On Fri, 30 Mar 2001, dmolnar wrote:

I walked into the local 7-11 today. There was a scanner there and a man next to it offering a free pack of cigarettes if he could scan your drivers' license or other form of photo ID *and* you are an adult smoker.

When I asked what this was all about, he told me that Phillip Morris is trying to "update their ID database." Various promotional material was present as well, but I didn't read any of it.

Does anyone know more about this? Does Phillip Morris have an ID database, and how often do they update it?

As I understand it, things like this are part of the Great Big Settlement the tobacco corps made with a whole lot of Attorneys General (30-some-odd states, IIRC). Every few months, PM sends me a big pack of coupons (usually in the $5-$10 off a carton range) and asks for a fresh copy of my ID. Brown & Williamson does the same thing. Also, if you find a bar/nightclub that's hosting an event sponsored by one of those same corps, they usually have a scanner or copier present as well, with similar gimmicks (give us a Xerox of your ID, get free stuff). Thus far, the only things that have come from it is an increase in *weird* junk mail (Marlboro's sponsoring some kind of nationwide chili cook-off, so they sent me a spoon) and cigarette coupons. The standard "having your name in a database" caveats apply, though PM at least seems mostly interested in verifying that you're over 21. (All the paper forms I've seen expressly tell you to blackout your SSN/DL.) ...dave

On Sat, 31 Mar 2001, dmolnar wrote:

On Fri, 30 Mar 2001, David E. Smith wrote:

...

so they sent me a spoon) and cigarette coupons. The standard "having your name in a database" caveats apply, though PM at least seems mostly interested in verifying that you're over 21. (All the paper forms I've seen expressly tell you to blackout your SSN/DL.)

That's interesting - I asked the guy at the scanner if they wanted the IDs to verify ages, and he denied it - said that PM was just "updating its database." Probably he didn't know what the database is used for. In any case, if they're refusing IDs from minors, then this database seems less useful for establishing how many minors smoke. I have to wonder just what the rationale in the settlement for such a database is.

Thanks for the information - for a little bit I wasn't sure if this was for real or not.

It is for part II of the settlement. When they have the names of all of the smokers, they then cancel your health insurance for "knowingly engaging in unhealthy activity". alan@ctrl-alt-del.com | Note to AOL users: for a quick shortcut to reply Alan Olsen | to my mail, just hit the ctrl, alt and del keys. "In the future, everything will have its 15 minutes of blame."