for sure, how hard would it be to borrow your parents credit card or something..

[avdven]

You know, I personally don't smoke, but I have friends who do. Growing up, kids here never really bought their own cigarettes, they would just get them from other people who were old enough to buy them, or send either an older friend or older sibling to pick up a pack for them. It's just like alcohol... many high school and freshman college parties are stocked full of alcohol, but everyone knows it's pretty difficult for underage kids to buy their own.

I think that the government can do whatever they want to try to cut down on underage smoking, but if someone really wants to start, there's no real way of stopping them. At least, that's how I feel about it.

AJ

[kayorin]

Er, if i was gagging for fag, or if i was younger than legal age,
i would borrow my mate's proof like creditcard.

if people wanna smoke, then its their decision i guess.

i mean, in UK, a pak of fags costs 4pounds (sterling) to prevent people to smoke, but they are not quite success yet.
i think its a human nature, if other people say no, u wanna say yes./

[cutty]

My thing is that, you can't really stop the underage from smoking by using that method. You need to cut down in some way the amount of people that smoke first by maybe increasing the price of cigarettes or reducing the accessibility of it. Then maybe with less buyers, they might just be able to cut down underage people from getting access to cigarettes.

Just my thought on the situation at hand...

Guidance...

[Terr]

Uhm... It won't help deter teen smokers, but it probably will let the company sell cigarettes via vending machines, because they can claim that they have 'adequate safeguards'. Personally I think the tobacco companies will soon only sell cigarettes through a subscription method, and will force users to upgrade to Tobacco SP1 within the next few months... Heh.

[Gavman]

If people wanna buy cigarettes they're gonna do it no matter what the security systems say. You can't just cut smoking from people its not gonna work. Rising prices will just annoy the people who are old enough to smoke and do. The is no way that the card idea will work. As Joey_Batch_File and Khrist said it doesn't have to be your card in the first place. If they want to kill themselves let them. Its not big or clever

[cwk9]

All I want to know is when are we going to see beer vending machines?

[hellbringer87]

wow...i've never even seen cigarette machinese before... (do they exist in ontario?).

but as the rest have said... if the teens really want the cigarettes they'll find a way to get it... why don't they just make a law to prevent teens from smoking? after all there are drinking laws.

[cHiLiEd TiMMaY]

Originally posted here by cwk9
All I want to know is when are we going to see beer vending machines?

Hehehe, funny you should say that !! In my favoured nightclub here, they have a beer vending machine - serving most big brand beers. It's a God send when there's a queue for the bar !!