Most children in Shanghai can still get their hands on cigarettes and alcohol as this metropolis prepares to implement a regulation banning their sale to under-18s.

That is the finding of a survey recently conducted by the Sunshine Community Youth Center under the Communist Youth League of China's Shanghai Committee.

Nearly 8 percent of the surveyed youngsters said they were never asked their age when purchasing alcohol or cigarettes.

"Only three youngsters, constituting actually only 0.8 percent of all those interviewed, said they were asked every time they went to buy such products," said Zhou Jianjun, an official from the centre.

The survey interviewed a total of 386 youngsters who buy alcohol or cigarettes.

"Underage youth can still get easy access to cigarettes and alcohol, even in those shops with signs warning against selling them to under-18s," said Zhou.

A man selling cigarettes and alcohol at his small grocery on the city's Songshan Road said that although he was aware of the upcoming regulation, he questioned how it was possible to tell the age of the youngsters.

"Kids now look more mature than before."

The survey also found out that approximately 47 percent of the youngsters bought alcohol or cigarettes for their parents.

Six 17-year-olds from Shanghai Holmes Changle College, who were stopped on the city's Middle Huaihai Road, said they still bought alcohol or cigarettes very frequently for their parents.

"It's my duty to help my parents," said one of the youngsters.

They all claimed to be unaware of the upcoming regulation.

Lu Ying, a student claiming to be over 18, said he knew about the regulation, but had often bought cigarettes and alcohol when he was younger.

(China Daily January 8, 2005)