LEVY COUNTY TOBACCO RETAILER ASSESSMENT RESULTS
June 13, 2021
June 13, 2021
…a note from Kristina Zackry, Community Health Advocate, QuitDoc
A*The QuitDoc Foundation was founded in 2006 by two physicians, a pulmonologist and a pediatrician, with a mission to improve overall community health and wellness by reducing the number of deaths in the United States from nicotine addiction and curtailing tobacco and nicotine product use within youth and adult populations through research, education, and prevention.
Good Afternoon, Tobacco Free Partners, Decision Makers, and Stakeholders,
On behalf of the Tobacco Free Partnership, I would like to share this new data with you. Earlier this year, the Tobacco Free Partnership, in collaboration with volunteers from Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), collected data on tobacco products, advertising, and availability in a subset of selected stores in Levy County. Volunteers completed data collection on 26 stores, slightly more than a third of the total tobacco retailers (66) in Levy County. Most of the assessments, 65.4%, were completed on convenience stores and 23.1% of them were for mass merchandisers, such as dollar stores.
I have attached the Levy County data summaries and the infographics for your reference, and I would like to point out a few significant findings:
• 61.5% of retailers assessed in Levy County have exterior tobacco advertising
• 11.5% of retailers assessed had tobacco product advertisements within 3 feet of the floor (i.e. kid’s eye level)
• 100% of assessed retailers sold cigarettes, 50% sold e-cigarettes, 73.1% sold smokeless tobacco, and 88.5% sold cigarellos, little cigars, or blunts
• Of the stores surveyed, 100% of them sold flavored cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and oral nicotine
• 94.7% sold flavored smokeless tobacco and 95.7% sold flavored cigarellos, little cigars, or blunts
• 26.9% of retailers assessed had tobacco products displayed near youth-oriented products
• 57.7% of the assessed retailers accepted SNAP benefits and 65.4% accepted WIC benefits
• 61.5% of retailers assessed in Levy County have exterior tobacco advertising
• 11.5% of retailers assessed had tobacco product advertisements within 3 feet of the floor (i.e. kid’s eye level)
• 100% of assessed retailers sold cigarettes, 50% sold e-cigarettes, 73.1% sold smokeless tobacco, and 88.5% sold cigarellos, little cigars, or blunts
• Of the stores surveyed, 100% of them sold flavored cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and oral nicotine
• 94.7% sold flavored smokeless tobacco and 95.7% sold flavored cigarellos, little cigars, or blunts
• 26.9% of retailers assessed had tobacco products displayed near youth-oriented products
• 57.7% of the assessed retailers accepted SNAP benefits and 65.4% accepted WIC benefits
These findings are concerning because exposure to tobacco advertising and marketing is associated with increased tobacco use, including youth tobacco initiation. The availability of flavored tobacco is especially concerning as flavored tobacco products are more appealing to youth and young adults and play a significant role in youth initiation of tobacco use. Finally, most of the stores assessed accepted SNAP and WIC benefits, which are two federal programs that provide food assistance to lower income persons and families, who are the most vulnerable to tobacco addiction.
The attached infographics also show the average cheapest advertised prices for the tobacco products in Levy County for the stores that were assessed. Increasing the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco consumption and initiation and increase smoking cessation. For every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, adult smoking decreases by 3-5%, and youth smoking decreases by 6-7%!
I hope this information is useful to you as you work together to advocate for future policy changes to protect the youth in Levy County from the deadly marketing and advertising the tobacco industry clearly uses in your communities. Thank you to our volunteers for collecting such great data!
Kristina Zachry, MPH
Community Health Advocate - Levy County
QuitDoc Foundation
352.577.4309
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.QuitDoc.com
Research. Education. Prevention
Community Health Advocate - Levy County
QuitDoc Foundation
352.577.4309
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.QuitDoc.com
Research. Education. Prevention
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