As Maryland rings in the new year, authorities today begin to enforce tough new restrictions on cigarette vending machines, a small victory in a decade-long battle to cut off the flow of cigarettes to children.

The new law, passed during the 2000 legislative session, prohibits the sale of cigarettes from most vending machines unless they are outfitted to accept only special tokens or sealed with electronic locks designed to discourage their use by minors. A machine owner who allows someone younger than 18 to purchase cigarettes is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a $100 fine. It is unclear how many of the approximately 2,500 vending machines in Maryland will be altered to conform with the law. Instead, vending machine operators expect many machines to disappear altogether from the state's bars and restaurants, as owners decide the machines aren't worth the risk. "Their bartenders aren't going to stop and look at the guy to make sure he's old enough," said Bill Deoudes, vice president of family-owned DC Vending Co., who has been asked to remove about 10 machines. "I can't imagine that cigarette machines are going to be around much longer," Deoudes said. The vending machine law is among a handful of statutes that take effect in Maryland today. Most are minor adjustments to existing laws. But the vending machine law and a statute aimed at rounding up people who try to duck jury duty have potentially far-reaching effects. The vending machine law was long sought by tobacco foes who believe vending machines to be a primary source of cigarettes for young smokers. Last year, they offered studies supporting that view, including one showing that 22 percent of the state's 13-year-olds buy cigarettes from machines. Another study found that minors were able to use the machines without adult interference about 70 percent of the time. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have adopted restrictions on cigarettes sales from vending machines. Most -- including the District and Virginia -- require the machines to be located in bars, nightclubs and other establishments not generally accessible to minors. Five other states require vending machines to accept only tokens that must be purchased from an adult. Year after year, such restrictions were defeated in the Maryland General Assembly, succumbing to the efforts of tobacco industry lobbyists who argued that such restrictions are ineffective and serve only to inconvenience adult smokers. But last year, after a massive lawsuit against cigarette makers barred most lobbying by the industry, the vending machine bill finally shot through the General Assembly with nearly unanimous support. "I would have preferred to get rid of cigarette vending machines completely, but that wasn't in the cards," said Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D-Montgomery), one of the bill's sponsors. "I was happy to make sure the machines took only tokens, meaning someone behind a counter had to provide that token, making them responsible for the use of those machines." Deoudes said it is more likely that his vending machines will employ a remote locking device operated by a bartender or other employee rather than using tokens, which can be stolen. The new law does not apply to vending machines in fraternal and veterans clubs or in places where children are prohibited by law. State officials urge residents who want to report a noncompliant machine to call local police. Meanwhile, the new jury law requires Maryland courts to use lists of licensed drivers as well as registered voters when assembling pools for jury duty. Only a handful of Maryland counties currently summon licensed drivers; Montgomery and Prince George's are not among them. As a result, many people decline to register to vote so they can avoid jury duty, state officials said. One woman, after receiving a jury summons, even tried to revoke her voter registration to avoid jury service, an attorney for the court system said. The ploy did not work. The new law is expected to capture the shirkers, said Ruben, who was a primary sponsor of that measure as well. "People may give up their right to vote, but they're not about to give up their driver's license. You can be sure of that," Ruben said.

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