Revenue department shuts down 'roll-your-own' cigarette machines

Agents with the Kansas Department of Revenue shut down “roll your own” cigarette machines across the state last week, including those at Pack Rat Smokes in Salina, until the cigarettes produced by the machines are certified as meeting state fire safety standards.

Seth Valerius, assistant Kansas attorney general and general counsel for the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, said the cigarettes produced by the machines must comply with a state statute that went into effect July 1, 2008, requiring cigarette manufacturers to have their products certified as fire standard compliant.

He said vendors who supply tobacco, rolling paper and machines people can use to roll as many as 200 cigarettes in eight minutes would meet the definition of a cigarette manufacturer. He said people who maintain small at-home machines for personal use are less of a concern.

“One guy going in and buying rolling papers and a little machine — that’s less of an issue than these places that can roll thousands of cigarettes a day,” Valerius said.
An employee at Pack Rat Smokes, 695 S. Broadway, contacted Monday afternoon, said the store manager had just left. A message from the Journal seeking comment was not returned.