by Daniel Lockton

Nicostopper is an electronic dispenser which holds up to 10 cigarettes, and releases them one at a time at programmed intervals, to help pace and restrict the smoker. The screen "will also flash "self-help" messages each time to make you feel guilty as well" (Popgadget). It's styled fairly discreetly to look similar to a portable music player or phone - the resemblance is accentuated in the photo above right with the extended cigarette in the position of the aerial - presumably so the user will be more likely to feel at home using it in public and social situations.

This is an interesting product, attempting to affect a user's behaviour to reduce consumption rather than increase it as with so many other architectures of control. Indeed, smoking could well be seen as a battle between two attempts to control/influence users' behaviour, with vast sums spent on advertising and methods both to promote the practice, and to encourage smokers to give up. We've looked before at cigarettes as a parasitic lock-in method, especially in the context of increasing nicotine levels to compound addiction *

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Daniel Lockton
Author, Engineer & Freelance Designer, Maker, Writer

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