Examining the decline in licensed tobacco retailers in New York

Audience:  Staff from state and local government, tobacco control programs, and individuals with an interest in retail tobacco licensing and availability.

Key Points:  Studies have found that exposure to point-of-sale tobacco advertising can increase youth uptake and encourage unplanned purchases and relapses among adults. These findings have led to a policy focus on licensing tobacco retailers and regulating tobacco displays and advertising at the point-of-sale, specifically in New York. In New York, we observe a decline in the number of licensed tobacco retailers of 32.3% from 2000 to 2010. Similar large declines were observed in Idaho and Iowa along with a considerable drop in licensed tobacco retailers relative to all retail establishments. Using state-provided licensure data and results from the NY Retail Advertising Tobacco Survey, we estimate a decline in the number of retail cigarette ads in New York of 14.3% and an increase in average price per pack of 51.4% between 2004 and 2010.

Educational Experience:  A brief presentation will describe the observed trends, the effect on retail metrics (store-type composition, average price per pack, ads), and answer questions from participants.

Benefits:  Attendees will be able to 1) identify the characteristics of the decline in licensed tobacco retailers in New York, 2) recognize that a disparity exists between the number of licensed tobacco retailers and number of potential tobacco retailers in New York, and 3) understand possible explanations for this disparity.