In order to limit the sale of tobacco to
minors, cigarette machines are regulated in many countries. The
World Health Organization (WHO)
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 13 implementation guidelines state that vending machines should be banned because, by their presence, they function as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion.
Japan Since July 2008, companies may face prosecution if found selling tobacco to anyone under the legal age, 20 years old. To avoid this, 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. 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.
Regulatory status by country and
European driving licence reading device (Germany) == See also ==