Elementary school kids buying cigarettes on Heping East Road

Discussion Open Forum
1

So I was on Heping East Road today when I saw three kids. Now, I’ve gotten to be a fairly good judge of age, and the fact that it was before one PM on a school day afternoon leads me to believe that these three children are third graders. So there I was, minding my own business, when I saw these kids walk up to the bin lang stand. I guessed that they were buying a drink, but when I looked closely I realized that they had bought a pack of cigarettes.

If they had sold such a pack of cigarettes in the USA, I’d be able to report the stand to the police, who would:

  1. Fine the kid who bought the cigarettes about NT$3000. Give him community service. And make him go to a class to teach him that smoking is bad.
  2. Fine the bin lang shop. Close the bin lang shop. Put the bin lang lady in jail for selling the cigarettes. Fine the bin lang lady. Send her to a class to show her that smoking is bad, and make her do some community service.

In addition, the police, every year in America, send kids into stores to try to get the stores to sell the cigarettes to the kids. If the stores sell the cigarettes, then the misdemeanor counts get given out, and the fines, etc. begin.

But this is Taiwan. If I contacted the police, would they give a damn? Would they try to make a bust, and would anything happen to these awful people who are selling vile and disgusting habits?

2

i’ve actually noticed stickers being put up recently stating that tobacco/alcohol is not to be sold to minors … of course, whether anything is actually being done beyond the happy stickering is open to debate.

3

[quote=“twocs”]So I was on Heping East Road today when I saw three kids. Now, I’ve gotten to be a fairly good judge of age, and the fact that it was before one PM on a school day afternoon leads me to believe that these three children are third graders. So there I was, minding my own business, when I saw these kids walk up to the bin lang stand. I guessed that they were buying a drink, but when I looked closely I realized that they had bought a pack of cigarettes.

If they had sold such a pack of cigarettes in the USA, I’d be able to report the stand to the police, who would:

  1. Fine the kid who bought the cigarettes about NT$3000. Give him community service. And make him go to a class to teach him that smoking is bad.
  2. Fine the bin lang shop. Close the bin lang shop. Put the bin lang lady in jail for selling the cigarettes. Fine the bin lang lady. Send her to a class to show her that smoking is bad, and make her do some community service.

In addition, the police, every year in America, send kids into stores to try to get the stores to sell the cigarettes to the kids. If the stores sell the cigarettes, then the misdemeanor counts get given out, and the fines, etc. begin.

But this is Taiwan. If I contacted the police, would they give a damn? Would they try to make a bust, and would anything happen to these awful people who are selling vile and disgusting habits?[/quote]

Did you actually see them smoke the cigarettes?

You can’t assume too much here, it could be something just as simple as dad sending them downstairs to pick him up a pack of smokes.

As long as the kids themselves aren’t smoking, I don’t see this as any huge issue. I smoke, but don’t send my kid out to buy cigarettes, but only because I’m American and it would be “weird”. On the other hand, I’ve seen a few kids picking up cigarettes for their parents.

Not the coolest thing I agree, but nothing to get in a hump over unless you saw one of them light up…In which case, I’d agree with everything you posted.

Maybe I’ve just been here too long… :s

4

When I was a sprout I used to go buy them for my grandpa. No one ever gave me a hard time about it either.

5

They were definitely buying them for mom or dad. Or an adult. Kids don’t seem to drink or smoke in Taiwan from what I saw.

Funny thing. Back in Canada, I was ID’d when I was over 30 about three times. You might think that as a compliment, but I found it annoying. Once, I was hung over and I said, “Just give me the smokes!” I’m by no means small, but I look young for my age.

The fines are big back home. I must’ve thrown them off at first. One of those time, I didn’t have a picture ID. I went back to my car, got my driver’s license (with no pic), and told them I could sign something so they could match it against the signature on my ID. They didn’t go that far. I think it was pretty obvious to them at that point. That was at an indian reserve store where they were a bit cheaper. I wonder how many kids were going in there to buy smokes for someone at home. Hmmm. Maybe they were just giving me a hard time. Come to think of it, I only bought smokes there. Nothing else. Hmmm.

6

[quote=“MJB”][quote=“twocs”]So I was on Heping East Road today when I saw three kids. Now, I’ve gotten to be a fairly good judge of age, and the fact that it was before one PM on a school day afternoon leads me to believe that these three children are third graders. So there I was, minding my own business, when I saw these kids walk up to the bin lang stand. I guessed that they were buying a drink, but when I looked closely I realized that they had bought a pack of cigarettes.

If they had sold such a pack of cigarettes in the USA, I’d be able to report the stand to the police, who would:

  1. Fine the kid who bought the cigarettes about NT$3000. Give him community service. And make him go to a class to teach him that smoking is bad.
  2. Fine the bin lang shop. Close the bin lang shop. Put the bin lang lady in jail for selling the cigarettes. Fine the bin lang lady. Send her to a class to show her that smoking is bad, and make her do some community service.

In addition, the police, every year in America, send kids into stores to try to get the stores to sell the cigarettes to the kids. If the stores sell the cigarettes, then the misdemeanor counts get given out, and the fines, etc. begin.

But this is Taiwan. If I contacted the police, would they give a damn? Would they try to make a bust, and would anything happen to these awful people who are selling vile and disgusting habits?[/quote]

Did you actually see them smoke the cigarettes?

You can’t assume too much here, it could be something just as simple as dad sending them downstairs to pick him up a pack of smokes.

As long as the kids themselves aren’t smoking, I don’t see this as any huge issue. I smoke, but don’t send my kid out to buy cigarettes, but only because I’m American and it would be “weird”. On the other hand, I’ve seen a few kids picking up cigarettes for their parents.

Not the coolest thing I agree, but nothing to get in a hump over unless you saw one of them light up…In which case, I’d agree with everything you posted.

Maybe I’ve just been here too long… :s[/quote]

Ditto, but when in 3rd grade a friend managed to trick his father one week to write Pall Mall on a note, and the next week to sign his name on the lower half of the same note (folded so the previous signature was not visible). Three of us went into the bush to smoke the whole pack… Damned I am still smoking 37 years later… :fume:

7

[quote=“j99l88e77”]They were definitely buying them for mom or dad. Or an adult. Kids don’t seem to drink or smoke in Taiwan from what I saw.
…[/quote]

I know for sure that one of the “star” basketball players in my son’s school team smoked regularly - that is primary school and the kid was 12 years old. Maybe they look innocent, but not all of them are.

8

[quote=“X3M”][quote=“j99l88e77”]They were definitely buying them for mom or dad. Or an adult. Kids don’t seem to drink or smoke in Taiwan from what I saw.
…[/quote]

I know for sure that one of the “star” basketball players in my son’s school team smoked regularly - that is primary school and the kid was 12 years old. Maybe they look innocent, but not all of them are.[/quote]

Yeah, but I guess the OP’s right. Gotta be of age to buy smokes.

9

[quote=“X3M”][quote=“j99l88e77”]They were definitely buying them for mom or dad. Or an adult. Kids don’t seem to drink or smoke in Taiwan from what I saw.
…[/quote]

I know for sure that one of the “star” basketball players in my son’s school team smoked regularly - that is primary school and the kid was 12 years old. Maybe they look innocent, but not all of them are.[/quote]

Gotta go with XM3 here. I saw jr high girls walking by the car yesterday smoking, and always see the high school boys smoking when they get off the train.

I have also seen littler kids buying smokes for Dad. Agreed, it is weird, but, not such a big deal IMO.

10

I didn’t see these particular kids smoking, but last week I did see some fourth graders at the night market puffing some smokes. I wondered where they would be able to get them, guessing that it was a bigger brother. But now I know that they can just go to the local bin lang store and buy a pack of twenty. It is pleasurable to smoke, and the deleterous health effects don’t show up for many years if ever. It’s just too bad that the positives do come with the negatives.

11

Me too…

12

[quote=“X3M”][quote=“j99l88e77”]They were definitely buying them for mom or dad. Or an adult. Kids don’t seem to drink or smoke in Taiwan from what I saw.
…[/quote]

I know for sure that one of the “star” basketball players in my son’s school team smoked regularly - that is primary school and the kid was 12 years old. Maybe they look innocent, but not all of them are.[/quote]

Yep, I regularly see junior high boys in uniform buying cigarettes at the 7-11 and even opening the packet and taking the smokes out in the store. Then the gang of 5 or so light up outside and walk off smoking. Usually they don’t look older than 15…

13

My old man used to send me to the store to pick up smokes for him all the time, nobody thought anything of it.
Weird, no way could I ever do that with my kid.
But yeah, I’ve seen Jr high age kids here smoking, but not that often…

14

I used to pick up cigarettes for my mom when I was little. The routine and familiarity of the shop owner made it easy for me to buy my own when I was a little older. Which wasn’t much older than the kids in the OP’s post. I just made sure I bought the same brand as my mom. Haven’t had a cigarette since I was nineteen. I had stopped binge drinking by the time I turned 21 too. Sometimes I think the reason why I stopped was because the thrill was gone from being underaged. And if any of my students are reading this, smoking and drinking is very, very bad. Very bad. Now go to bed and don’t forget to finish your homework for Monday.

:stinkyface: