Online Program

323974
Controlled evaluation of the impact of the New York City ban on the sale of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products


Wednesday, November 4, 2015 : 11:10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Todd Rogers, PhD, Public Health Research Division, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Doris Gammon, MS, Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Brett R. Loomis, MS, Public Health Policy Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Betty Brown, MPH, Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Tarsha McCrae, MPH, CHES, Evaluation Branch, Division of Population Health Sciences, Office of Science, Silver Spring, MD
Michael Johns, Ph.D., Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY
Background: The 2009 New York City (NYC) law banning sale of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products, including cigars and smokeless tobacco but excluding e-cigarettes, was implemented in January 2011. This is the first study of the policy’s impact on tobacco product sales using data from convenience and food, drug, and mass merchandise stores within NYC and a reference area. Methods: We employed an interrupted time-series comparison design to evaluate changes in sales of cigars, smokeless tobacco, and roll-your-own and pipe tobacco in NYC and 10 proximal counties in the NY market area from January 2010 through January 2014.  Scanner data on tobacco product sales from 891 NYC stores and 1,665 similar comparison-area stores were analyzed for changes over time and differences across areas with ordinary least squares regression. Results: Over the study period, flavored tobacco sales in NYC decreased by 35.0% from a base of 43,059 units, while unflavored tobacco sales increased 71.3% from 47,645 units. In the comparison area, flavored sales increased 16.9%, from 284,416 units, and unflavored sales increased 73.1% from 208,690 units, during this period. Prior to ban implementation, the proportion of flavored non-cigarette tobacco product sales was 15.8% lower in NYC than in the comparison area (p<0.01); after implementation, the proportion was 26.0% lower in NYC (p<0.01). Conclusions: The NYC ban has had a specific, sustained impact on flavored non-cigarette tobacco product sales. Although the increase in flavored product sales in proximal counties may indicate a rise in cross-border sales, it generally reflects an upward secular trend in flavored tobacco sales seen nationally.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
List the features of the NYC ban on flavored non-cigarette tobacco products; Describe the impact of the NYC ban on sales of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products within the city, and in comparison to sales in proximal counties outside of the city; Discuss policy implications for state and local tobacco control

Keyword(s): Public Policy, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have more than over 35 years of experience designing, conducting, and evaluating large-scale, complex public health interventions. I have dozens of peer-reviewed publications and scientific conference presentations on tobacco control. I have led or co-led many studies funded by NCI, CDC, FDA, state health departments, and private foundations. I have been on the editorial board of several scientific journals, and served on scientific review and advisory committees for state and national public health organizations,
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.