Share of advertising voice at the point-of-sale and its influence on at-risk students’ use of alternative tobacco products

Abstract

Introduction: As adolescent tobacco use shifts from traditional cigarettes to alternative products, it is important to understand the influence of point-of-sale (POS) advertising on product use.This research investigated whether the percentage of POS advertising for a particular product, known as the share of advertising voice (SAV), moderated the relationship between exposure to POS tobacco advertisements and tobacco use among at-risk youth. Methods: Longitudinal self-report data from 746 students attending 20 alternative high schools in southern California was merged with observational data cataloging 2101 advertisements for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco from 87 tobacco retail outlets within a half mile of the schools. Four multilevel Poisson regression models examined whether SAV interacted with POS tobacco advertising exposure to influence the use of tobacco products 1 year later. Results: Adolescent exposure to POS tobacco advertisements was significantly associated with increased use of all four tobacco products (p < .02). When SAV was added to the model as a moderator, the results showed a significant interaction, such that increasing the SAV for e-cigarettes was associated with greater use of that product (β = 0.27, SE = 0.07, p < .001).The same moderating effect was found for smokeless tobacco (β = 0.56, SE = 0.19, p = .004) but no moderating effect was observed for cigarettes or cigars. Conclusion: POS SAV has the potential to influence at-risk students’ use of alternative tobacco products and may be a contributing factor to recent nationwide shifts in youth tobacco use. Implications: Future studies should monitor changes in SAV to gain insight into POS marketing trends that may be impacting youth tobacco use. In addition, state and local governments should consider implementing policies that limit the volume and proportion of POS tobacco advertising for all nicotine and tobacco products available in retail environments near schools. Restrictions placed on a single product may cause unintended shifts in product selection rather than a reduction in youth tobacco use.