Almost one in every 10 packs of cigarettes sold by gas-station convenience stores is sold to a minor, according to a new study from the Group Health Community Foundation.

HealthDay News reported July 10 that researchers reviewed data from about 9,000 compliance checks done in King County, Wash., and found that tobacco sales to minors accounted for 9.3 percent of total tobacco sales at convenience stores, compared to 3.4 percent of sales at tobacco stores, 5.2 percent at restaurants, and 7.4 percent at grocery stores.

Researcher Dave Pearson said that gas station convenience-store clerks may simply be more distracted than workers at other stores.

Prevention experts called for more oversight of tobacco retailers to prevent underage tobacco sales. "The more compliance checks you do, the more compliance you get, which makes it harder for kids to get cigarettes and sends a consistent message about the product," said Danny McGoldrick of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The study was published in the July 2007 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.