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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 4, 2005

Teens up to snuff in tobacco sting

By Brian McInnis
Advertiser Staff Writer

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Glenda Duldulao is the poster girl for this year's sting operation to gauge how many Hawai'i merchants sell tobacco to minors.

At the State Capitol yesterday, Duldulao, 19, unfurled a 40-foot-long banner with photographs of tobacco ads. She took the photos at stores in Kalihi to illustrate to her Farrington High schoolmates the proliferation of tobacco ads in their community.

Duldulao and about 15 other youths were on hand yesterday when the state Department of Health released the results of its annual Kruisin' Against Tobacco Sales sting operation showing that Hawai'i ranks fourth-lowest nationwide in retail stores that sell tobacco to minors.

As part of the Kruisin' Against Tobacco Sales sting operation, youths ages 15 to 17 who weren't carrying ID tried to buy cigarettes from 217 randomly chosen stores statewide over the past few months. Twelve sold cigarettes to the undercover youths, or 5.5 percent. Teenagers can't legally buy cigarettes in Hawai'i until age 18.

This year's find is a slight increase from last year's 5.2 percent. But when the survey began in 1996, 44.5 percent of Hawai'i stores sampled sold to minors.

"I think right now (the trend of youth smoking) is kind of going down," Duldulao said. "I guess (kids) are starting to not fall into saying that smoking is cool."

Merchants convicted of selling to minors face a mandatory fine of $500.

"We're excited that teenagers will take a stand against tobacco sales, and in front of their peers and in their community of influence," said Darcie Yukimura, health department information specialist. "We're just glad that they participate in programs like this and we hope that their influence on their peers will reduce smoking in their communities."

Many of the 70 student participants this year came from Farrington, Mililani and Radford high schools, Yukimura said.

She said that no particular type of store was found to be more likely to sell to minors this year, whereas last year gas stations were the most likely.

The Hawai'i Youth Tobacco Survey, released in May by the state, found that smoking among public school students decreased significantly from 2000 to 2003. Just over 21 percent of middle school students indicated in 2003 that they had tried cigarettes, down from 38 percent in 2000. Cigarette use among high schoolers dropped from 63.3 percent to 47.8 percent, according to the survey.

Rachel Pagtulingan, 17, a recent Farrington graduate, said she was surprised that she was able to buy cigarettes from a few stores, and was concerned that even young children might be at risk.

"I think it's getting worse in terms of younger kids — middle school or even younger. They're probably getting pressured into it," Pagtulingan said.

The only states with lower sales to minors than Hawai'i this year are Delaware, Mississippi and Iowa, according to the survey.

The health department also works with the four county police departments to check all 1,325 cigarette-selling stores in the state. During the past year, teens between 15 and 17 — this time carrying ID — were able to buy cigarettes at 152 outlets, or 11.5 percent. That figure is down from 15.9 percent the year before.