TOKYO —

Cigarette retailers will lift their 12-year-old voluntary ban on late-night cigarette sales through vending machines from Aug 1, the Japan Tobacconist Federation said Monday. The Central Organization for Cigarette Retailers Associations across the country has been disabling vending machines between 11PM and 5AM since 1996 to prevent purchases by minors.

The decision to lift the ban came on the heels of the full launch in the country in July of the mandatory electronic age-verification system using “taspo” integrated circuits cards for buying cigarettes from vending machines.

Major cigarette makers such as Japan Tobacco Inc and Philip Morris, which own most of the cigarette vending machines in Japan, have agreed to resume the late-night sales, officials of the federation said.

JCN

8 Comments

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  Altria at 11:01 AM JST - 15th July

  Boo-yah! Altria all over yo boink!

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  wilbur at 12:35 PM JST - 15th July

  voluntary my ass...Ministry Of Finance is calling all the shots, as they still own 65% of Japan Tobacco...tax revenues must be down

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  electric2004 at 12:50 PM JST - 15th July

  What is the relation to minors? They are more active at night from 11PM to 5AM when they should be at home anyhow?

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  williamsmith at 01:19 PM JST - 15th July

  The smoking industry must be destroyed for the sake of all humanity.

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  blvtzpk at 05:03 PM JST - 15th July

  Now I see why the Taspo was introduced - so late night sales could be reintroduced. Clever...

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  isthistheend at 08:27 PM JST - 15th July

  Oh good. So now the cigarettes will get lit and add to the pollution problem But at least the late night sales will.....???? Who, what, when, where, why?

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  usaexpat at 11:19 PM JST - 15th July

  I always thought this was dumb, most underagers aren't out at those hours anyway. More like stumbling home from the Izakaya and I wanted a smoke.

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  Kwaabish at 03:17 PM JST - 16th July

  Like the tabakoya obasans or the freeter Conbini workers were screening and stopping any cigarette sales anyways? Smoke ém if you got ém...

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