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{{short description|Vending machine that sells cigarettes}}
[[File:A cigarette vending machine in Nuremberg 2019.jpg|thumb|A cigarette vending machine in [[Nuremberg]], Germany]]
[[File:Cigarette Vending Machine.jpg|thumb|upright|right|A cigarette vending machine in Virginia Beach, Virginia]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Cigarettemachine-joecamel.jpg|right|thumb|A cigarette machine from the late 1980s or early 1990s, seen in 2008.{{pufc|Cigarettemachine-joecamel.jpg|date=3 August 2013}}]] -->
A '''cigarette machine''' is a [[vending machine]] that dispenses packs of [[cigarette]]s in exchange for payment. Many modern cigarette machines require customers to swipe an [[identification card]] to prevent persons under the legal [[smoking age]] from purchasing tobacco. Because of their potential for misuse by underage persons, many jurisdictions restrict where cigarette machines can be located or prohibit them altogether.

== Bans and restrictions ==
In order to limit the of sale of tobacco to [[minor (law)|minors]], cigarette machines are regulated in many countries.

[[File:Cigvendingmachines-tokyojapan-october2014.jpg|thumb|Cigarette vending machines in [[Tokyo]]]]

=== Japan ===
Since July 2008, companies may face prosecution if found selling tobacco to anyone under the legal age, 20 years old.<ref name="BBC article" /> To avoid this, Japan has introduced a government registered electronic smart card, called ''[[Taspo]]'', that allows the user to purchase from the machines.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2007-10-19 |title=Japan cigarette vending machines to require ID |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-smoking-idUST1484020071019 |access-date=2023-09-19}}</ref> To get a Taspo card, the purchaser must present their passport or ID to any government-authorized business offering the service.

As an automated way of determining age, 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.<ref name="BBC article">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7395910.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |title=Japanese smokers to face age test |date=2008-12-06 |access-date=2014-06-26}}</ref>

=== Regulatory status by country ===
[[File:Automat-modern.jpg|thumb|right|German cigarette machine (with age verification)]]
[[File:Zigarettenautomat Freischaltung.JPG|thumb|upright|[[German identity card]] and [[European driving licence]] reading device (Germany)]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Country/{{zwsp}}Territory !! Situation regarding cigarette vending machines
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Australia"></span>'''{{flag|Australia}}''' ||Sales prohibited under 18. Can only be located in liquor licensed and gaming venues, must display health warnings and cannot contain images of product (only a description and price on a black and white label).
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Austria"></span>'''{{flag|Austria}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines must attempt to verify a customer's age by requiring the insertion of a debit card or mobile phone verification.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Belgium"></span>'''{{flag|Belgium}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines need to be locked/unlocked by a responsible adult.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Bulgaria"></span>'''{{flag|Bulgaria}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Canada"></span>'''{{flag|Canada}}''' || Regulations vary by province. Either banned outright or restricted to licensed facilities restricting admission to those above the [[age of majority]].
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Croatia"></span>'''{{flag|Croatia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Cyprus"></span>'''{{flag|Cyprus}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Czech Republic"></span>'''{{flag|Czech Republic}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines situated in bars and similar places only.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Denmark"></span>'''{{flag|Denmark}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines generally situated in restaurants, bars and hotel lobbies. Age verification monitored by staff.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Estonia"></span>'''{{flag|Estonia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Finland"></span>'''{{flag|Finland}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="France"></span>'''{{flag|France}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Georgia"></span>'''{{flag|Georgia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Germany"></span>'''{{flag|Germany}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines must provide an age verification (usually: [[German identity card]], [[European driving licence]] or [[Electronic cash]]-Card). Until 2007 the sale was prohibited to under 16. Since 31 December 2008 all public cigarette machines must have an age verification to prove that the buyer is 18 or over.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Greece"></span>'''{{flag|Greece}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Guernsey"></span>'''{{flag|Guernsey}}''' || A ban was approved on 1 July 2010, following an amendment to the existing tobacco advertising law. A full ban never took effect, but a 2013 law prohibits vending machines for sale of tobacco products in public areas.<ref>https://www.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=81419&p=0 {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Hungary"></span>'''{{flag|Hungary}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Iceland"></span>'''{{flag|Iceland}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Ireland"></span>'''{{flag|Ireland}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. 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.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Israel"></span>'''{{flag|Israel}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Italy"></span>'''{{flag|Italy}}'''|| Sales prohibited under 18. Machines must contain an electronic device to verify age of buyer.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Japan"></span>'''{{flag|Japan}}''' ||Sales prohibited under 18.  Machines must verify age via a [[Taspo]] card.  
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Latvia"></span>'''{{flag|Latvia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Lithuania"></span>'''{{flag|Lithuania}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Luxembourg"></span>'''{{flag|Luxembourg}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Age has to be proven at the counter or bar before a token is issued so that the machine can be used.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Malta"></span>'''{{flag|Malta}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Netherlands"></span>'''{{flag|Netherlands}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="New Zealand"></span>'''{{flag|New Zealand}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines situated in bars and similar places only. From 10 December 2004, machines can only be operated by staff.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Norway"></span>'''{{flag|Norway}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Machines are token operated.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Poland"></span>'''{{flag|Poland}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Portugal"></span>'''{{flag|Portugal}}'''|| Sales prohibited under 18. Machines must contain an electronic device to verify age of buyer.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Romania"></span>'''{{flag|Romania}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Slovakia"></span>'''{{flag|Slovakia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Slovenia"></span>'''{{flag|Slovenia}}''' || Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Spain"></span>'''{{flag|Spain}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18. Must display health warnings and require the activation of the machine by the owner or by a special token (the machines can be found on restaurants, bars, gas stations, gaming venues or kiosks). It's strictly forbidden to advertise the sale of tobacco in the facade of any of those places except for specifically tobacco stores. 
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Singapore"></span>'''{{flag|Singapore}}''' || Banned 
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Sweden"></span>'''{{flag|Sweden}}''' || Sales prohibited under 18.
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Switzerland"></span>'''{{flag|Switzerland}}''' || Sales from machines are age restricted in 21 out of 26 cantons (12 cantons—under 16; nine cantons—under 18; five cantons—no age restriction (although most retailers won't sell to under 16.).
|-
|'''{{Flag|Thailand}}'''
|Banned<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thailand Details {{!}} Tobacco Control Laws |url=https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/country/thailand/atp-sales-restrictions |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=www.tobaccocontrollaws.org}}</ref>
|-
| valign=top|<span id="Ukraine"></span>'''{{flag|Ukraine}}'''|| Banned
|-
| valign=top|<span id="United Kingdom"></span>'''{{flag|United Kingdom}}''' || Banned in England since 1 October 2011, Wales since 1 February 2012, Northern Ireland since 1 March 2012, and Scotland since 29 April 2013
|-
| valign=top|<span id="United States"></span>'''{{flag|United States}}''' || Only in facilities where people under 18 are not allowed<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-03-19/pdf/2010-6087.pdf |title=Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents |date=19 March 2011|access-date=2014-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first=Dustin |last=Block |date=June 29, 2010 |title=Cigarette vending machines are now illegal; Federal rule went int[o] effect June 22 |url=http://racinepost.blogspot.com/2010/06/cigarette-vending-machines-are-now.html |publisher=Racine Post |access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref>{{Obsolete source|reason=The legal age for tobacco in the US was raised to 21 in December 2019|date=April 2024}}
                                                                          
|}

== See also ==
* [[Action on Smoking and Health]]
* [[Clark Whittington]], creator of the [[Art-o-mat]], a project to convert disused cigarette machines into art vending machines
* [[Expozine#Distroboto|Distroboto]], a Canadian project to convert disused cigarette machines into [[zine]] vending machines
* [[Taspo]], a Japanese system for age verification at cigarette machines

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Cigarette vending machines|Cigarette machine}}
* [http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_700.pdf Cigarette vending machines] ash.org.uk
* [http://www.bdta.de/ Bundesverband Deutscher Tabakwaren-Großhändler und Automatenaufsteller] (German)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701014036/http://weberberg.de/gespraech/zigaretten-online.html Kunstprojekt: Alle Zigarettenautomaten in Biberach/Riß] (German)

{{Cigarettes|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cigarette Machine}}
[[Category:Cigarettes]]
[[Category:Vending machines]]