23 people in Kanagawa face charges for allowing minors to smoke, drink alcohol

In the US anyone selling alcohol to a minor is in some serious trouble; bars can be closed down for a month or more, bartenders can lose the license to sell alcohol; stores can be fined. In the Japan I suspect they will be 'encouraged' not to violate the law again.

As for a parent who smokes trying to forbid a child from smoking, good luck with that. However, if conservatives and libertarians really want a smaller government, they could well start with getting the government out of our lungs and livers.

clerks and part-time employees of tobacco shops, and supermarkets selling alcohol

Apart from the "confirmation" button at registers in convenience stores and others, how can employees confirm if a person is of legal age consume alcohol and tobacco?

Also when students go to family restaurants like Saizeriya while in school uniforms they get asked "smoking or not smoking".

@borscht

As for a parent who smokes trying to forbid a child from smoking,

That is not always true... I used to smoke and so did their father but neither of my sons can stand the smell of smoke - and since I stopped many years ago, I can't either.

It does show just how much "influence" Japanese parents have on the children though ! For example :

“My child simply wouldn’t listen to me, so I eventually just gave up on trying to stop him,”

When he ends up in hospital, attached to an oxygen machine (like my ex-husband was before he died of cancer of the lungs) she may change her mind about getting her orders obeyed...

If the government wants to enforce laws, it should do so. Passing the burden to parents and shops is unfair. Parents and shops did not make the laws. These age restrictions are also a violation of free market principles which harm shareholder interests. Parents can watch out for their own children's safety without a nanny state telling them what to feed their children and what to allow their children to drink.

Wow. I'm really surprised about teens breaking rules. I'm sure that's never happened before and that parents have never expressed frustration about their children's misbehavior before. BFD.

What I do not understand is why teenagers are using vapors (electronic cigarettes) ? REALLY ? Is it that stressful ?

Whiskeysour,

It's not about stress. It's about addiction. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to humankind, maming it a habit that is very, very, very difficult to quit. Once these kids smoked enough, they were effectively hooked. Vapor cigarettes, patches, gums -- they all address the addiction nicotine enables through cigarettes.

To that end, any parent who would knowingly and willingly provide tobacco and/o alcohol for their teenage child needs to have his or her head examined. Why would any parent doom their child to the pain of addiction in any form?

Nothing Newsworthy here:

Same stuff happen to all countries around the world..

What I do not understand is why teenagers are using vapors (electronic cigarettes) ?

REALLY ? Is it that stressful ?

Stupid parents!

I can accept some rules about sales to minors generally. But if I as a parent decide to let my child smoke and drink, I think the government should mind its own business. The real problems are not smoking and drinking anyway. The primary problems are the junk they put in cigarettes and people drinking to excess.

I started drinking in junior high school myself. No harm was caused to anybody and most of my drinking was moderate until high school where I started to sometimes drink a lot at parties. My mother actually preferred I smoke marijuana, but I was not interested.

Everyone in my family smoked so much I don't think it would have made much difference if I smoked a bit myself. But I didn't. And that is to say that plenty of teenagers have self-control and can make reasonable decisions, and you cannot completely "protect" them anyway. Besides, lording over them will stunt their growth as much as cigarettes. Big Brother needs to butt out.

I smoked underage. Smoking harms you full stop... I don't agree with parents allowing it though. They should lose custody of their children for that. As for the businesses selling to minors, they should be fined around $175,000, and lose their license for 3 months.

This is police work? Suppose it beats practicing their golf swing at the station.

This shops, etc...SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN!! Teach them a lesson in NOT BRAKING the laws of JAPAN!!