In order to aid the restriction of sale of tobacco to minors, cigarette machines are regulated in many countries.

Japan edit

Since July 2008, in Japan machine companies could be prosecuted if tobacco is sold to anyone under 20 years old. To avoid such legal prosecution, Japan has introduced a government registered electronic smart card, called Taspo, that allows the user to purchase from the machines. To get a Taspo card, the purchaser must present their passport or ID to any government authorized business offering the service. The Fujitaka company is developing a technology that allows the vending machine to determine, using a digital camera and based on the facial wrinkles and sags of the potential buyer, whether the buyer is old enough to purchase cigarettes. The system compares facial characteristics including bone structure, sags, and crow’s feet against a record of more than 100,000 people. However if the user fails they can still use the machine with a Taspo card. 1

Tobacco vending machine prevalence by country edit Country/Territory Situation regarding cigarette vending machines Australia Sales prohibited to under 18s. Can only be located in liquor licensed and gaming venues, must display health warnings and cannot contain images of product only description and price on black and white label. Austria Sales prohibited to under 16s. Machines must attempt to verify a customer’s age by requiring the insertion of a debit card or mobile phone verification. Belgium Sales prohibited to under 16s. Machines need to be locked/unlocked by a responsible adult. Bulgaria None present Croatia Banned Cyprus Banned Czech Republic Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines situated in bars and similar places only. Denmark Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines generally situated in restaurants, bars and hotel lobbies. Age verification monitored by staff. England Ban came into force on 1 October 2011 2 Estonia Banned Finland Due to be banned on 1 January 2015 France Banned Georgia Banned Germany Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines contain an electronic bank card/ID card reader to verify age of buyer. Greece Banned Guernsey A ban was approved on 1 July 2010, following an amendment to the existing tobacco advertising law. The exact date of implementation has yet to be decided. Hungary Banned in 2006 Iceland Banned Ireland Sales prohibited to under 18s. Restricted to licensed premises only since 1 July 2009. Vending machines are operated by a token or card obtained from the bar once the age of the buyer has been identified. Israel Ban came into force on 1 January 2014 Italy Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines must contain an electronic device to verify age of buyer. Latvia Banned Lithuania Banned Luxembourg Sales prohibited to under 16s. Age has to be proven at the counter or bar before a token is issued so that the machine can be used. Malta Sales prohibited to under 16s. Netherlands Sales prohibited to under 16s. Token issued at counter once the purchasers age has been verified. New Zealand Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines situated in bars and similar places only. From 10 December 2004, machines can only be operated by staff. Northern Ireland Ban came into force on 1 March 2012 Norway Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines are token operated. Poland Banned Portugal Sales prohibited to under 18s. Machines must contain an electronic device to verify age of buyer. Romania Banned Slovakia Banned Slovenia Banned Spain Sales prohibited to under 18s. Scotland Ban came into force on 29 April 2013. Sweden Sales prohibited to under 18s. Switzerland Sales from machines are age restricted in 17 out of 26 cantons (11 cantons under 16 6 cantons under 18). The remaining cantons have no age limit. United States Only in facilities where people under 18 are not allowed 3 Ukraine Banned Wales Ban came into force on 1 February 2012 See also edit

  • Clark Whittington, creator of the Art o mat, a project to convert disused cigarette machines into art vending machines
  • Taspo, a Japanese system for age verification at cigarette machines
  • Action on Smoking and Health

References edit

Tveca

Discount cigarettes in sachse, tx – reviews and directions

TVECA Official Statement. Position for the industry and its members.

We defend and support the entire ecig category and that includes logical and responsible regulation for liquids and mods. We have successfully worked with regulatory bodies in Europe to build a logical and responsible platform for this category. This will help the industry thrive as it will demand that those irresponsible players adhere to rules and regulations that the responsible industry already abides by. This will not just benefit the ecig industry but ultimately the end user as they will now get a reliable and consistent product that has been manufactured with the highest degree of oversight and control.

The TVECA has great success in making the e cigarette or personal vaporizer legal wherever it has entered the market. Our track record speaks for itself in the USA as well as the EU.
Banned in the USA until, Smoking Everywhere versus the FDA.
Banned in most of Europe until, UTVG versus the Dutch FDA.
Changed laws and implemented new laws for all 28 countries in the EU, which was accepted and voted into law in Strasbourg, France in March 2014.

The TVECA accomplished this by working closely with law makers and all responsible EU associations.

We want to continue to work hard and provide the industry with workable and logical regulation that will allow this industry to thrive. We do this by never losing sight of what the end user deserves. Other less significant voices in the industry have sold out to big tobacco like the founding members did of another association. We strive for a consistent, reliable, and less harmful product that has been subjected to the scrutiny that products should face for human consumption. This allows the category to compete with conventional tobacco as a less harmful alternative.

Other groups do not want it to be a tobacco product nor a drug device but lack the ability to provide a realistic pathway to obtain these unrealistic ideas. The TVECA welcomes your participation and your support in what will be an exciting but sometimes challenging time.

Thank You,
Team TVECA