In 2020, we completed a 3-year grant from Charleston County Counter Tools to reduce tobacco advertising to youth at Point of Sale. Point of Sale advertising refers to a variety of marketing practices, including signs on the interior and exterior of retail stores, functional items like counter mats and change cups, shelving displays, and coupons and other price discounts that reduce the price for the consumer.
We completed this work in 3 phases:
Year 1: Identified and assessed all tobacco retailers in Charleston County
- 234 tobacco retailers were assessed
- Assessed the availability of various tobacco products, pricing, and placement of tobacco products and advertising.
- Charleston County tobacco retailers provide the following access to tobacco products:
- Cigarettes (94%)
- Cigarillos, little cigars, and blunts (84%)
- Smokeless tobacco (75%)
- E-cigarettes (57%)
- Cigars (20%)
- 22% of tobacco use exterior advertising for tobacco products (i.e. parking lot ads, on the store front, and windows)
Year 2: Updated Charleston County tobacco retailers listing. Identified all of the tobacco retailers within a 1000 ft radius and assessed marketing to youth
- SFLC assessed how tobacco retailers advertise focused on marketing that could get the attention of children using one or more of the following strategies:
- Selling flavored products
- Placing tobacco ads within 3 ft of the floor
- Placing products or ads near items that are appealing to children (e.g. candy or toys)
- The use of self-service tobacco displays or machines rather than behind-the-counter placement
- SFLC gave special attention to tobacco retailers that were within 1000 ft of schools.
- Flavors
- 97% of tobacco retailers sold flavored cigarillos, little cigars, or blunts
- 95% sold flavored smokeless tobacco
- 91% sold flavored cigarettes
- 14% of ads were within 3 ft of the floor
- 12% had ads near candy
- 3% had self-service displays
- SFLC provided feedback to tobacco retailers on how they could change their store layout and advertising to reduce youth exposure to tobacco products and advertisements
- Each store owner received a personalized “report card” and colorful infographics
Year 3: Explored ways to reduce tobacco advertising to youth
- Collected and reviewed records of County Ordinances for retail signage restrictions in Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties.
- Signage ordinances did exist, but were not being consistently enforced.
- Educate community members and organizations about recommended local policy options to reduce risk to youth in POS environment.
- 6 boosted posts on current topics in nicotine and tobacco policy made through the SFLC Facebook page reached 34,824 users in SC, resulting in 409 clicks.
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Committed to a partnership with Allegro Charter School of Music to engage with youth and community members and to provide education about the risks youth face for tobacco and alcohol products, as well as the impact of retailers and POS (mini-grants).
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Educate community members and organizations about the benefits of local policies affecting the POS environment and reducing/eliminating tobacco advertising.
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We printed and distributed materials from the Truth Initiative, Centers for Disease Control, Change Lab Solutions, the Food and Drug Administration, etc.
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We distributed materials and educated POS locations on local signage ordinances
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- Select tobacco retailers that were in close proximity to Charleston County Schools were targeted for improvement in POS advertising. We were very impressed with the changes to POS advertising at these locations. See examples below
