title: A store cohort study of compliance with a point-of-sale cigarette display ban in Melbourne, Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to evaluate compliance with legislation which restricted cigarette displays in retail outlets, and to assess prevalence of pro- and anti-tobacco elements in stores pre- and post-legislation.    METHODS  Three audits of 302 stores in Melbourne, Australia by trained observers who gathered information on point-of-sale tobacco displays 2-3 months before and 3-4 and 11-12 months after the enactment of new restrictions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between the first and second audits, nine stores stopped selling tobacco and three stores had either shut down or were closed for renovations. Of the remaining 290 stores, 94.1% observed the full ban on cigarette package visibility, while new restrictions on price board size and new requirements for graphic health warnings were followed in 85.9% and 67.2% of stores, respectively. Between the second and third audits, another seven stores ended tobacco sales and two stores closed. In Audit 3, 89.7% of the remaining 281 stores complied with price board restrictions, and 82.2% of stores followed requirements for graphic health warnings. Overall, the prevalence of anti-tobacco signage increased and pro-tobacco features decreased between audits for every store type and neighborhood socio-economic status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco retailers were almost universally compliant with placing cigarettes out of sight and a substantial majority were compliant with regulations on price board size and display of graphic health warnings, demonstrating that such legislation can be implemented successfully.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria,  Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia.
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zacher
authors.forename: Daniella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durkin
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scollo
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakefield
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D014739:Victoria; D062789:Tobacco Products