Retail Outlets and Point-of-Sale Marketing of Alternative Tobacco Products: Another Threat to Tobacco Control

Azagba expresses insights about retail outlets and point-of-sale marketing of alternative tobacco products as another threat to tobacco control. The increase in alternative tobacco product use among youth is offsetting declines in cigarette use. Although past month cigarette use declined between 2011 and 2018 among high school students, past month use of any tobacco product rose over the same interval. Evidence suggests that retail marketing is particularly effective among youth. Retail discounts and promotions are an integral part of point-of-sale tobacco marketing tactics. Discounts on tobacco products limit the impact of tobacco taxes and make tobacco more available to price-sensitive customers. Tobacco retailers are often more concentrated and may have lower prices in neighborhoods with a lot of young, low-income, or minority residents.