Changes among retailers selling cigarettes to minors.
This study analyzes changes over a three-year period among Ontario retailers selling cigarettes to minors. Under supervision, 13 and 14-year-old minors were sent into stores to attempt to buy cigarettes. These minor-purchase-events (MPEs) were carried out in a local health unit that had implemented a community-based intervention and in an adjoining comparison health unit. After the local program we observed a large reduction (from 46% to 6%) in merchants willing to sell tobacco to minors. In the neighbouring health unit, a high rate of selling continued until a federal program using a similar intervention was implemented, after which a large reduction (from 47% to 2%) was observed. This magnitude of change has been unprecedented, except when active enforcement was implemented by police officers. Thus, from a public health perspective, it is important to understand what is influencing the store operators.
Dovell
R A
RA
Institute of Health Promotion Research, Vancouver, BC. rdovell@unixg.ubc.ca
Mowat
D L
DL
Dorland
J
J
Lam
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012926:Social Control, Formal