Teenagers Under 19 Prohibited From Purchasing Cigarettes from Vending Machines Starting This July

From July 28, teenagers will not be able to buy cigarettes from vending machines as a result of adult authenticating devices being administered on the vending machines to prevent youths under nineteen years of age from purchasing cigarettes.

On February 22, the Ministry of Health & Welfare announced that they would carry the policy into effect beginning July 28, after they prepare a revised bill of enforcement regulations for the National Health Promotion Act.

A representative from the Ministry of Health & Welfare explained, “It is not possible for teenagers under age 19 to buy cigarettes because customers who want to purchase cigarettes have to pass an adult authentication by inserting their certificate of residence into the vending machine.”

At first, the Ministry of Health & Welfare gave careful consideration to a plan using credit cards or fingerprints, but they decided to use a certificate of residence instead in order to exclude the possibility of leaking personal financial information and infringing on privacy.

Hence, a cigarette vending machine owner should equip a reading device for certificates of residence out of a mere sense of duty.

The representative also mentioned, “A vending machine needs a regulating system to forbid the underage from buying cigarettes freely, while a convenient store does regulate selling cigarettes to teenagers.”

Jong-Hoon Lee taylor55@donga.com