News and Research Round Up – Counter Tobacco

Welcome to CounterTobacco.org’s “News and Research Roundup!” Each month we post a summary of the latest research, reports, and news stories on counteracting tobacco product sales and marketing at the point of sale (POS). Keeping up with what’s happening in the POS movement all across the country can help you choose policies and strategies that work best for your community. New research can help provide support for your work and evidence for the importance of the “War in the Store.” Have a story you don’t want us to miss? E-mail it to us!

New Research

Disparities:

A Systematic Review of Neighborhood Disparities in Point-of-Sale Tobacco Marketing, American Journal of Public Health
- This systematic review of disparities in tobacco marketing at tobacco retailers by sociodemographic neighborhood characteristics found that lower-income neighborhoods have more tobacco marketing. It found that there is more menthol marketing targeting urban neighborhoods and neighborhoods with more Black residents, while smokeless tobacco products are targeted more toward rural areas with more White residents.
- Learn more about disparities in point of sale advertising and retail density.
Themed Issue of Nicotine & Tobacco Research on Interventions to Reduce Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
Brief Report: Addressing the Social Determinants of Health to Reduce Tobacco-Related Disparities, Nicotine & Tobacco Research
Assessing the Consequences of Implementing Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs for Tobacco-Related Health Disparities, Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- This study found graphic health warning labels to be more effective than text-only warning labels in increasing quit intentions, but the researchers found no difference in response to the warning labels between disadvantaged populations and the general population of smokers.
- Learn more about point of sale health warnings.
Black Cigarette Smokers Report More Attention to Smoking Cues Than White Smokers: Implications for Smoking Cessation,Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- This study found that Black smokers reported greater attention to smoking cues than White smokers. The researchers note that the difference could be due to the greater number of smoking cues in predominantly Black communities, including tobacco advertisements.
- Learn more about disparities in point of sale advertising and retail density.

E-Cigarettes

A Randomized Trial of the Effect of E-cigarette TV Advertisements on Intentions to Use E-cigarettes,American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- News story: Teens more likely to try e-cigs when exposed to ads, study finds, The Hill
- Learn more about e-cigarettes at the point of sale.
Identifying e-cigarette vape stores: description of an online search methodology, Tobacco Control
- A study to determine the number of vape stores in Florida found more stores than on the state licensure list, indicating online search may be an effective way to track vape shops, even in states without licensure laws.
- Learn more about store assessment tools.
Reasons for Electronic Cigarette Experimentation and Discontinuation Among Youth Adults, Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- In focus groups, 43% of young adults listed appealing flavors as one of the top reasons for experimentation with e-cigarettes.
- Learn more about e-cigarettes at the point of sale.

Other

Attitudes Toward Raising the Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco Among U.S. Adults, American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- This study found that 75% of U.S. adults favor raising the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21, including nearly 70% of current smokers.
- Learn more about policies raising the minimum legal sale age to 21.
- News story: Most Americans – including smokers – think cigarettes should be harder to get, LA Times
The Impact of Health Warning Labels for Swedish Snus Advertisements on Young Adults’ Snus Perceptions and Behavioral Intentions, Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- This study found that warning labels on snus that emphasize reduced harm may influence young adults to perceive snus as less harmful than cigarettes and, for non-smokers, result in in fewer thoughts about not using snus compared to other warning labels.
- Learn more about health warnings at the point of sale.