The Property Rights Newsletter September 21, 2012 - Issue #679 "The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold." - Aristotle | |
THE DEATH OF THE VENDING MACHINE INDUSTRY
![]() The too often used war cry of "For the good of the children" was used to get cigarette vending machines out of bars, where children are not allowed to be by law anyway. Well intentioned people heard the cry and jumped on the bandwagon, without realizing that banning something from children in places they don't go is absurd. This invasion of property rights only hurts the business owner, their staff, and customers, the vending machine manufacturers, repairmen, salesmen, all of which are old enough to choose to buy and use a legal product, or not. Michael McFadden wrote, While it is true that the industry has expanded its offerings in the area of junk food over the last 10 years (We've seen some of the result of that expansion in the expansion of waistlines over the last 10 years.) it has not been enough, and the industry is one that is in trouble. Why is that a bad thing? It is a bad thing, both in terms of the economics and the jobs involved in that industry, and also in the general quality of life and convenience for Americans who might wish to purchase either cigarettes or other products from such machines as part of their daily life. FDA - Tobacco Products: Guidance, Regulations & Compliance - Draft Guidance for Industry: Compliance with Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco To Protect Children and Adolescents. Read the letter from the FDA to the Spirit Keeper Tavern in Colorado. (Click on the images to open the full size copy.) Please note that they have never had a problem with under age kids in the bar buying cigarettes. In fact, everyone wanting cigarettes had to have a bartender hit the button (hidden out of reach behind and under the bar) in order for the machine to work - AFTER they put money into the machine. There was no way that anyone could purchase cigarettes without being noticed. The system was TOTALLY safe. It won't stop here. The Health Nannies don't stop after one win, they use that win to go on to other industries. They already have. Soda vending machines are being taken out of schools, city halls, and soon whole countries. More Articles about Vending Machines from The Property Rights Newsletter. ![]() World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs. | |
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
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Regarding vending machines... in my country, Portugal, the number of tobacco vending machines also dropped, but there is a twist with them. New legislation forbids minors to smoke, so there needed to be a way to control minors' access to vending machines. These days, all vending machines are installed inside public places (restaurants, bars, cafes, and the like) and are activated by remote control by the employees. You need to ask them to activate the machine for you, and, while doing so, if you're suspected of being a minor, then they simply refuse to press the button. It's simple. If you're not underage, all you have to do is to show your ID card :-)
This enabled vending machines to still be publicly available while still forbidding easy access of cigarettes to minors.
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