Share of Advertising Voice at the Point-of-Sale and Its Influence on At-Risk Students’ Use of Alternative Tobacco Products

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the impact of tobacco advertising on at-risk youth, specifically focusing on the relationship between exposure to point-of-sale (POS) tobacco advertising and the use of tobacco products. The study combines data from two sources: longitudinal self-report data from alternative high school (AHS) students and independent observational POS advertisement data from tobacco retail outlets (TROs) within a half mile of the students' schools. The study aims to understand how the share of advertising voice (SAV) for specific types of tobacco products advertised near schools influences AHS students' tobacco use and whether SAV moderates the relationship between adolescent exposure to POS advertising and the use of tobacco products 1 year later.

Key Points:

* The study used data from 746 students nested within 20 schools, with a retention rate of 86.9%.
* Cigarettes were the most heavily promoted tobacco product in the TROs around schools, with an average SAV of 60%.
* Exposure to POS tobacco advertising was a statistically significant predictor of product use 1 year later.
* The study found a significant cross-level interaction between SAV and exposure to POS tobacco advertising for e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
* The effects of exposure to POS tobacco advertising were stronger when the SAV for a specific tobacco product was higher.
* The study highlights the importance of including SAV in research investigations to better understand how the marketing of specific tobacco products may influence their use by vulnerable populations.
* The findings suggest that the proportion of advertisements for specific products may increase the demand for those products.

Main Message:
The text emphasizes the importance of considering the interaction between SAV and exposure to POS tobacco advertising when examining the relationship between advertising and tobacco use among at-risk youth. The study's findings suggest that restrictions on tobacco advertising should consider the potential risks of marketing restrictions that may inadvertently lower SAV for one product while increasing SAV for another. Policy makers should carefully monitor and regulate the full range of tobacco products to prevent changes in tobacco marketing from influencing youth in ways that appear promising but are in fact concealing critical trends. Overall, the text highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to regulating tobacco advertising to protect at-risk youth from the negative impacts of tobacco use.

Beleva, Yuliyana, James Russell Pike, Stephen Miller, Bin Xie, Susan L Ames, and Alan W Stacy. “Share of Advertising Voice at the Point-of-Sale and Its Influence on At-Risk Students’ Use of Alternative Tobacco Products.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 21, no. 7 (June 21, 2019): 903–10. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty152.