January 2019 News and Research Roundup

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

Tobacco Retailer Licensing and Youth Product Use, Pediatrics
- This study analyzing 2014-2016 data from the Southern California Children’s Health Study found that 11^th and 12^th graders living in census tracts with strong local tobacco retailer licensing (TRL) ordinances had lower odds of current use and of initiation of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes over the course of 1.5 years compared to youth living in census tracts with weaker regulations. A TRL ordinance was considered strong if it 1) required an annual fee that covered costs of enforcement, 2) provided that any violation of federal, state, or local law is a violation of the license, and 3) included graduated penalties for violations such as fines and/or license suspension or revocation. At baseline, youth living in areas with a strong TRL were nearly 30% less likely to have ever used cigarettes, nearly 50% less likely to currently use cigarettes. At follow-up, youth living in areas with a strong TRL were 33% less likely to have initiated cigarette use, 26% less likely to have initiated e-cigarettes use, and 55% less likely to have become a current e-cigarette user than youth living in areas with no TRL or a TRL with a fee that is too low to cover enforcement costs.
- Learn more about tobacco retailer licensing.
- News story: Strong tobacco retail licensing requirements reduce risk fo teen e-cigarette use, study finds, CNN
Association of Rates of Smoking During Pregnancy With Corporate Tobacco Sales Policies, JAMA Pediatrics
- This study focused on the impact of CVS’s decision to end tobacco sales in 2014 and Family Dollar and Dollar General’s decision to start selling tobacco in 2012 and 2013 on smoking rates among pregnant women in the southeastern United States. In counties with the largest increases in tobacco retailer density, smoking rates among pregnant women fell the least, while in counties where tobacco retailer density decreased or increased the least, smoking among pregnant women fell at much higher rates. The trend was present both in low-income and high-income communities. Researchers recommend licensing and zoning strategies to decrease tobacco retailer density.
- News story: Discount stores’ tobacco sales tied to more women smoking while pregnant, UF Health study finds, UF News
- Learn more about licensing, zoning, and retailer density.
Place-Based Inequity in Smoking Prevalence in the Largest Cities in the United States, JAMA Internal Medicine
- Data from the 500 largest cities in the United States shows that census tracts with the highest smoking rates also have more tobacco retailers, are lower-income, and have a greater proportion of people of color. Researcher suggest that restricting the number, type, and location of tobacco retailers could help reduce some the disparities in smoking rates seen within cities.
- News story: More tobacco retailers, smoking-related illness in poor neighborhoods, Reuters
- Learn more about disparities in tobacco retailer density.