title: Price discounting of cigarettes in milk bars near secondary schools occurs more frequently in areas with greater socioeconomic disadvantage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine differences in price discounting of cigarettes in milk bars located near secondary schools in metropolitan areas of Victoria, according to neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES).
  
  
  METHODS
  Milk bars within one km of randomly selected secondary schools in Victorian metropolitan areas were audited to assess the advertised price of the most popular cigarette brands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cigarette brands were available below the recommended retail price (RRP) at between 10% to 14% of the 62 milk bars visited. Price discounting was occurring significantly more frequently in areas of lower SES, with between 23% and 33% of milk bars in these neighbourhoods selling the leading cigarette brands at below RRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Price discounting was found to be occurring to a greater extent in milk bars near secondary schools in low SES areas compared to mid to high SES areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Promotional tools that make cigarettes more affordable risk undermining efforts to reduce smoking prevalence, especially in price sensitive populations of lower SES.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Carlton, Victoria 3053.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Maree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scully
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakefield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D003132:Commerce; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D014739:Victoria