That some people break the law doesn't mean the law doesn't exist. Unfortunately, your family and neighbors served you poorly. Here in Anchorage there were always places that didn't watch their cig vending machines closely so my peers could buy. Doesn't change they were knowingly breaking the law either.

The packs were marked since the '60s, which is when the Surgeon General's report came out, and the dangers were well-known for a century. It is hardly the manufacturer's responsibility if they follow the law when other people insist on breaking it.