They pass a newsstand and it is easy for the display of sexually explicit magazines on display to attract their attention.

Because of the lack of sex education, they often rely on such magazines and pornographic films, which become substitutes for that education.

However, such publications give them a distorted view of sex and this is why the incidence of promiscuity among youngsters has increased.

This is a serious problem and the Government should introduce measures to solve it. There should be a standard adopted, by which magazines are judged to be okay or unacceptable and penalties should be increased against those newsstand vendors who break the rules and display publications which are considered to be unacceptable.

Heavy fines would have a deterrent effect, but hopefully vendors will also show self-discipline.

Also, teachers and parents should be more open and help adolescents to adopt a mature and healthy attitude towards sex.

Proper sex education is very important for the development of young people.

JIMMY CHEUK Kowloon