New Approaches to Limiting Youth Access to Tobacco

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New Approaches to Limiting Youth Access to Tobacco

• Changing our focus back to the basics of tobacco
  prevention

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Where is the problem?
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It isnt just illegal sales
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What does the industry say?
RJR
PM
PM
PM
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What do we say?
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A Challenge of Supply and Demand

• Primary prevention (Demand side)
• Focus on health message
• Parental and societal disapproval
• Gross out factor
• How tobacco affects the body
• Overall health education

Our focus seems to shift from primary prevention
to secondary prevention at around age 12

• Secondary prevention (Supply side)
• Enforcement of PUP laws
• Retailer education
• Media education
• Peer education
• Health dangers and effects

6yrs 9yrs 12yrs
15yrs 18yrs
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What do we say to retailers?
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What does the industry say to retailers?

• What is We Card all about?
• An example from the We Card online training for
  retailers
• Adults Buying for MinorsWhen an adult attempts
  to buy tobacco products for a minor, you should
• Apologize. The adult is just trying to do the
  kids a favor, and may not really be thinking
  about the consequences. Mention that you could
  face a personal fine or lose your job if you make
  the sale. State your suspicions for example,
  if you saw kids giving the adult money, say so.
  Don't take the responsibility yourself put it
  on the LAW, where it belongs.

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Youth recognize our messages to retailers
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What do retailers tell us?

• Cigarettes
• Very harmful 81
• Somewhat harmful 11
• Somewhat safe 2
• Very safe 1
• Don't know/Not sure 3
• Refused 3
• N 200

92
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What do retailers tell us?

• Alcohol
• Very harmful 37
• Somewhat harmful 35
• Somewhat safe 16
• Very safe 3
• Don't know/Not sure 7
• Refused 3

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What do retailers tell us?

• By what age do you think most adult smokers
  started to smoke cigarettes?
• Less than 12 years old 1
• 12-15 years old 49
• 16-17 years old 26
• 18 or older 15
• Don't know/Not sure 10
• Refused 1

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What do retailers tell us?

• How likely would you be (or would management
  would be) to consider DISCONTINUING the sale of
  tobacco products in your store? Would you say...

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What do retailers tell us?

• Not at all 65
• Somewhat likely 21
• Or very likely 6
• Don't know/Not sure 7
• Refused 2

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We need to be consistent

• Messages are important
• --When we draw a line at 18 we say its ok to
  smoke at 18
• --Smoking is the leading cause of death, nobody
  should smokeever

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What does a consistent enforcement campaign look
like?

• Sample messageSafety focus
• Consistent with health message
• Leverages retailer concern about consequences
• An indictment of the product and the industry

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Pave the way for social change
Tobacco products are deadly Dont sell them!
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Access 2006 Conference

• More research is needed
• We need to find out more about what works and
  what doesnt
• Learn more about the different sources
• Pilot programs
• Pilot local programs
• Idea for follow up National networking effort
  highlighting projects and outcomes

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Access 2006 Conference

• Parents
• Parents are a key social source and enabler
• Messages to parents
• Is smoking and providing tobacco to youth a form
  child abuse
• Should our laws have more consequences for
  parents
• Idea Supporting cessation for parents could be
  an important step to reduce social sources and
  role model behavior
• Idea Increase protective factors and decrease
  risk factors. Theories of childhood development
  are key.

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Access 2006 Conference

• Enforcement still important
• Weak consequences or lax enforcement can enable
  youth access to tobacco
• Consequences must be clear and meaningful
• Non monetary penalties for youth
• Idea Policy and legislative changes should
  always include integrated and comprehensive
  enforcement

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Social Sources Work Critical

• --Communicating with parents key.
• --How do we connect retailers understanding of
  the dangers with their willingness to sell
  cigarettes?
• --How do we change the view that oh well, its
  only cigarettes?

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Next steps

• Focus groups with parents who smoke
• We know that smoking adults are part of the
  supply and demand problem
• Attack supply with consistent enforcement
• Make the consequences serious and relevant
• Make messages to retailers focus on what they
  already knowthis is a bad product

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The tobacco industry is just as concerned about
this issue as we are. They spend millions each
year on youth prevention. With more research
and thoughtful strategy we can build on our past
successes in preventing youth access.
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Questions, comments or interest in Access 2008

• Roger Valdez
• ManagerTobacco Prevention Program
• Public Health Seattle King County
• [phone]
• Roger.Valdez_at_metrokc.gov
• www.smokefreeseattle.org