cigarette vending machines - packs of 16

[GraceAnais]

further to the question on the price of cigarettes in england - why do vending machines only contain 16 cigarettes per pack (still at about �5.50)

why not the full 20? has this always been the way and why? is it just so we can get mugged off by the companies or was there an actual reason for this?

[Fitzer]

The apparent reason was that when a packet of 20 went above an amount that couldn't be handled conveniently by the machine (I think it was �2 or so), they started to reduce the number in the packet, I have seen 18 and 17 per pack. Back in the late '70s a friend of mine started smoking simply because he one day needed change for the coffee machine and there used to be a five pence coin attached to the vending machine packet, so he bought 10 Players No. 6, got his coffee and took 20 years to give up!

[electricblue]

Its cos you're getting mugged by said companies and the other!