Tobacco product sales and advertisements at pharmacies in selected New York City neighborhoods: An observational study

Background: Tobacco use is the most important cause of preventable death in this country for all racial/ethnic groups. Asian Americans may be at a particularly high risk for excess tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that two-thirds of men in Asia smoke. The number of cigarettes sold throughout the nation has continued to decline while national pharmacy cigarette sales have increased. Empirical research repeatedly confirms the view that reducing the access and visibility of smoking may reduce the rate at which non-smokers experiment and become addicted to smoking. Supporting a ban on the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies is a key component to denormalizing the use of tobacco. Methods: Areas sampled represent socially and economically significant hubs of the Asian American community across NYC. Investigators were sent out to systematically observe and record the prevalence of tobacco product placement and advertisements in chain and independent pharmacies. Results: Sixty-four percent of all independent pharmacies visited no longer sold tobacco products even though they were licensed, compared to 94% of chain pharmacies which continued to sell tobacco products. Tobacco products and advertisements were limited though the placements of items were in strategic locations. Chain pharmacies placed tobacco products behind the cashier, within sight of confectionary items and next to smoking cessation products. Discussion: Further research is needed to identify why some pharmacies do or do not sell tobacco products looking specifically at the role of pharmacies as healthcare centers and the financial viability of a tobacco product ban in pharmacies.