Targeting youth at the point of sale: Evidence from a GIS study of retail tobacco marketing in California

Background: Concerns about youth targeting typically focus on the placement of cigarette advertisements near candy or at children's eye-level, and few studies record brand-specific observations that are necessary for enforcement action. This study considers spatial data about store location and neighborhood demography to assess brand-specific marketing patterns in a statewide sample of tobacco retailers. Methods: Using data from the California Tobacco Advertising Study (2008), we compared the availability of price promotions, number of advertisements, presence of low-height advertising and placement near candy for three leading cigarette brands. ArcGIS and intercensal estimates were used to characterize store-centered neighborhoods (n=545), defined by an 800-meter roadway network. Multiple and logistic regressions examined brand-specific marketing as a function of the percent of youth (ages 5-17) in the neighborhood as well as the store's proximity to schools. Models adjusted for store type and other neighborhood characteristics, such as median household income and race/ethnicity. Results: For all three brands, the availability of a price promotion increased significantly with each 10-point increase in the percent of youth, but did not increase with the percent of young adults. The quantity of advertisements also increased with each 10-point increase in the percent of youth, but this pattern was unique to Newport, the leading menthol brand. Conclusions: Availability of price protions and advertising quantity were unrelated to the percent of young adults in store neighborhoods, the market that tobacco companies profess to target. Enforcement of the Master Settlement Agreement is essential to eliminate youth targeting at the point of sale.