Neighborhood Disparities in the Availability, Advertising, Promotion, and Youth Appeal of Little Cig
Monday, December 21, 2020
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Amanda
Y Kong, Tara L Queen, Shelley D Golden, Kurt M Ribisl
Neighborhood Disparities
in the Availability, Advertising, Promotion, and Youth Appeal of Little Cigars
and Cigarillos, United States, 2015.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 22, Issue 12, December 2020, Pages
2170–2177, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa005
Introduction. Between
2012 and 2016, sales of cigars increased by 29% in the United States. In small
local studies, greater little cigar and cigarillo (LCC) availability and
marketing has been documented in neighborhoods with a greater proportion of
Hispanic or Latino and black residents, and near schools. This national study
of cigarette retailers assesses whether LCC availability and marketing at the
point of sale is associated with neighborhood racial, ethnic, income, and
percent youth demographics.
Methods. In
2015, we collected LCC availability and marketing data through retailer audits
of a nationally representative sample of 2128 cigarette retailers. Using
2011–2015 American Community Survey census tract estimates, we modeled
associations of neighborhood demographics (in quartiles) with availability of
LCC-flavored products, and presence of exterior advertisements, youth
marketing, and promotions.
Results. Nearly
90% of retailers sold LCCs, 83.0% sold flavored LCCs, and 30.9% had youth
marketing. Controlling for retailer type and other neighborhood
characteristics, neighborhoods with the highest proportion of black residents
had significantly higher odds of flavored LCC availability (adjusted odds ratio
[AOR] = 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52, 3.30); exterior
advertisements (AOR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.94, 4.16); price promotions (AOR = 1.62;
95% CI = 1.07–2.45), and youth appeal (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.08–2.08) compared
to the lowest. Disparities in flavored LCC availability, exterior advertising,
and youth appeal were also present for lower income neighborhoods.
Conclusion. Neighborhoods
with a greater proportion of black or lower income residents have greater
flavored LCCs availability and LCC marketing. Without stronger LCC regulation,
residents of these neighborhoods may be at a greater risk of LCC use.
Implications. LCCs
are harmful combustible tobacco products that are less regulated than
cigarettes (eg, lower taxation, cheaper outlay due to small package sizes,
availability of flavors), which makes them an affordable and appealing product
to youth. This study documents greater availability, advertising, and marketing
of LCCs in neighborhoods with a higher proportion of black or lower-income
residents, potentially putting these populations at a greater risk of using or
switching to these products in the face of increasing cigarette regulations.
These findings underscore the need for local, state, and federal LCC regulatory
action.
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