Japan eying age ID system for cigarette vending machines

Thu May 15, 2008 9:25PM EDT

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I haven't seen cigarette vending machines in a while, but in Japan, there are over 570,000 of them all over the country and according to Reuters, the unsupervised machines are about to get a minor makeover this summer. To ensure underage smokers aren't buying cigarettes through vending machines, the country will be issuing its smoking citizens age-identifying smart cards and equipping vending machines with a system that scans a person's driver's license, specifically focusing on age requirements.

Japan's finance ministry is also looking at an age identifying system developed by Fujitaka Co that can compare facial characteristics such as wrinkles around the eyes, bone structure, and skin sags to facial data of over 100,000 people. If the system is implemented, smokers will have to look into a digital camera mounted on the machines and wait for the system to determine if they are of age. 

Unfortunately, Japan is concerned about the system's accuracy since Fujitaka's device can only identify 90 percent of the users, meaning there's a chance older looking minors could potentially fool the system.

I'm not sure why Japan is going through all the trouble retrofitting cigarette vending machines, when getting rid of them completely would be a better idea. Besides, teens will be teens and they'll find other ways to buy cigarettes illegally.

 

 

Comments on Japan eying age ID system for cigarette vending machines

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  • 1 Posted by jssiegel on Thu May 15, 2008 11:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    The other end of the Axis? http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/313/7070/1450

  • 2 Posted by mx19_2004 on Fri May 16, 2008 4:37AM EDT Report Abuse

    The Japanese government owns the tobacco industry in Japan and they tax it. It's their cash cow, so it's in the best interest of the government to keep it going.

  • 3 Posted by gokuo64 on Sat May 17, 2008 3:37AM EDT Report Abuse

    I live in Japan and taking away the those machines would be best, but that isn't going to happen any time soon. The machines are there because they are convenient, which is pretty much a cultural demand. For those who don't know, they also have plenty of beer vending machines as well. To be honest, Japanese adults may not want their young people smoking and drinking but they're not willing to get rid of the beer and cigarette vending machines because it would make things less convenient.

  • 4 Posted by autjd@sbcglobal.net on Sat May 17, 2008 4:01AM EDT Report Abuse

    Many businesses depend on the sales from these machines. It is the main source of income for many of the elderly whose small shops are now nearly defunct because of big box stores. I live in Japan and see very few underage people smoking or drinking unlike in the US. Having access to it doesn't mean that you will use it - maybe it means the opposite.

  • 5 Posted by laurenl_mcmurray on Sat May 17, 2008 12:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    Gukuo64 is right....taking away the smoking vending machines from the Japanese, isn't going to happen. I used to live in Tokyo, and only in the past couple of years have they started campaigning to cut down on smoking in big areas like Shibuya. But, it's slow going. Smoking for the Japanese is like a national past time, put it up there with Love Hotels, Karaoke, 24 porn vending machines, and Izakaiya. Probably at any given moment about a third of the Japanese population is smoking. It makes a lot of money here. And AutjD is right too, having access to it doesn't mean it will be abused. The real problem isn't the machines, its the social okay to become a smoker. I see parents driving around all the time with toddlers in tow, smoking a cigarette. They grow up around it, and either they will become a smoker or not. Getting smokes from a vending machine actually costs money, and if they really wanted to smoke they'd just nick some from mom or dad, or grandpa.

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