Most small stores in Hong Kong sell cigarettes to kids 香港小店賣菸殘害兒童

A survey last month found that more than nine out of 10 small shops in Hong Kong sell cigarettes to children.

Last month six undercover teenagers aged 15 and 17 went to small shops that sell cigarettes. About 97 percent of newsstands and 96 percent of small shops sold cigarettes to the youngsters. However, the legal age to buy cigarettes in Hong Kong is 18.

A social welfare group organized the survey. The kids went to over 500 small stores and newsstands.

Smoking was banned in bars, restaurants and public places in Hong Kong on January 1 last year. But cigarette sales have increased since the ban.

Experts say the increase is due partly to growing numbers of young smokers. Demand has also increased because of mainland Chinese visitors coming to Hong Kong. Mainland China has a much higher smoking rate than Hong Kong.

(STAFF WRITER, WITH DPA)

上個月一份調查發現，香港的小店每十家就有九以上家會賣香菸給兒童。

六名十五及十七歲的青少年上個月暗中前往賣香菸的小店，97％的書報攤和96％的小店賣菸給他們，但在香港買菸的法定年齡是十八歲。

該調查由某社福團體所策劃，這群孩子們去了超過五百家小店和書報攤。

香港的酒吧、餐廳和公共場所自去年元旦起禁菸，但香菸銷量卻不降反升。

專家說銷量的增加部分是因為年輕吸菸人口的成長。香菸需求量也隨到訪的中國遊客而增加，中國大陸的吸菸率比香港要高得多。（德通社／翻譯：張愛弟）