Stopping Tobacco Industry Tactics (STINT)

Currently, there are no tobacco policies in place in the city protecting youth from easily accessing tobacco. A youth driven project, including marginalized youth of color, were determined to reduce the high sales rate by conducting a photo voice project and educating their policy makers. Youth were residents of the city, some of them involved in gangs, attending alternative schools, and dealing with delinquency. Youth between the ages of 14 and 21 visited retailers, assessed ads/promotions, proximity to sensitive areas, signage, and product placement. Youth took photos of their observations at each retail store and the environment surrounding the stores. Each community walkaround ended in a discussion on the store environment. Working with a youth serving organization (People Who Care Children's Association), youth organized themselves to conduct a community walk around at all 47 tobacco retailers in the city, organized meetings with policy makers, and mobilized the community to bring awareness about policy options. One-on-one meetings with policy makers were successful in educating policy makers about the tobacco environment. Through utilizing a youth resiliency model and community based participatory research, policy makers are considering adopting stronger protections for tobacco access among youth.