Vending machines 'weak spot' in stopping young people smoking, Limerick researcher says

A RESEARCHER based at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has said a “track record of lax regulatory enforcement must be tackled” or children as young as 13 will continue to get their hands on cigarettes.

This comes as tobacco vending machines are to be outlawed later this month, on Monday, September 29.

New research from TUS and University of Limerick shows vending machines remain a “weak spot” in protecting young people from smoking.

At present, vending machines in pubs and venues can only be used with a token or card provided by staff, but the study suggests these safeguards are too easy to bypass.

The study, published in Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health, found that one in eight adults would be willing to help a 17-year-old get cigarettes by buying them a vending machine token, while almost one in eleven said they were unsure what they would do.

The research surveyed 599 adults aged between 18 and 81.

While the willingness to help declined sharply for younger teenagers, a small minority admitted they would even buy a token for kids as young as aged 13.

The findings also showed that current and former smokers were much more likely to say they would help compared to people who had never smoked, while younger adults were also more likely than older adults to agree.

Despite the long-awaited ban which is soon to come into law, the researchers noted: “However, there is a long history of lax regulatory enforcement of public health-related legislation in Ireland.”

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Dr Frank Houghton, lecturer and director, Social Sciences ConneXions, TUS’s Department of Applied Social Sciences, said: “It’s alarming that so many people would still give teenagers a hand to get cigarettes. Vending machines might seem harmless, but they remain a weak spot in stopping young people from smoking.

“The government is right to finally remove them, but unless the ban is properly enforced it risks becoming purely symbolic. Ireland’s poor record on enforcement means this must be watched very carefully.”

Dr Houghton has previously raised concerns about weak oversight in public health law and was involved with recent research into boozy ‘bottomless brunches’, which highlighted failures to enforce alcohol legislation.

That paper, Deficits in Alcohol Enforcement Legislation in Ireland: Bottomless Brunches, also published in the journal Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Public Health, identified 18 establishments offering bottomless brunch deals, including two in Limerick. 

The drinks on offer included prosecco, mimosas and bellinis. 

This practice contravenes provisions of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 which prohibits promotions likely to encourage excessive consumption, Dr Houghton said.

Jennifer Moran Stritch of Social Sciences ConneXions at TUS added that the token system may even make it easier for adults to justify helping minors:

“Because you buy a token rather than the cigarettes directly, some people feel it’s not the same thing. But the result is the same — teenagers still get their hands on tobacco. That’s why the upcoming ban is so important, and why proper enforcement is critical.”

The other authors of the report were Alwalid Ali, School of Medicine, University of Limerick, and Dr John Lombard, School of Law, University of Limerick.