EP3709827B1 - Method and device for dispensing and removing smoking articles - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for dispensing at least one smoking product, e.g. a cigarette. The method and the device according to the invention enable the implementation of a cessation program for smokers who want to quit.

Numerous studies show that it is very difficult for smokers who want to quit smoking and that smokers who want to quit relapse very quickly. Only around 6% of smokers who want to quit overnight or who resort to acupuncture or hypnosis remain permanently abstinent. Even drug treatments or nicotine replacement products such as nicotine patches or nicotine chewing gum have relapse rates of around 85%. Behavioral therapies are the most promising with a success rate of at least 23%.

Recent studies show that successfully quitting smoking depends primarily on how permanently the learned "smoking" habit can be "deleted" or "removed" from the relevant brain area. Every smoker who wants to quit has learned in the relevant area of the brain to reach for a cigarette or another smoking product in certain situations in life (= habit): On the one hand, in positive social situations, such as a cigarette after a meal, during a coffee break with colleagues or with a drink the bar. On the other hand, for negative emotional situations, such as arguments and conflicts, stress at work or unpleasant phone calls. A successful quitting smoking therefore requires erasing the habit (= reaching for a cigarette) from the corresponding brain area of the smoker who wants to quit precisely in these "critical smoking situations". Because it is precisely these “critical smoking situations” that are responsible for a relapse.

The smoker who wants to quit must learn to master his individual "critical smoking situations" without cigarette(s). This learning process (= unlearning process of the habit) has two decisive advantages for a permanent quitting of smoking: A) The smoker who wants to quit loses the fear of not being able to cope with negative emotional situations without a cigarette and learns to enjoy positive situations again without a cigarette. B) The smoker who wants to quit does not have to spend the rest of his life feeling like he has to give up something. Two decisive factors that counteract the high relapse rate.

Various devices, housings and methods for supporting a smoking cessation program are known in the art. For example, one device is in the US patent US 4,620,555 to find, which shows a cigarette container that only allows the cigarette to be dispensed after a certain time interval. In this patent, the user (smoker trying to quit) has a cooling-off period between pressing a button on the outside of the container and taking out a cigarette to reconsider his desire for a cigarette.

By US Patent No. 8,307,834 and German Utility Model No. 90 01 043 discloses devices showing a container with a timer. The device only allows the container to be opened after predetermined times.

Another approach is from the international patent application WO 2004 079686 which shows a cigarette pack with a light barrier. After opening the lid of the cigarette pack, the light barrier is interrupted and an audio message about the dangers of smoking is played.

In international patent application no. WO 2004/075671 a method is disclosed that calculates a smoking cessation program according to the user's specifications. The patent application also discloses a device for carrying out the method.

A variety of devices and methods are known in which a time-controlled cigarette or other smoker is given to a smoker who wants to quit Smoking products are made available in rations with the aim of gradually weaning the body off nicotine. For example, the US patent describes US 5,778,897 a smoking cessation process in which cigarettes are dispensed from a container at time intervals. A time interval for dispensing cigarettes extends over several days and weeks until a predetermined point in time is reached and no more cigarettes are dispensed from the container.

Also from the US patent US 6,712,075 a cigarette box with a clock is known, whereby the cigarette box can only be opened after a locking mechanism has been released.

From the US patent US 4,615,681 A A cigarette dispenser is known which only offers the user access to the cigarettes contained therein after a preset time interval, so that the user can later reconsider the decision to smoke and let the initial urge for a cigarette subside. A manually operated switch on the dispenser can be pressed by the user when a cigarette is desired, this is coupled to and triggers a timer preset to a predetermined time interval. A switch paired with an audio alarm prevents the dispenser from being opened before running and the predetermined time interval expiring without the dispenser emitting an embarrassing tone that cannot be turned off by the user. Programmable control means are provided to regulate cigarette access times, cigarette blowing delays, etc. as a function of the individual user's smoking pattern. A visual signal indicates when the specified time interval has expired and the dispenser can be opened without triggering the alarm. Various other timers measure a second period of time to sound an embarrassing alarm if the lid is opened without authorization, as well as a third period of time to trigger the audio alarm if the dispenser is left open beyond that third period of time. Counters count how many times the dispenser was opened in total, how many times the dispenser was not opened after the predetermined time interval countdown, how many times the dispenser was opened without setting or waiting for the predetermined time interval, and continually maintain the totals of these numbers.

From the International Patent Application WO 2012/129705 A1 is known a device and method for helping smokers wean themselves from addictive substances such as cigarettes. The device is designed so that the smoker has access to a predetermined number of cigarettes per day. Every day the device reduces the opening hours for dispensing cigarettes. The number of cigarettes the smoker has access to is effectively reduced until he or she is completely weaned.

The known methods and devices with locking mechanisms and time-controlled dispensing of smoking products do not focus on the individual "critical smoking situations" and in particular do not give those wanting to quit the opportunity to use the reduced amount of cigarettes during the quitting program precisely for their individual "critical smoking situations". to learn the corresponding area of the brain to master exactly these situations without a cigarette. Rather, the cigarettes are provided for situations in which a "critical smoking situation" and possible access to cigarettes do not coincide.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which enable smokers who want to quit to learn to master their individual critical smoking situations without a cigarette. This is done by separating the situation that leads to smoking behavior from the subsequent satisfaction.

To solve this problem, the method according to the invention is specified in claim 1, and the device according to the invention is specified in claim 7.

The device contains a housing which can accommodate commercially available packaging of smoking products, such as cigarette packs. A lock is integrated into the housing, which allows or denies access to a cigarette according to the specifications of a quitting program. A sensor measures whether the lid of the device has been opened or not. A display makes all the necessary information about the weaning program visible to those wanting to quit. Lamps show the status of the device (open/closed). Buttons on the outside of the housing allow you to access essential information about the weaning program and are used to initialize the weaning program.

In one aspect, the device therefore comprises an interior for storing the smoking products, the closure for preventing the device from opening, the sensor for detecting the opening of the device and a value memory that provides data for a cessation program. In this aspect, the value store stores a buffer value and a storage value. The closure allows the device to be opened at a buffer value greater than zero. After the smoking products have been removed, the buffer value is reduced by a virtual smoke product and after a buffer filling time, the buffer value is increased by a virtual smoke product while at the same time reducing the storage value by a virtual smoke product.

The buffer value, the storage value and the buffer filling time are determined by the weaning program at the beginning of the weaning day.

In a further aspect, the housing of the device has an elevation in the interior for fixing packaging.

In a further aspect, the shutter can only be opened after an access delay.

With this device, the smoker who wants to quit is supported by the smoking cessation program by gradually making fewer and fewer smoking products available (physical cessation) and using the permanently reduced amount of smoking products during the quitting period for the "individual critical smoking situations" in order to achieve the appropriate brain area to learn to master these critical smoking situations without smoking products (mental cessation). Unlike the prior art shown, which shows a method for quitting smoking with a variable access delay that depends only on previous smoking behavior, the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention enable the access delay to be controlled depending on the progress of the smoking cessation program.

The housing also contains a processor that controls the weaning program, the lock, the display, the lights and other functions.

Optionally, information can be transferred from the device to other devices - e.g. smartphones - via radio transmitters and interfaces. e.g. B. Statistics about the frequency of opening the lid or day of weaning. Optionally, information can be received from other devices via interfaces, e.g. updated values for the weaning program. However, the device can do without interfaces and the smoker who wants to quit can use the method and the device without additional devices.

1. a) Festlegung eines Pufferwertes für virtuelle Raucherzeugnisse, dem entwöhnungswilligen Raucher die Anzahl der virtuellen Raucherzeugnisse auf die der entwöhnungswillige Raucher aktuell einen "direkten, aber verzögerten Zugriff" für einen Entwöhnungstag hat, zeigend;
2. b) Festlegung eines Lagerwertes für virtuelle Raucherzeugnisse, dem entwöhnungswilligen Raucher die Anzahl von virtuellen Zigaretten für den Entwöhnungstag zeigend;
3. c) Festlegung einer Pufferfüllzeit zur Übertragung der virtuellen Raucherzeugnisse aus dem Lagerwert in den Pufferwert für den Entwöhnungstag;
4. d) Ermöglichung der Entnahme eines der Raucherzeugnisse aus dem Gehäuse, solange die Anzahl der virtuellen Raucherzeugnisse im Pufferwert größer Null ist.

The process for dispensing at least one smoking product includes the following steps:

1. a) Determination of a buffer value for virtual smoking products, showing the smoker wanting to quit the number of virtual smoking products to which the smoker wanting to quit currently has "direct but delayed access" for a quitting day;
2. b) determining a storage value for virtual smoking products, showing the smoker wanting to quit the number of virtual cigarettes for the quitting day;
3. c) Determination of a buffer filling time for transferring the virtual smoking products from the storage value into the buffer value for the quitting day;
4. d) Enabling the removal of one of the smoking products from the housing as long as the number of virtual smoking products in the buffer value is greater than zero.

The transfer of one of the virtual smoking products from the storage value to the buffer value only takes place until the storage value has reached zero.

During the weaning program, the buffer value and storage value are steadily reduced and the buffer filling time is increased.

The removal of any of the smoking products from the housing is prevented when a buffer value of zero is reached. The removal of a smoking product from the housing takes place with a time delay if one of the smoking products is available. This time delay is increased as the weaning program progresses.

The method and the device prevent the smoker who wants to quit from gaining uncontrolled access to his cigarettes. Rather, the smoker who wants to quit is encouraged to consciously plan his smoking behavior on each day of quitting and to focus on his "critical smoking situations". In addition, the smoker who wants to quit receives a device that enables him to adhere to a given quitting program with fewer and fewer cigarettes, as he can constantly read on the display how many cigarettes are available for the corresponding quitting day and how many cigarettes a "direct, but delayed access (explanation follows) exists.

The device itself is very light and in no way hinders the usual handling of a cigarette pack, as a smoker trying to quit is used to using commercially available packaging. The device is filled by replacing the entire commercial packaging including the cigarettes it contains. The number of permitted cigarettes (virtual cigarettes) specified in the quitting program therefore does not have to correspond to the actual number of “real, smokable cigarettes” in the device.

The procedure includes the following steps: Determination of the quitting period, e.g. using the values “number of cigarettes currently smoked per day” and “number of years smoked”. The length of the weaning period is determined from these two values, e.g. 180, 150 or 120 days. The weaning period or its determination can also be determined in another way or can generally be specified.

Determination of a buffer value and a storage value per quitting day: The buffer value shows the smoker wanting to quit how many virtual cigarettes he currently has "direct but delayed access to". It is precisely these virtual cigarettes from the buffer value that are used for the “unlearning” process. The storage value shows this smokers wanting to quit, how many virtual cigarettes will be available by the end of the quitting day, to which there is no "direct but delayed access" and which are currently not available for the "unlearning" process. The buffer value and the storage value together result in the maximum number of real, smokeable cigarettes permitted for the respective quitting day. As the number of quitting days increases, the maximum number of real, smokeable cigarettes permitted is continually reduced. The buffer values and storage values for the virtual cigarettes are reduced accordingly.

Determination of the buffer filling time: The buffer filling time shows the smoker wanting to quit at what time interval, e.g. every hour, a "virtual" cigarette is transferred from the storage value to the buffer value. As the number of weaning days increases, the buffer filling time interval is continuously increased.

Using the instruments buffer value, storage value and buffer filling time, the smoker who wants to quit can control his smoking behavior during the quitting program in such a way that, with fewer and fewer real, smokable cigarettes available, the real, smokable cigarettes are available precisely for his "critical smoking situations" and thus for serve the unlearning process.

Determination of the access delay: The access delay prevents a real, smokable cigarette from being able to be removed from the device immediately after pressing the open button. Rather, the lock of the device only opens after a time interval has elapsed (access delay). The access delay increases continuously over the course of the weaning program from, for example, 20 seconds to 5 minutes. The access delay is used for the unlearning process.

• Fig. 1 eine Vorderansicht einer Vorrichtung für eine Verpackung für Raucherzeugnisse in einem offenen Zustand;
• Fig. 2 die Vorderansicht der Vorrichtung in einem geschlossenen Zustand;
• Fig. 3 eine Seitenansicht der Vorrichtung mit der Verpackung in einem offenen Zustand;
• Fig. 4 eine Vorderansicht der Vorrichtung mit einer Verpackung in einem geschlossenen Zustand;
• Fig. 5 eine Vorderansicht der Vorrichtung mit einer Verpackung in einem offenen Zustand;
• Fig. 6 den Ablauf eines Raucherentwöhnungsprogramms;
• Fig. 7 eine graphische Darstellung für den Ablauf eines Raucherentwöhnungsprogramms an einem Entwöhnungstag.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the following drawings. Show it:

• Fig. 1 a front view of a smoking product packaging device in an open state;
• Fig. 2 the front view of the device in a closed state;
• Fig. 3 a side view of the device with the package in an open state;
• Fig. 4 a front view of the device with a package in a closed state;
• Fig. 5 a front view of the device with a package in an open state;
• Fig. 6 the process of a smoking cessation program;
• Fig. 7 a graphical representation of the process of a smoking cessation program on a quitting day.

Fig. 1 to 5 show a device with a housing 20 for packaging 15 of smoking products 10, such as cigarettes or cigarillos. The housing 20 consists of an interior 30 for accommodating the packaging 15. The packaging 15 is a commercially available packaging with a variety of smoking products 10. The housing 20 has a hinged lid 24 which can be opened using a hinge 26. The housing 20 has a closure 40 which is arranged in such a way that the hinged lid 24 can only be opened when the closure 40 is unlocked accordingly. A sensor 28 detects the position (open as in Fig. 1 , 3 and 5 or closed as in Fig. 2 and 4 ) of the hinged lid 24.

The housing 20 has a display 42 which can display a variety of information about the weaning program, e.g. the current buffer value, the current storage value, the buffer filling time or the access delay.

The housing 20 also has an open button 54 which, when pressed, releases a release mechanism in the closure 40 so that the lid 24 can be opened. The real, smokable smoking products 10 in the packaging 15 can only be removed when the lid 24 is open.

The housing 20 also has a morning button 50, which when pressed starts the weaning program for the weaning day.

The housing 20 also has an info button 52, which, when pressed, shows all the essential information about the quitting day (in particular buffer value, storage value and buffer filling time) on the display 42 for the smoker wanting to quit.

The housing 20 also has a light source 56, which shows the smoker who wants to quit whether the lid 24 can be opened or not.

A processor 46 with a corresponding value memory 48 is installed in the housing 20. The value memory 48 stores the parameters about the weaning program, e.g. the buffer value, the storage value, the buffer filling time and the access delay, and displays the parameters on the display 42 after pressing one of the buttons. The processor 46 and the value storage 48 can be implemented either as separate components or as embedded software in an electronic component.

In another aspect, the housing 20 has a built-in radio transmitter that enables a connection (e.g. via Bluetooth) to a smartphone or computer.

In Fig. 3 a survey 29 can be seen in the interior 30 of the housing 20. This survey 29 compensates for the different sizes of the packaging 15. This prevents the packaging 15 from wobbling when the sizes are different in the device.

The basics of the procedure for the smoking cessation program are now explained: As stated in the introduction, the smoker who wants to quit must "learn" not to access the real, smokable cigarette 10 or another smoking product in the packaging 15 in critical smoking situations. This learning process (= unlearning process of the habit) in the corresponding brain area is ideally generated when the smoker who wants to quit is denied access to the real, smokable cigarette 10 for a certain period of time in his individual "critical smoking situation". At the start of the smoking cessation program this is Period e.g. 20 seconds. This access delay can ideally be slowly but continuously increased to, for example, a period of 5 minutes over the course of a smoking cessation program of, for example, 180 days. It is important to ensure that the access delay is not too long, e.g. 30 minutes, otherwise the “feeling of doing without” predominates and no positive learning effect is achieved. The awareness of being able to smoke one of the real, smokable cigarettes 10 "right away" (albeit with a time delay), but mastering the "critical smoking situation" over a certain period of time without the real, smokable cigarette 10, teaches the corresponding area of the brain the habit How to "forget" smoking step by step.

However, this relatively short access delay can be extended in the morning before smoking the first real, smokable cigarette 10, for example up to 60 minutes. The nicotine level of the smoker trying to quit drops overnight. Most smokers have to compensate for the drop in nicotine levels by having their first cigarette in the morning as soon as they wake up. This “morning cigarette” therefore focuses on physical withdrawal and not mental withdrawal.

The gradual weaning of the body of the smoker wanting to quit from the nicotine in the real, smokable cigarettes 10 described in this disclosure has an additional positive effect on a successful smoking cessation, since physical withdrawal symptoms do not occur or only occur slightly. If you stop smoking immediately, withdrawal symptoms are known to be noticeable from day one in the form of, for example, aggressive behavior, nervousness and problems sleeping and concentrating. Gradual weaning therefore generally makes sense. However, gradual weaning often fails in practice for smokers who want to quit because the smoker who wants to quit has no means of controlling his smoking behavior and, especially in his individual "critical smoking situations", rejects this reduction method and reverts to the old smoking pattern. This is where the device helps to control and maintain the gradual weaning process.

Certain motivational aids have a supportive effect on successfully quitting smoking. For example, an app can be programmed on a smartphone that displays motivational messages, for example: "How much money do I already have saved?" or "Am I better than the specifications from the weaning plan?" This app receives the data from the housing 20, for example via the radio transmitter.

The duration of the quitting program is determined by the entry of the smoker who wants to quit at the beginning of the quitting program. The number of cigarettes currently smoked 10 and the number of years of smoking determine the duration of the cessation program. The withdrawal program preferably lasts 180, 150 or 120 days, but this number of days is not limiting of the invention. The starting value of the maximum number of real, smokable cigarettes 10 that are made available on the first day of quitting the quitting program corresponds, for example, to the number of cigarettes currently smoked. This starting value for the weaning day is gradually reduced to zero over the course of the weaning program (see Fig. 6 ).

The cessation program divides the maximum number ("maximum number") of the set amount of real, smokable cigarettes 10 (or other smoking products) for the respective cessation day into two virtual groups. The first virtual group is the "buffer value", which is, for example, 25% of the maximum number. The second virtual group is the "stock value" which includes the remaining cigarettes, e.g. 75% of the maximum number. These values are stored in the value store 48. Assuming that the quitting program provides a total of 20 real, smokable cigarettes 10 on a quitting day (days 180 to 177, see Fig 6 ), there are therefore 5 virtual cigarettes in the buffer and 15 virtual cigarettes in the warehouse. In addition, the weaning program determines the "buffer filling time", which indicates the time interval in which a virtual cigarette is gradually transferred from the storage into the buffer, for example every 40 minutes (2,400 seconds, see. Fig 6 ). The information about the number of "virtual" cigarettes in the buffer and in the storage as well as the buffer filling time are only exemplary information and do not limit the invention.

For example, if the smoker who wants to quit presses the "morning button" 50 on the housing 20 at 9:00 a.m., he will see on the display 42 in the above example for the first day of quitting: 5 virtual cigarettes in the buffer, 15 virtual cigarettes in the storage and a buffer filling time of 40 minutes. This means that in this example, all 15 virtual cigarettes will be transferred from the warehouse to the buffer by 7:00 p.m became. The current status of the values on the respective weaning day can be called up at any time using the info button 52.

The smoker who wants to quit has direct but delayed access to the virtual cigarettes in the buffer. If the smoker who wants to quit presses the open button 54, the lid 24 of the housing 20 cannot be opened immediately. Only after the access delay has elapsed, for example 20 seconds, is the closure 40 unlocked and the smoker who wants to quit can open the lid 24 and remove a real, smokable cigarette 10 from the packaging 15. This access delay is shown on the display 42 as a “countdown”. After closing the lid 24, a virtual cigarette is subtracted from the buffer value. If the lid 24 was not opened, the buffer value remains because no real, smokable cigarette 10 was removed. The opening and closing of the lid 24 is detected via the sensor 28.

The access delay is increased over the course of the weaning program to, for example, 5 minutes. As described above, the corresponding area of the brain learns that it can cope with critical smoking situations without a cigarette.

If the buffer value has reached zero, the smoker who wants to quit has to wait until the next virtual cigarette is transferred from the storage into the buffer, in this example up to 40 minutes. If the buffer value and storage value are zero, the housing 20 remains closed for the remainder of this weaning day.

At the beginning of the quitting process, the smoker who wants to quit has, in principle, enough real, smokable cigarettes 10 available to maintain his smoking pattern. However, over the course of the quitting program, the number of real, smokable cigarettes 10 is reduced (see Fig. Fig. 6 ). It is now important for the smoker who wants to quit to use the remaining real, smokable cigarettes 10 for precisely his individual "critical smoking situations". It is precisely in these situations that the smoker who wants to quit should learn to master these situations without real, smokable cigarettes 10 through the access delay to the corresponding brain area.

The buffer, storage and buffer filling time function encourages smokers who want to quit to consume cigarettes with less and less available real, smokable cigarettes 10 to focus on his individual “critical smoking situations”. For example, if the smoker who wants to quit knows that a bar crawl is planned in the evening, the smoker who wants to quit can smoke less during the day in order to have a "filled" buffer in the evening.

Fig. 6 shows a typical cigarette smoking cessation program. At the beginning of the cessation program (day 180), the maximum number of smoking products is set at 10 for the first day of cessation and the duration of the cessation program. Let's assume that the smoker who wants to quit currently smokes a typical pack of cigarettes (20 cigarettes) and has been smoking for 30 years. This would result in a duration of the weaning program of 180 days, for example. The value store 48 now determines all the necessary data for the individual weaning days (see Fig. Fig 6 ).

Fig. 7 shows the course of the smoking cessation program over a day: In step 700 (pressing the morning button 50) at the beginning of the quitting day, the number of real, smokable cigarettes 10 that the user is allowed to smoke from the housing 20 over the course of the day is determined. This daily maximum number is taken from the value memory 48 and divided into a buffer value 72 and a storage value 74 as stated above. The daily maximum number changes according to the individual smoking cessation program (see Fig 6 ). In addition, the display 42 shows the day of weaning 70, the buffer filling time 76 (hours/minutes) and the countdown of the access delay 78 to the morning cigarette (hours/minutes/seconds).

In the next step 710, the time period for the access delay 80 (hours/minutes/seconds) between pressing the open button 54 and unlocking the lid 24 of the housing 20 is taken from the value memory 48. The time interval of the access delay (80) increases over the duration of the smoking cessation program (see Fig. Fig 6 ).

Let's assume that the smoker who wants to quit wants to smoke a cigarette or other smoking products 10. In step 720, the smoker wanting to quit presses the open button 54 to indicate his desire for a real, smokable cigarette 10. However, pressing the open button 54 does does not mean that the lid 24 of the housing 20 can be opened so that the user can remove a real, smokable cigarette 10. The current buffer value 72 and the access delay 80 from step 710 are displayed in advance to the smoker who wants to quit. Pressing the open button 54 in step 720 triggers a countdown in the housing 20. After the countdown has expired (access delay 80, set in step 710), the housing 20 can be opened. The smoker who wants to quit can take out a real, smokable cigarette 10 and close the housing 20 again. The sensor 28 measures the opening of the lid 24. The buffer value 72 is reduced by one virtual cigarette. If the smoker who wants to quit does not open the lid 24 despite the possibility of removal, the buffer value 72 is not reduced by one virtual cigarette. The smoker who wants to quit can carry out step 720 until the buffer value "zero" has been reached.

Let us assume that the buffer value 72 has reached the value zero (step 730), then after pressing the open button 54 the smoker who wants to quit will see the remaining buffer filling time 76 (hours/minutes) until a virtual cigarette is transferred from the storage into the buffer becomes.

Let us assume that the buffer value 72 and the storage value 74 have both reached the value zero (step 740), then the smoker who wants to quit can no longer take a real, smokable cigarette 10 for this quitting day.

Using the info button 52 (step 750), the smoker wanting to quit can call up the current status of the buffer value 72, the storage value 74 and the buffer filling time 76 (hours/minutes) at any time during the quitting day.

The smoker who wants to quit can therefore control his smoking behavior via steps 700 to 750 during each quitting day in such a way that, despite a reduced number of real, smokable cigarettes 10 (physical weaning), the ever fewer real, smokable cigarettes 10 are precisely for his "critical smoking situations" and so that the unlearning process (mental weaning) can be used.

It should be noted that the actual number of real, smokable cigarettes 10 in the housing 20 does not correspond to the number of virtual cigarettes of the buffer value and the storage value must match. If there are fewer real, smokable cigarettes 10 in the packaging 15 than are indicated in the buffer and storage value, the empty packaging 15 is replaced with a full packaging 15 when the housing 20 is open.

Claims (12)

1. A method of supplying at least one smoking product (10) from a housing (20) comprising:

   a) establishing a buffer value (72) for virtual smoke products, showing the number of smoking products to which the smoker has direct but delayed access, for a withdrawal day;

   b) establishing a stock value (74) for virtual smoke products, showing the smoker willing to cease smoking the number of virtual smoke products to which the smoker has access for the withdrawal day;

   c) establishing a buffer filling time (76) for transferring the virtual smoke products from the stock value (74) to the withdrawal day buffer value (72); and

   d) allowing one of the smoke products (10) to be removed from the housing (20) as long as the number of virtual smoke products in the buffer value (72) is greater than zero.
2. The method according to claim 1, according to which the transfer of one of the virtual smoke products from the stock value (74) into the buffer value (72) is effected until the stock value (74) has reached zero.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

   a) the buffer value (72) is reduced in the course of the withdrawal program;

   b) the stock value (74) is reduced in the course of the withdrawal program; and/or

   c) the buffer filling time (76) is increased in the course of the withdrawal program.
4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the removal of a smoke product (10) from the housing (20) is delayed.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the time delay is extended in the course of the withdrawal program.
6. Use of the method of any of the preceding claims in a smoking withdrawal program.
7. A device (20) for withdrawing smoking products (10) comprising

   a) an interior (30) for storing the smoking products (10);

   b) a closure (40) for preventing the opening of the device (20);

   c) a sensor (28) for detecting the opening of the device (20); and

   d) a value memory (48) providing data for a withdrawal program; wherein

   the value memory (48) stores a buffer value (72), showing the number of virtual smoke products to which the smoker willing to cease smoking has direct but delayed access for a withdrawal day, and a stock value (74), showing the smoker willing to cease smoking the number of virtual smoke products for the withdrawal day, and the closure (40) enables the opening of the device (20) at a buffer value greater than zero; and wherein after removal of the smoke products (10) the buffer value (72) is reduced by a virtual smoke product and after a buffer filling time (76) the buffer value (72) is increased by a virtual smoke product, with simultaneous reduction of the stock value (74) by a virtual smoke product.
8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the buffer value (72), the stock value (74) and buffer filling time (76) are determined at the beginning of the day by the withdrawal program.
9. The device according to one of claims 7 or 8, further comprising a processor (46) controlling the functions necessary for smoking withdrawal.
10. The device according to one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a protrusion (29) in the interior (30) for fixing packages (15).
11. The device according to one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising interfaces for receiving and sending data to other terminals.
12. The device according to one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the closure (40) can only be opened after an access delay.

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