> It was really surprising to me to see a country which presents itself as a modern, progressive force in the world having cigarette vending machines on almost every street in the country.

This surprised me, too, the first time I went. Seeing 12 year olds smoking in public spaces was really, really bizarre. The only logical conclusion is that the German government and/or populace simply doesn't care about reducing cigarette usage.

> A recent study shows that the overall rate in both whites and blacks is about 15%, while in coloureds it is 40%.

What are "coloureds" in this context? Typically blacks would be categorized as "colored".