By making cheaper cigarettes available in poorer, younger, and more rural neighborhoods, dollar stores may contribute to smoking inequities, according to a study whose co-authors include ASPiRE’s Lisa Henriksen and Nina Schleicher. Using data from California on tobacco retailers, the researchers found that census tracts with lower median household income, rural status, and higher proportions of school-age youth were more likely to contain at least one dollar store. They also found that the cheapest cigarette pack cost less in dollar stores compared with all store types except tobacco shops. The authors said pro-equity tobacco retail policies, such as minimum price laws and density reduction policies, could reduce the health impact of dollar stores’ rapid expansion. Read the paper.