Illegal sales of tobacco to minors in Hawaii decreased from 11.2 percent in 2008 to 6.2 percent this year, the state Department of Health said yesterday.

The non-compliance rate comes from the state’s annual survey and inspections of retail outlets.
The program is run by the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Research Center of Hawaii and the Health Department’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division.
The national average of stores that sell tobacco to minors is 9.9 percent.
Maui and Hawaii counties had the lowest rate at 2.1 percent. Kauai County had the highest rate at 10.1 percent.