The Trend of the Machine

When I first arrived in Germany in 1978, I kinda noticed these cigarette machines around various German pubs and villages, but since I didn't smoke....I didn't ask many questions.

In 1993 when I came back and settled in for fifteen-odd years....I came to occasionally ask a stupid question about German cigarette machines.  For an American, there's some interesting observations.

First, there's only two machines that you ever see in villages....cigarette machines and gumball machines.  Cigarette machines tend to have regular movement and fresh smokes are generally always there.  I've rarely ever seen any kids around the gumball machines....and I suspect that those gumballs might be four or five years old when you finally get them in your hand.

Second, you can proportionally figure there's a machine for about every hundred German houses (my humble figure).  Some come attached to a post.  Some come attached to a barn wall.  Some come attached to the side of a house.

Third, there's only three types of people who buy smokes out of a machine like this. First, the guys who never remember to buy cartons of cigarettes at the grocery.  Second group, the guys who pretend they don't smoke.  They smoke while hiding out in the garage.  These are the folks who told their wife that they quit back six months ago, but they still have an occasional smoke.  Finally, the last group, which I thought were the most interesting group.....kids.  You could be a twelve-year old kid, and just walk up and buy your smokes.....which you share with the kids down the street.  As a kid, you are relying on Grandma's pocket money or your birthday money....to buy the more expensive cigarettes.

Folks kinda figured out the issue with youthful smokers, and a couple of years ago.....they got the government to order up this nifty law.  Every machine.....to sell you smokes....had to have a bank card inserted....which took most kids out of the purchasing scheme.  The guys who run the machine business were upset....mostly because of the fair cost involved in upgrading their machines.  But, it was supposed to have improved who got their hands on cigarettes.

Well.....this week, a report came out and indicated a definite decrease in youth smoking.  The numbers?  Twelve percent of the kids from 12-to-17 own up to smoking now.  It's a pretty fair decrease.  Everyone will talk about various programs that helped decrease the number.....but when you get down to the upgrade to cigarette machines.....that was probably the cherry on the cake.

There is a negative out of this trend.....which it might be better not bringing up.....but there were all of these tax revenues that came out of cigarettes.  What we admit here is a smaller population buying smokes over the next couple of decades, which means a smaller tax base.  Eventually.....some German government guy will admit that it's time to find something else to tax.....to make up for what they lost.