Sale Of Single Cigarettes Research Articles

Single cigarette sales contravene tobacco control policies, Brazil.

Single cigarette sales contravene tobacco control policies, Brazil.

A Cross-Country Study of Cigarette Affordability and Single-Stick Purchases Using Survey Data From African Countries.

Reducing cigarette affordability is paramount for reducing cigarette consumption. Measuring affordability requires data on cigarette prices. Unlike the commonly used retail price of a 20-pack of the most-sold cigarette domestically, survey-derived cigarette prices reflect differences arising from the brand variety and the types of packaging in which cigarettes are purchased. This paper uses self-reported cigarette price data from the eight African countries that have implemented the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) to construct country-level Relative Income Prices. The relationship between cigarette affordability, cigarette smoking prevalence, and cigarette smoking intensity, is examined using logit models for smoking participation (N = 51122) and generalized linear models for conditional cigarette demand (N = 2443). GATS data are also used to produce nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of single-stick cigarette purchases in the sampled countries. The estimated affordability elasticity of cigarette smoking participation is -0.245 (95% CI = -0.411 to -0.078). The estimated affordability elasticity of smoking intensity is -0.155 (95% CI = -0.286 to -0.023). Single-stick cigarette sales dominate all-markets. The proportion of smokers who reported buying cigarettes in the form of single sticks during their most recent cigarette purchase exceeds 90% in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The results point to the need for governments in the countries sampled to increase excise taxes in a manner that renders cigarettes less affordable over time, and to enact and enforce legislation that prohibits the sale of single cigarettes. These findings highlight that measures to reduce both the demand and supply of cigarettes will be required to reduce their use in the region. This study is the first to examine the prevalence of single-stick cigarette purchases, and the association between cigarette affordability and smoking outcomes, in the African setting, using data from the GATS. Findings provide local evidence for the countries sampled, which represent over half of sub-Saharan Africa's adult population (aged 15 and older), on the importance of implementing excise tax increases that reduce cigarette affordability over time. They also highlight the need to enact and enforce legislation that prohibits the sale of single cigarettes.

Perception of and legal compliance with the law prohibiting cigarette sales to minors in Thailand following the raising of the minimum selling age to 20 years: a cross-sectional survey

ObjectivesThe minimum age for cigarette sales in Thailand was increased from 18 to 20 years, as stipulated in the Tobacco Products Control Act B.E. 2017. This study investigated tobacco retailers’...

The sale of single cigarettes in Brazil from 2008 to 2019: one more cause of concern?

In Brazil, the sale of cigarettes is only allowed in closed packages with 20 units. The evolution over time of the proportion of adult smokers who purchased single manufactured cigarettes in their last purchase was evaluated. Data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in 2008 and the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013 and 2019 were used. A generalized linear model was used to calculate the differences in the proportion of single cigarette purchases between the survey years, adjusted for sociodemographic and smoking behavior variables. Considering 2013 as the reference year, the relative differences in the proportions were, respectively, -15.3% (adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) when compared to 2008, and +13.3 (adjusted p-value = 0.08) when compared to 2019. Approximately 20% of young adult smokers reported buying single cigarettes in 2019 and the difference in the proportion of single cigarette purchases between individuals aged 18 to 24 and those older likely increased from 2013 to 2019 (adjusted interaction p-value = 0.08). There are reasons for concern, as the strengthening of tax policy from 2008 to 2013 was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of purchases of single cigarettes. Despite the decrease in the real price of cigarette packs from 2017, a context of low effectiveness of implementation of other anti-smoking measures likely accentuated the difference in the proportion of purchase of single cigarettes between young people and adults. The continued presence of single cigarettes as a mode of acquisition contributes to economically vulnerable population subgroups becoming and/or remaining dependent on smoking behavior.

Banning Loose Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products in India: A Policy Analysis.

Sale of single cigarettes (also known as singles or loosies) is a key driver for early initiation of smoking and is a leading contributor to the smoking epidemic in India. Sale of singles additionally deter implementation of tobacco control strategies of pictorial health warnings including plain packaging and defeat effective taxation and promote illicit trade. We review India's tobacco control policy responses towards banning singles and other products sold as loose tobacco and identify opportunities for future policy intervention especially in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Existing national and sub-national policy documents were analyzed for their content since the inception of the tobacco control laws in the country. There are no effective provisions at national level to ban loose tobacco products in India. However, the implementation of multiple legislative and regulatory measures (Acts/circulars/letters/notifications/orders/court judgements) in 16 Indian states and jurisdictions provide sufficient legal framework to substantiate its complete ban pan India. While the majority of state governments have adopted state level measures, Rajasthan had issued specific directive to all the 33 districts banning loose cigarettes and other tobacco products. Himachal Pradesh introduced the most unique and comprehensive legislation, for banning the sale of cigarettes and beedis (Dated November 7, 2016). The most recent notification in the state of Maharashtra (September 24, 2020) is the first to leverage powers using a mix of national and state legislations including the legislation addressing the rapidly emerging challenge of managing COVID-19. A robust national policy which supports strong provision to deter tobacco companies, their distribution network and vendors from selling singles or loose tobacco products is urgently needed. Such policy should be backed by cautionary messaging for consumers as well. Eliminating singles and loose tobacco sale will help in blunting tobacco use prevalence besides curbing spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of a Youth-Engaging Intervention on Illegal Sales by Tobacco Retailers Near Schools in Thailand.

This study assessed the effects of youth-engaging interventions on illegal sales by tobacco retailers near schools in Thailand. The youth were educated and engaged in the planning and implementation of a program to reduce tobacco retailers' illegal sales in the Uttaradit Municipality, Thailand. Intervention components included community education, retailer education, and direct approaches to tobacco retailers. A study included a pretest-posttest control group. The 6-month intervention focused on 114 tobacco retailers. The posttest showed that the percentage of tobacco retailers violating the retail law decreased: tobacco product displays at points of sales decreased from 67.5% to 23.7%, single cigarette sales declined from 71.1% to 36.0%, and tobacco sales to minors decreased from 74.6% to 5.3%. Asking for identification or the buyer's age before selling tobacco increased from 33.3% to 78.1%. The intervention led to a significant reduction in the violation of tobacco retail laws near schools.

"I'm gonna get me a loosie" Understanding single cigarette purchases by adult smokers in a disadvantaged section of New York City.

This study seeks to update and expand our understanding of the perceptions and purchasing patterns of smokers of single cigarettes (‘loosies’) in disadvantaged urban areas. Semi-structured guides were used in thirteen focus groups with 67 self-identified adult smokers from the South Bronx section of New York City in summer 2013.There is wide availability of single cigarettes in the South Bronx, with legitimate stores overwhelmingly being the preferred venue for purchases. Single cigarettes are sold at higher per-unit prices than illicit packs. However, buyers of single cigarettes can achieve cost savings compared to legal, fully taxed cigarette packs. Apart from cost-savings, smokers opt for single cigarettes to reduce their personal cigarette consumption. There is a general perception of market resilience despite law enforcement intervention. However, law enforcement has a limiting effect on access to single cigarettes outside of an individual smoker's immediate neighborhood.The findings suggest that single cigarette sales are an important element of the illicit cigarette market in disadvantaged communities which should not be ignored in future research on the nature and extent of cigarette tax avoidance and evasion.

Tobacco control law implementation in a middle-income country: Transnational tobacco control network overcoming tobacco industry opposition in Colombia

ABSTRACTThe objective of this paper is to examine the implementation of Colombia's tobacco control law. Methods involved are triangulated government legislation, news sources, and interviews with policy-makers and health advocates in Colombia. Colombia, a middle-income country, passed a tobacco control law in 2009 that included a prohibition on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; and required pictorial health warning labels, ingredients disclosure, and a prohibition on individual cigarette sales. Tobacco companies challenged the implementation through litigation, tested government enforcement of advertising provisions and regulations on ingredients disclosure, and lobbied local governments to deprioritise policy responses to single cigarette sales. A transnational network including international health groups and funders helped strengthen domestic capacity to implement the law by; promoting public awareness of Ley [Law] 1335; training local health department staff on enforcement; facilitating health agencies’ sharing of educational strategies; and providing legal defence assistance. This network included vigilant efforts by local health groups, which continuously monitored and alerted the media to noncompliance, engaged government officials and policy-makers on implementation, and raised public awareness. Support from international health NGOs and funders and continuous engagement by local health groups enhanced implementation capacities to counter continued tobacco industry interference and ensure effective tobacco control implementation.

Youth tobacco use in South-East Asia: Implications for tobacco epidemic and options for its control in the region.

Nearly half of all male population and two in every five females in the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR) consume some form of tobacco. Preventing initiation among adolescents is critical for overall tobacco control. We assessed the trends in youth tobacco use and policies in SEAR. Data are used from school-based youth (Global Youth Tobacco Survey and global school student-based health survey) and adult (Global Adult Tobacco Survey, STEPS) tobacco surveys and the WHO Framework of Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation database. More than 10% of 13-15-year-old adolescent students reported tobacco use in 8 out of 11 countries. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco exceeded that of cigarettes except in Indonesia, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. No consistent declining trends in tobacco use were observed in any of the countries with 3 or more data points. More than half of all daily smokers aged 20-34 years initiated "daily" smoking before 20 years of age. 19% (Bangladesh) to 55% (Timor-Leste) of 13-17-year old students tried their first cigarette before their 14th birthday. Majority of adolescent students in most of the SEAR countries reported purchasing their cigarettes from store/shop/vendor and as single sticks, with few exceptions and purchased them as "single" cigarette. There is a limited change in affordability of cigarettes in SEAR over time. Tobacco use remains high among youth in SEAR. Efforts should be strengthened to fully implement/enforce recommended policy measures (legal minimum age, fiscal measures to reduce tobacco affordability; prohibiting sale of single cigarettes, etc.) and to explore new measures (e.g., tobacco-free generation).

Single Cigarette Sales: State Differences in FDA Advertising and Labeling Violations, 2014, United States

Single Cigarette Sales: State Differences in FDA Advertising and Labeling Violations, 2014, United States

Neighborhood Inequalities in Retailers' Compliance With the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, January 2014-July 2014.

IntroductionRetailer noncompliance with limited US tobacco regulations on advertising and labeling was historically patterned by neighborhood in ways that promote health disparities. In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began enforcing stronger tobacco retailer regulations under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. However, recent research has found no differences in compliance by neighborhood characteristics for FDA advertising and labeling inspections. We sought to investigate the neighborhood characteristics associated with retailer noncompliance with specific FDA advertising and labeling inspections (ie, violations of bans on self-service displays, selling single cigarettes, false or mislabeled products, vending machines, flavored cigarettes, and free samples).MethodsWe coded FDA advertising and labeling warning letters (n = 718) for type of violations and geocoded advertising and labeling inspections from January 1 through July 31, 2014 (N = 33,543). Using multilevel models, we examined cross-sectional associations between types of violations and neighborhood characteristics previously associated with disparities (ie, percentage black, Latino, under the poverty line, and younger than 18 years).ResultsRetailer advertising and labeling violations are patterned by who lives in the neighborhood; regulated tobacco products are more likely to be stored behind the counter as the percentage of black or Latino residents increases, and single cigarettes are more often available for purchase in neighborhoods as the percentage of black, poor, or young residents increases.ConclusionContrary to previous null findings, noncompliance with FDA advertising and labeling regulations is patterned by neighborhood characteristics, sometimes in opposite directions. Given the low likelihood of self-service violations in the same neighborhoods that have high likelihood of single cigarette sales, we suggest targeted approaches to FDA retailer inspections and education campaigns.

The Single Cigarette Economy in India--a Back of the Envelope Survey to Estimate its Magnitude.

Sale of single cigarettes is an important factor for early experimentation, initiation and persistence of tobacco use and a vital factor in the smoking epidemic in India as it is globally. Single cigarettes also promote the sale of illicit cigarettes and neutralises the effect of pack warnings and effective taxation, making tobacco more accessible and affordable to minors. This is the first study to our knowledge which estimates the size of the single stick market in India. In February 2014, a 10 jurisdiction survey was conducted across India to estimate the sale of cigarettes in packs and sticks, by brands and price over a full business day. We estimate that nearly 75% of all cigarettes are sold as single sticks annually, which translates to nearly half a billion US dollars or 30 percent of the India's excise revenues from all cigarettes. This is the price which the consumers pay but is not captured through tax and therefore pervades into an informal economy. Tracking the retail price of single cigarettes is an efficient way to determine the willingness to pay by cigarette smokers and is a possible method to determine the tax rates in the absence of any other rationale.

Single Cigarette Sales: State Differences in FDA Advertising and Labeling Violations, 2014, United States.

Single cigarettes, which are sold without warning labels and often evade taxes, can serve as a gateway for youth smoking. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, including prohibiting the sale of single cigarettes. To enforce these regulations, the FDA conducted over 335,661 inspections between 2010 and September 30, 2014, and allocated over $115 million toward state inspections contracts. To examine differences in single cigarette violations across states and determine if likely correlates of single cigarette sales predict single cigarette violations at the state level. Cross-sectional study of publicly available FDA warning letters from January 1 to July 31, 2014. All 50 states and the District of Columbia. Tobacco retailer inspections conducted by FDA (n = 33 543). State cigarette tax, youth smoking prevalence, poverty, and tobacco production. State proportion of FDA warning letters issued for single cigarette violations. There are striking differences in the number of single cigarette violations found by state, with 38 states producing no warning letters for selling single cigarettes even as state policymakers developed legislation to address retailer sales of single cigarettes. The state proportion of warning letters issued for single cigarettes is not predicted by state cigarette tax, youth smoking, poverty, or tobacco production, P = .12. Substantial, unexplained variation exists in violations of single cigarette sales among states. These data suggest the possibility of differences in implementation of FDA inspections and the need for stronger quality monitoring processes across states implementing FDA inspections.

Out of View but in Plain Sight: The Illegal Sale of Single Cigarettes

The practice of selling single cigarettes (loosies) through an informal economy is prevalent in urban, low socioeconomic (low SES) communities. Although US state and federal laws make this practice illegal, it may be occurring more frequently with the recent increase in taxes on cigarettes. This investigation provides information concerning the illegal practice of selling single cigarettes to better understand this behavior and to inform intervention programs and policymakers. A total of 488 African American young adults were recruited and surveyed at two education and employment training programs in Baltimore City from 2005 to 2008. Fifty-one percent of the sample reported smoking cigarettes in the past month; only 3.7% of the sample were former smokers. Approximately 65% of respondents reported seeing single cigarettes sold daily on the street. Multivariate logistic regression modeling found that respondents who reported seeing single cigarettes sold on the street several times a week were more than two times as likely to be current smokers compared to participants who reported that they never or infrequently saw single cigarettes being sold, after controlling for demographics (OR = 2.16; p = 0.034). Tax increases have led to an overall reduction in cigarette smoking. However, smoking rates in urban, low SES communities and among young adults remain high. Attention and resources are needed to address the environmental, normative, and behavioral conditions influencing tobacco use and the disparities it causes. Addressing these factors would help reduce future health care costs and save lives.

Effect of a brief retailer intervention to reduce the sale of single cigarettes.

A surprising finding from the present study was the occasional retailer practice of giving singles away upon confederates' requests to purchase singles. This practice was not expected, and additional data related to its occurrence (i.e., under what circumstances it occurred) were not collected. Although the prevalence of giving away singles was not high (approximately 6% of stores at pretest and 3% at posttest), the practice raises concern in that it may greatly facilitate experimental smoking and undermine cessation attempts. Availability (i.e., sales and giving) of single cigarettes dropped significantly during the four-month period of this study (34% to 10%), suggesting that a brief educational intervention followed by a "booster" mailing of materials effectively reduced single cigarette availability. The overall reduction in availability of singles was also seen for the two store types individually. It is noteworthy, however, that at both assessments, liquor stores were more likely than independent markets to have singles available. The finding that location of singles changed from on top of and behind the counter to exclusively behind the counter indicated that retailers may have become aware that providing singles is illegal, and made attempts to be less obvious about their availability. Although the ultimate goal was to completely eliminate the availability of single cigarettes, the change in location may be positive in that impulse buying could be diminished when singles are hidden.

The Problem and Sociocultural Context of Single-Cigarette Sales

To provide data on the sale of single cigarettes to adults and minors and to examine the sociocultural context in which these sales occur. A naturalistic observation study using repeated measures. Two hundred six stores in a convenience sample were visited by one minor and one adult who each attempted to purchase a single cigarette. Single-cigarette sales to an adult and/or minor. Data were obtained on type of store and, if a sale occurred, on the price, brand, and packaging of the cigarette. The ethnic composition of the neighborhood surrounding each store was determined. One hundred one (49.1%) of the stores sold single cigarettes. Singles were sold significantly more often to minors than to adults, and when both could make a purchase, minors paid more for these singles than did adults. Singles were least likely to be sold in white neighborhoods, more likely to be sold in integrated neighborhoods, and most likely to be sold in minority neighborhoods. Minors were able to purchase single cigarettes during 34.4% of the visits to white neighborhoods but could do so during 71.2% of the visits to minority neighborhoods; adults were able to make similar purchases during 24% of the visits to white neighborhoods and 37.3% of the visits to minority neighborhoods. The illegal sale of single cigarettes involves complex sociocultural factors heretofore unexamined. An understanding of such factors may be useful in planning merchant education programs and drafting policy to control illegal sales.

The problem and sociocultural context of single-cigarette sales

The problem and sociocultural context of single-cigarette sales