A Cross-Sectional Study of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship in Airports across Europe and the United States.
Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) bans are effective and are increasingly being implemented in a number of venues and countries, yet the state of TAPS in airports and their effect on airport smoking behavior is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of TAPS in airports across Europe and the US, and to begin to examine the relationship between TAPS and smoking behaviors in airports. We used a cross-sectional study design to observe 21 airports in Europe (11) and the US (10). Data collectors observed points of sale for tobacco products, types of products sold, advertisements and promotions, and branding or logos that appeared in the airport. Tobacco products were sold in 95% of all airports, with significantly more sales in Europe than the US. Advertisements appeared mostly in post-security areas; however, airports with advertisements in pre-security areas had significantly more smokers observed outdoors than airports without advertisements in pre-security areas. Tobacco branding appeared in designated smoking rooms as well as on non-tobacco products in duty free shops. TAPS are widespread in airports in Europe and the US and might be associated with outdoor smoking, though further research is needed to better understand any relationship between the two. This study adds to a growing body of research on tobacco control in air transit and related issues. As smoke-free policies advance, they should include comprehensive TAPS bans that extend to airport facilities.
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 20742, USA. asoong@umd.edu.
Andrea
A
Soong
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 20742, USA. anavasa1@jhu.edu.
Ana
A
Navas-Acien
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 20742, USA. yuanjie.p@gmail.com.
Yuanjie
Y
Pang
Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Barcelona 08023, Spain. mjlopez@aspb.cat.|Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. mjlopez@aspb.cat.|Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona 08025, Spain. mjlopez@aspb.cat.
Maria Jose
MJ
Lopez
Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. esthergge@gmail.com.|Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-IdiPaz, Madrid 28220, Spain. esthergge@gmail.com.
Esther
E
Garcia-Esquinas
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 20742, USA. fstillm1@jhu.edu.
Frances A
FA
Stillman
environmental/occupational health; promotion and sponsorship (TAPS); secondhand smoke; smoke-free policy; tobacco advertising
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