Project overview
Researchers at the University of North Carolina are mapping 375,000 tobacco retailers across the U.S. from 2000 to 2017 and exploring the relationship between the density of these retailers and tobacco-related illness, like cancer.
Co-Leaders
Kurt Ribisl and Shelley Golden
“This will be a landmark study because it will finally sort out the relationship between the density of tobacco retailers, smoking prevalence, and disease. Do areas with more tobacco retailers have higher rates of smoking and cancer? Communities are starting to enact policies to reduce the number of retailers, and it is essential to understand whether that will reduce smoking, cancer, and heart disease.” — Kurt Ribisl
“There are no national lists of tobacco retailers over time. By developing and mapping a longitudinal list, we will be able to look at the kinds of communities where tobacco retailers locate and thrive, and find out if those same communities house low-income or racial and ethnic populations already at increased risk of tobacco use or associated disease.”— Shelley Golden
Products related to this project
Supply and demand effects between tobacco retailer density and smoking prevalence
An ASPiRE team that included Shelley Golden, Todd Combs, Kurt Ribisl, and Chris Baggett examined the role of consumer demand and supply of tobacco in the retail environment in the association between tobacco retailer density and smoking prevalence. Study results indicated that policies that restrict access to retail tobacco have the potential to reduce smoking [...]
Tobacco retailer density and its association with birth outcomes in the USA: 2000-2016
An ASPiRE team that included Chris Baggett, Kurt Ribisl, and Shelley Golden looked at the relationship between tobacco retailer density and birth outcomes across the USA and predicted the potential impact of a tobacco retailer density cap. The study found higher rates of adverse birth outcomes in counties with higher retail density, providing support for [...]
The Impact of Menthol Cigarette Bans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
An ASPiRE team that included Sarah Mills and Kurt Ribisl looked at the relationship between tobacco retailer density and birth outcomes across the USA and predicted the potential impact of a tobacco retailer density cap. The study found higher rates of adverse birth outcomes in counties with higher retail density, supporting regulation of tobacco retail density to [...]
Tobacco retailer density and birth outcomes in the United States: 2000-2016
Chris Baggett from our UNC team shared this presentation as part of an ASPiRE panel at the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco 2023 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas on March 3. See the presentation slides. [...]
Tobacco retailer density as a risk factor for smoking: A longitudinal analysis of 195 large counties 2006-2010
Shelley Golden from our UNC team shared this presentation as part of an ASPiRE panel at the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco 2023 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas on March 3. See the presentation slides. [...]
Sociodemographic disparities in tobacco retailer density in the United States, 2000–2017
A study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research examines the relationship between tobacco retailer density and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics from 2000 to 2017. ASPiRE co-authors Sarah Mills, Amanda Kong, Alexandria Reimold, Chris Baggett, and Shelley Golden found that tobacco retailer density was higher in areas with more Black and Hispanic residents and also in neighborhoods with [...]
Tobacco company agreements with tobacco retailers for price discounts and prime placement of products and advertising: a scoping review
A study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research reviewed existing literature to better understand the use of often-secretive contracts between tobacco companies and retailers. ASPiRE’s Alexandria Reimold, Joseph Lee, and Kurt Ribisl found that contracts are common and often require retailers to lower product pricing, display signage, promote products, and give products highly visible placement. Contracts [...]
Trends in cigarette marketing expenditures, 1975–2019: an analysis of Federal Trade Commission cigarette reports
A study published in the Nicotine & Tobacco Research revealed shifts in cigarette marketing from 1975 to 2019. Cigarette marketing expenditures peaked at $21.1 billion in 2003 and have shifted from advertising to retail spending, according to a new study by ASPiRE’s Haijing Ma, Alexandria Reimold, and Kurt Ribisl. They found spending increased from 1975 [...]
Cigarette promotions in U.S. pharmacies
This study, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found cigarette promotions in 94% of pharmacies, more than any other retailer type, including convenience stores and tobacco stores. The data were obtained from store audits of price promotions, multi-pack promotions, and cross-product promotions at more than 2,000 tobacco retailers in 40 US states in 2015. [...]
Associations of tobacco retailer density and proximity with adult tobacco use behaviours and health outcomes: a meta-analysis
This analysis, published in the international journal Tobacco Control, examined and statistically combined the results of 27 studies of tobacco retail density, adult tobacco use, and health outcomes from 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, New Zealand, Scotland, and the U.S. The authors found that lower tobacco retailer density was associated with a 2.6% [...]