Selling cigarettes to minors

This article gives you a taste of how likely Taiwanese are to obey the law. Even when it's a reasonable law everyone supports.

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Nearly a decade [that's it?] after the sale of tobacco products to minors was outlawed, a high percentage of stores continue to sell cigarettes to people under the age of 18, according to the results of a recent survey released Monday.

The survey, conducted by the Tainan City Department of Health between June 16 and July 20, found that about 90 percent of mom-and-pop shops in residential communities in the southern Taiwan city have sold cigarettes to teenagers.

A total of 136 stores which sell tobacco products were surveyed, including convenience stores, supermarkets, mom-and-pop shops and betel nut vending stands.

According to the survey, some 40 percent of FamilyMart and 7-Eleven convenience stores have sold cigarettes to teens, while about 50 percent of Hi-Life convenience stores have done so.

Meanwhile, between 50-60 percent of supermarkets have sold cigarettes to teenagers, while some 80 percent of betel nut vendors have done so, the survey found.

Analyzing the results of the survey, Tainan city health officials said that a lower percentage of convenience stores sell cigarettes to teenagers probably because staff receive training concerning government regulations and social responsibilities when they are hired and therefore tend to have a stronger "sense" of the notion of protecting young people from forming the habit of smoking.