Council Delays Ban of Cigarette Vendors

The Cambridge City Council ordinance committee voted last night to postpone a final decision on a possible ban on cigarette vending machines until the City Council meets this Monday.

City Councillor Francis H. Duehay '55 proposed a ban on cigarette vending machines last month. The committee discussed last night the possibility of a "lockout device" designed to prevent minors from buying cigarettes.

Mark T. Levine, treasurer of Melo-Tone Vending, Inc. and president of the Massachusetts Vending Association, demonstrated the lock-out device at last night's meeting.

The device allows store owners to restrict access to the machine until the customer shows identification. The attendant then presses a button which opens a lock on the machine and allows the customer to buy one pack.

Levine said the device was "the responsible and reasonable solution" to the problem of underage purchase of cigarettes.

But the councillors responded hesitantly to the demonstration of the lock-out device, questioning its practicality.

"[It] seems like a very awkward way to sell cigarettes," Duehay said.

Testimony from members of the Substance Abuse Task Force and the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program supported Duehay's skepticism.

"The locking device seems not to work, especially in restaurants and bars where there's heavy patronage," said Kate Dempsey, a member of the task force. "It's hard to monitor and [bartenders] have to worry about underage drinking as well."

Councillor Timothy J. Toomey is scheduled to present an alternate solution at Monday's meeting. Toomey was absent from the hearing and council members said they did not know the details of his plan.

In other business, the committee discussed a motion to ban bicycling in the Cambridge Commons. The committee is awaiting a report from the Bicycle Commission.