Cigarette machine

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A cigarette vending machine in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

A cigarette machine is a vending machine that takes cash in payment for packets of cigarettes. Vending machines often dispense packs containing 16 or 18 cigarettes, although the dimensions of the packaging are the same as the equivalent pack containing 20.

Cigarette machines have steadily been on the decline^{[citation needed]} because they allow minors to buy cigarettes without having to show age identification^{[citation needed]}. Cigarette machines were declared illegal in Canada in the mid 1980s. In many areas in some US states, cigarette machines are only allowed in places where age identification is required to enter, for example strip clubs, casinos or bars. For a long time, cigarette machines were inactive at public businesses such as diners, coffee shops, and restaurants.^{[citation needed]} A customer wishing to purchase from a cigarette machine needed to speak to the cashier and show proof of adult age. The cashier would then press a button behind the counter to turn the cigarette machine on.

More recently, cigarette machines have begun to require the insertion of a token to commence a transaction.^{[citation needed]} The tokens are acquired free of charge from a barman or reception, who can then ensure that the person is entitled by law to purchase the cigarettes.^{[citation needed]} Another reason for cigarette machines popularity decreasing is due to the fact that most cigarette machines vend packets of 16 cigarettes for much more expensive prices than 20 packs in shops.^{[citation needed]} As of July 2007, the average price of 20 Marlboro cigarettes in UK shops was £5.45, whilst a cigarette machine would vend 16 at £6.40. In the state of Louisiana cigarette machines generally run $5.00 to $5.50 a pack and are found, almost exclusively, in bars, nightclubs, and casinos.

In Japan, cigarettes are readily available from machines on the streets; however, in a bid to cut underage smoking, an identity card specifically for use in cigarette machines was introduced March 2008.^[1]