Addressing Health Disparities Through Alcohol Outlet Density
There are many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily lives. One of many interesting public health observations is the impact of the pandemic on alcohol consumption. Thanks in part to many bars and restaurants being closed at some point during the last year, off-premise alcohol sales saw a significant spike in spring 2020 [More]
Key Components of a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program
Limiting the availability of products like tobacco helps protect those most vulnerable and improves the health of all. Here are some key considerations for implementing a comprehensive tobacco control program. Tobacco prevention and control work is a key part of public health. We know that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, [More]
Building Healthy Communities Through the Retail Environment
The retail environment provides many of the products that result in unhealthy behaviors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, and excessive alcohol use. How can we create a retail environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice? Some important strategies involve addressing the availability, promotion and price of tobacco products, foods and beverages and [More]
Upcoming webinar: Equitable enforcement in commercial tobacco control
Counter Tools is partnering with The Center for Black Health & Equity and ChangeLab Solutions to discuss how local and state partners can advance equitable enforcement practices in commercial tobacco control. Join us on Tuesday, February 9, at 2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT to learn how to apply equitable enforcement strategies to your [More]
Counter Tobacco Podcast: The Tobacco Control Vaccine Booster (Episode 23)
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Amanda Kong, one of the authors of a recent paper “Boosting the Tobacco Control Vaccine: recognizing the role of the retail environment in addressing tobacco use and disparities.” We discuss how key retail strategies, including addressing product availability, pricing and promotions, advertising and display, the minimum age of [More]
Success Story: Using Local Data to Pass Policies for Tobacco Prevention in Golden Valley, Minnesota
We have a new success story about one of our partners that serves as a great example of a local area passing strong tobacco prevention policies. In 2019, the city of Golden Valley in Hennepin County, Minnesota passed a number of comprehensive tobacco prevention policies, and in June 2020, they passed additional regulations to restrict [More]
Tobacco Retailer Licensing Considerations for Rural Communities
In the United States, rates of tobacco use are higher in rural than urban populations, yet rural communities often lack the tobacco control policy coverage present in more urban areas. While there are several reasons why policy adoption may be more challenging in rural areas, some rural communities have found success with local-level tobacco control [More]
Strategies to Create Healthier Food Retail Environments
Many neighborhoods lack access to traditional supermarkets and other sources of fresh, healthy food, especially at an affordable price. Making healthy choices easier in the retail environment has the potential to make a significant impact on the health of communities. Here are a few recommended strategies to create healthier small food stores. Just how the [More]
Counter Tobacco Podcast: Equity in Point-of-Sale Tobacco Control (Episode 22)
This episode is all about working towards health equity with point-of-sale tobacco control. We discuss some of the drivers behind inequities in tobacco use and related morbidities and mortality, and how we can use a pro-equity approach to plan, implement, and enforce policies that allow all individuals and all communities a fair and just opportunity [More]
Counter Tobacco Podcast: On Your Radar – September Spotlight on Flavor Bans (Episode 21)
'On Your Radar' is a new episode format designed to put the most relevant and recent news stories and research on countering tobacco product sales, promotions, and marketing in the retail environment on your radar. This episode spotlights flavor bans. From the West Coast (California) to the Midwest (Edina and Fridley, MN & Chicago, IL), we’ve got [More]
Nebraska passes T21 policy and adds electronic smoking devices to their Clean Indoor Air Act
Counter Tools is thrilled to congratulate Nebraska, one of our partnering states, on two exciting policy victories! LB1064 This bill makes Nebraska the 33rd state to pass statewide T21 legislation. By raising the minimum legal sale age (MLSA) to 21, the state now aligns with the federal law, which helps to reduce consumer and retailer [More]
Counter Tobacco Podcast: On Your Radar – August POS News (Episodes 19 & 20)
Released as two mini episodes throughout the month, 'On Your Radar' is a new episode format designed to put the most relevant and recent news stories and research on countering tobacco product sales, promotions, and marketing in the retail environment on your radar. Part 1, released August 14th, covers Georgia's Tobacco 21 bill, letters regarding e-cigarettes sent to the FDA [More]
Healthy POS Webinar Series: Securing Healthy Food Access through Targeted Programming
Our recent quarterly webinar in Counter Tools' Healthy POS series focused on healthy food and produce prescriptions. Public health advocates are increasingly focused on interventions that address social drivers of health. With produce prescriptions, healthcare providers address food security in the healthcare setting by connecting their patients with prescriptions for healthy fruits and vegetables. Reinvestment [More]
California passes ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products
We’re excited by the news that California’s State Assembly recently passed a bill prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. We know that the tobacco industry has long targeted Black communities and youth with flavored products. Prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products may increase cessation rates and decrease initiation, improving overall [More]
Reducing Tobacco Disparities with Minimum Floor Price Laws
According to the Surgeon General, raising the price of tobacco products is one of the most effective strategies for reducing initiation, decreasing consumption and increasing cessation. While excise taxes are a common strategy for increasing tobacco prices, minimum floor price laws are another promising non-tax strategy with the potential to reduce health disparities. Each day, [More]
Highlights from the Convenience Store News 2020 Tobacco Report
Despite public health’s success in tobacco policy over the recent years, we know tobacco remains a top source of revenue for the convenience store industry. In order to identify appropriate policy interventions or other point of sale strategies for tobacco prevention and control, it’s helpful to understand consumer trends. A look at the “Tobacco Deep [More]
Tobacco retailer density in 30 U.S. cities – ASPIRE and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids share new findings
New research on tobacco retailer density finds that across 30 major US cities, 63% of public schools are located within 1,000 feet of a tobacco retailer. The data show there is also a high density of tobacco retailers in low-income neighborhoods. Mapping tobacco retailers in our communities is one of many powerful tools needed to [More]
FDA authorizes ‘modified risk’ marketing for IQOS system
With the FDA’s recent authorization, Philip Morris can now market the IQOS system as ‘modified risk tobacco products’. We need to closely monitor how these products are being marketed and sold to appeal to youth and Black and Brown communities. On July 7, 2020, the FDA authorized Philip Morris to market its IQOS Tobacco Heating [More]
Healthy POS Webinar Series: Tobacco Ad Messaging Strategies at Point-of-Sale – A Health Equity Focused Case Study
Register for our next quarterly webinar in our Healthy POS series - May 27th at 1pm EST. Dr. Rosario of UNC Greensboro will be presenting a case study on tobacco advertising in African American communities in North Carolina. Despite evidence of disparities in exposure to tobacco retailers and point-of-sale advertising, little is known about the [More]
Healthy POS Webinar Series: Flavored Tobacco Policies and Evaluation – A Massachusetts Case Study
The visibility and accessibility of flavored tobacco products can lead to increased tobacco use initiation and continued use because of their appeal, especially among youth. The state of Massachusetts has set an example for implementing flavored tobacco product sales restrictions at the state and local-level to ameliorate these effects. During this webinar, flavor-related policy implementation [More]
