241914 San Fernando Valley tobacco control project: The effectiveness of merchant education and citizen citations to combat illegal tobacco sales to youth phase 2c

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Kathleen Young, MPH, PhD, MS , Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA
Jose Salazar, DrPH , Director Program Development, Tarzana Treatment Center, Reseda, CA
Bita Ashatari, MPH , Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA
The Healthy People 2010 Initiataive outlined a 10 year goal to decrease teen smoking rates below 16 percent but according to the CDC (2009) nearly 20% of teenagers are currents smokers. Access to tobacco is one of the risk factors associated with tobacco use among youth. Illegal tobacco sale rate among retailers in Los Angeles is approximately 40% and increases to 44% for retailers located within 1,000 feet of schools. The purpose of this project was to assess the enforcement and compliance of the STAKE Act Program (stop tobacco access to kid's enforcement) among licensed retailers in the 7th District of Los Angeles City through a merchant education and Citizen Citation program. This is a continuation of phase 2b of the original project conducted in 2006 where the researchers returned to stores that either renewed their tobacco retail licensure or stores in District 7 who purchased a new tobacco retail license. Data was collected from licensed retailers in the 7th District of the City of Los Angeles from October to November 2010 (N=70). Program results and future implications will be presented and discussed.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session participants will be able to: 1. Identify factors associated with the increase of tobacco use and access among minors in California. 2. List two reasons for the importance of implementing a merchant education and Citizen Citation program. 3. Identify and discuss a service-learning university-level component that was developed and implemented during the San Fernando Valley Tobacco Control Project. 4. Discuss results and future implications of the San Fernando Valley Tobacco Control Group Project. 5. Explain two methods for reducing illegal tobacco sales to youth. 6. Discuss future implications of the fight against illegal tobacco sales to youth.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the PI of this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.