Hiding the tobacco power wall reduces cigarette smoking risk in adolescents: using an experimental convenience store to assess tobacco regulatory options at retail point-of-sale

Abstract

Objectives This experiment tested whether changing the location or visibility of the tobacco power wall in a life sized replica of a convenience store had any effect on adolescents’ susceptibility to future cigarette smoking. Methods The study was conducted in the RAND StoreLab (RSL), a life sized replica of a convenience store that was developed to experimentally evaluate how changing aspects of tobacco advertising displays in retail point-of-sale environments influences tobacco use risk and behavior. A randomized, between-subjects experimental design with three conditions that varied the location or visibility of the tobacco power wall within the RSL was used. The conditions were: cashier (the tobacco power wall was located in its typical position behind the cash register counter); sidewall (the tobacco power wall was located on a sidewall away from the cash register); or hidden (the tobacco power wall was located behind the cashier but was hidden behind an opaque wall). The sample included 241 adolescents. Results Hiding the tobacco power wall significantly reduced adolescents’ susceptibility to future cigarette smoking compared to leaving it exposed (i.e., the cashier condition; p = .02). Locating the tobacco power wall on a sidewall away from the cashier had no effect on future cigarette smoking susceptibility compared to the cashier condition (p = 0.80). Conclusions Hiding the tobacco power wall at retail point-of-sale locations is a strong regulatory option for reducing the impact of the retail environment on cigarette smoking risk in adolescents.

Removal of point-of-sale tobacco displays in Bogor city, Indonesia: A spatial analysis

“…A survey of 1401 British youth showed that noticing tobacco displays was associated with higher levels of future intentions to smoke (susceptibility) 11 . Also, an experimental study among US adolescents showed that hiding tobacco displays significantly reduced susceptibility compared to leaving it exposed 10 . For policy, our results provide evidence for initiating a ban on tobacco displays at POS in lowand middle-income country settings.…”

“…The ban on tobacco displays at POS is essential, given evidence of their relationship with tobacco exposure among youth [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] . In Asia, Thailand was the first country to implement the ban in 2005, which has been shown to have reduced exposure to tobacco marketing at POS 12 .…”

Increased attention to the tobacco power wall predicts increased smoking risk among adolescents

“…Participants for this study were a subset of individuals from a larger experimental study that examined whether changing the placement or visibility of the tobacco power wall influences smoking risk in adolescents (Shadel et al, 2016). The experiment was conducted in the RAND StoreLab (RSL; see description below), a true-to-life convenience store that was developed to experimentally evaluate how changing aspects of tobacco advertising at POS influences tobacco use risk and behavior.…”

“…Product posters, including those for tobacco, are displayed on the walls, shelves, and windows of the RSL. Additional details and photographs are provided in Shadel et al (2016).…”

“…Exposure to POS tobacco displays is known to be associated with both adolescent smoking and susceptibility to future smoking (Paynter & Edwards, 2009; Robertson, McGee, Marsh, & Hoek, 2015; Shadel, Martino, Setodji, Scharf, Kusuke, Sicker, & Gong, 2016). Studies that have attempted to identify the mechanisms by which exposure to POS tobacco displays might affect young people’s susceptibility for use have focused on perceptions of the attractiveness of cigarette packs, smoking-related norms, and the perceived accessibility of cigarettes (McNeill et al, 2011; Setodji, Martino, Gong, Dunbar, Kusuke, Sicker, & Shadel, 2018; Wakefield, Germain, Durkin, & Henriksen, 2006), all factors that are known to increase the likelihood of smoking (Doubeni, Li, Fouayzi, & DiFranza, 2008; Germain, Wakefield, & Durkin, 2010; Olds, Thombs, & Tomasek, 2005).…”