Across the pond in Northern Ireland a new legislation has passed to ban cigarette vending machines in an attempt to limit the amount of young smokers. The ban will be put into effect in a few months (March 1), hoping to save thousands of lives in the country. You may be carded when going into a shop, but children and other young people can easily purchase their cigarettes from vending machines around the country.
Despite going into effect in a few months, it will be at least three years before other new laws will stop small shops from openly displaying tobacco products. Restrictions on larger stores will be introduced by the end of next year. A survey in Northern Ireland in 2010 revealed that 14% of smokers between the ages of 11 and 16 purchased their packs from vending machines. Most children are unaware of the long-term health effects. A ban on the vending machines is already in place in England and will soon be in affect in Wales.
With all the restrictions in America and now other countries, it will be interesting to see just how far the government goes to preventing the sale of cigarettes and if tobacco companies will find a way to retaliate.