A ban on cigarette vending machines began in England yesterday. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says 200,000 young people start smoking regularly in England each year. The BHF also says 11% of 11- to 15-year-old regular smokers in England and Wales get their cigarettes from vending machines.
BHF Director of Policy and Communications, Betty McBride, said, “Thousands of children who are at risk of addiction regularly get tobacco from these machines, which of course, conveniently don't ask them to prove their age. These children are often blissfully unaware of the damage smoking does to their health, and by the time they realise, they’re hooked. Scrapping these machines cuts off an easy source of tobacco for existing young smokers and makes it harder for a new generation to start."
The BBC reports that anyone caught selling cigarettes in a vending machine will face a fine of 2,500 pounds, which is about $4,000 U.S.
