
The picture is taken on 2006 by Neighbourhood & Worker's Service Centre. But after fighting for years, there is not action taken by the government yet.
I refer to the report (“Cigarettes easier for teenagers to buy”, January 21).
The Neighbourhood and Worker’s Education Centre has once again concluded, as expected, that 86 per cent of retail outlets are willing to sell cigarettes indiscriminately to underage smokers.
Does anyone really believe that the employees of 7-Eleven and Circle K stores, news-stands and other outlets will put up with abuse arising from their refusal to sell cigarettes to under-age smokers? Clearly the relevant legislation has failed and it remains an uphill battle to get smokers to quit and to prevent future generations of young people from taking up this destructive habit.
Because retail outlets can flout the law it makes a mockery of the legislation.
If a retailer refuses to sell to minors they will simply find another store.
There are too many of these outlets which makes meaningful enforcement impossible. Nicotine is a poisonous and cancer-causing substance and its availability must be restricted not facilitated at every street corner as it is now.
It seems totally irrational for a poisonous substance to be as conveniently and widely available as beverages, snacks, newspapers and other daily necessities.
We must fight the aggressive importers of cigarettes by restricting their access to the market place.
Even raising the tax will have only a limited and temporary effect.
Reducing the number of cigarette-vending outlets as soon as possible can help to minimise a potentially huge health care bill for smoking-related illnesses and is in the best interests of the community.
source: SCMP, Ang Ah-lay, Causeway Bay