New FTC report on e-cigarette sales and marketing emphasizes importance of the retail environment
A new FTC report on data from 6 major e-cigarette companies show that retail stores account for most e-cigarette sales and marketing expenditure. It also shows the popularity of flavored e-cigarette products that helped drive youth smoking rates. The report makes it clear that the retail environment is critical when creating public health policies. The [More]
Tobacco Point of Sale Preemption Playbook
Local governments often lead the way in adopting laws and policies aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing inequities, including point-of-sale commercial tobacco control policies. However, state preemption can thwart local efforts to adopt laws and policies that protect public health and advance health equity. The Tobacco Point of Sale Preemption Playbook, a new resource [More]
Report: Surveying How the Tobacco Industry Markets Flavors in Five Midwestern Cities
A report from Counter Tools and Truth Initiative examines how flavored tobacco products are marketed and sold in 5 U.S. cities, with new data looking specifically at e-cigarette products. Download Materials Summary report: Surveying How the Tobacco Industry Markets Flavors in Five Midwestern Cities Full report and fSTARS form: Retail Store Assessments for Flavored Tobacco Products: [More]
2020 Census Data show a more racially and ethnically diverse population
The overall racial and ethnic diversity of the country has increased since 2010, and the number of people who identify as multiracial increased significantly. We use census data in our data collection and mapping tools to help states identify disparities in tobacco and alcohol retailer density and advertising. The Census Bureau has released data summary [More]
New Minority Health SVI data available from the CDC and OMH
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (DHHS OMH) have launched a new Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how the social determinants of health directly impact the health of communities. Unsafe or unstable housing, income insecurity, lack [More]
New FTC reports show the tobacco industry continues to focus on point of sale marketing
New reports from the Federal Trade Commission show that in 2019 the tobacco industry spent nearly $6.6 billion marketing and promoting cigarettes and smokeless tobacco at the point of sale. Figures from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Reports on Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Sales and Marketing Expenditures in 2019, released in March 2021, document a [More]
UNC and PHLC release Policy Playbook For E-cigarettes
University of North Carolina's Vaping Prevention Resource and Public Health Law Center recently released the Policy Playbook for E-cigarettes. The Playbook provides state and local stakeholders with a framework of policies and practices to pursue, guidelines on policy implementation, case studies, and examples. As a supplement, Public Health Law Center is hosting a webinar this [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]
New infographics – Compare your state’s FDA violation rates year over year
Here are infographic maps showing FDA state violation rates of tobacco product sales to minors including e-cig sales, looking at FY2019 compared to FY2018. We're pleased to announce that we have updated the infographics we shared at NCTOH last fall! The orange themed maps display the “FDA Violation Rate of Tobacco Product Sales to Minors” [More]
A Study With Truth Initiative Shows That Youth Are Being Targeted With Tobacco Marketing
We partnered with Truth Initiative in 2018 to study tobacco marketing in two cities in the Tobacco Nation. A new form called fSTARS was developed to collect data focusing on menthol and other flavored tobacco products. The data showed that tobacco prices were cheaper in neighborhoods that had more youth, and almost every tobacco retailer [More]