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An observational study of retail availability and in-store marketing of e-cigarettes in London: potential to undermine recent tobacco control gains?

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Hsu, Robert 
Myers, Allison E 
Ribisl, Kurt M 
Marteau, Theresa M 

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: E-cigarette companies and vendors claim the potential of e-cigarettes to help smokers reduce or quit tobacco use. E-cigarettes also have the potential to renormalise smoking. The purpose of this study was to describe the availability and in-store marketing of e-cigarettes in London, UK stores selling tobacco and alcohol. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Small and large stores selling alcohol and tobacco in London, UK. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of stores selling e-cigarettes, the number of stores with an interior or exterior e-cigarette advertisement, the number of stores with an e-cigarette point-of-sale movable display, store size, deprivation index score for store's corresponding lower super output area. RESULTS: Audits were completed in 108 of 128 selected stores. 62 of the audited stores (57%) sold e-cigarettes. E-cigarette availability was unrelated to store size. There was a statistically non-significant trend towards increased availability in more deprived areas (p=0.069). 31 of the 62 stores (50%) selling e-cigarettes had a point-of-sale movable display, with all but one found in small stores. Two small stores had interior advertisements and eight had exterior advertisements. No advertisements were observed in large stores. CONCLUSIONS: This audit revealed widespread availability of e-cigarettes and in-store marketing in London, UK. Even if e-cigarettes prove to be an effective cessation aid, their sale and use are resulting in an increasing public presence of cigarette-like images and smoking behaviour. After decades of work to denormalise smoking, these findings raise the question of whether e-cigarettes are renormalising smoking.

Description

Keywords

e-cigarette, electronic cigarette, point-of-sale marketing, store audits, tobacco control policy, tobacco industry

Journal Title

BMJ Open

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2044-6055
2044-6055

Volume Title

3

Publisher

BMJ