A lot of time, effort and money has been devoted to keeping Hawai'i's youth from acquiring and using tobacco products.

That's why it's discouraging to see the results of this year's survey of Hawai'i stores that illegally sold tobacco products to minors.

Not only did 11.2 percent of those 304 stores sell to minors — a dismal rate, higher than the national average of 10.5 percent — it was also the fourth consecutive increase.

What's maddening is that these numbers are going up even in the face of data showing that minors themselves are making wiser choices.

The 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed significant evidence of a decline in student smoking. Of those surveyed, 12.8 percent of Hawai'i students in grades 9-12 smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days.

That's compared to 27.9 percent in 1999, and well below the national rate of 20 percent.

These results show that a focused and comprehensive tobacco control program can have positive results.

It's the national rate that has anti-smoking experts worried. The numbers, which had been in decline, have flattened in the past several years, suggesting that the so-far successful efforts to curb teenage smoking have plateaued.

It's also become more apparent that retail stores should be the focus of stronger enforcement efforts.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona says that tougher sanctions against store owners may be considered. That's a good idea.

So is expanding education programs to make it easier for merchants and clerks to understand and obey the law.

Continuing anti-smoking campaigns aimed at teenagers will also be necessary to counteract the blandishments of tobacco companies, who work hard to promote their products through, yes, retail stores.

A study released last year by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine linked retail store advertising and promotions with increasing the likelihood that teenagers will adopt the habit.

The tobacco industry spent the large bulk of its advertising and promotional dollars — $14.2 billion, or 94 percent — on retail advertising and price and other promotions in 2003, the study's authors noted.

The dangers of teenage smoking are well documented. Surveys show that most smokers picked up the habit before the age of 21. Cultural influences play a role, including family and friends who smoke and movies and TV shows that glamorize smoking. That's bad enough.

But those who encourage teenage smoking just to make money — they need to get with the program.