Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 1998 Jan 1;89(1):17–21. doi: 10.1007/BF03405788

Tobacco Access to Youth: Beliefs and Attitudes of Retailers

Ronald A Dovell 13,✉, David L Mowat 23, John Dorland 33, Miu Lam 43
PMCID: PMC6990210  PMID: 9524384

Abstract

Results of a telephone survey provide insights into the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of tobacco merchants from two local health units. More than 90% of the retailers said they should not be able to sell cigarettes to minors. They are aware of laws prohibiting such sales but are sceptical about the impact on young people. The majority report being motivated to help protect the health of youth, however, they advise that legislation provides the main reason for not selling cigarettes to minors. Other responses and behaviours of the merchants help provide a profile of an important group that is being asked to stop selling tobacco to young people.

The authors classify the retailers into three groups according to the potential influence on their behaviour of messages about health and threats of enforcement. One of the health units had implemented a local intervention, therefore we also compare responses between the two health units. This type of information can be used when selecting strategies to strengthen health policies. Such policies and strategies should include input and feedback from retailers of tobacco.

Footnotes

Ronald A. Dovell receives support from the National Health Research and Development Program of Health Canada.

References

  • 1.Health Canada. The 1994 Youth Smoking Survey: Prevalence and amount smoked. 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 2.The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. Monitoring Ontario’s Tobacco Strategy: Progress Toward Our Goals 1995/1996. Second. Toronto: OTRU; 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Johnston L, O’Malley P, Bonnie RJ. Press release on Monitoring the Future Study. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan; 1995. [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Statistics Canada. National Population Health Survey Overview 1994–1995. Health Rep. 1995;7(2):45–48. [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Statistics Canada. Survey on Smoking in Canada, Cycle 1–1994. Ottawa: Special Surveys Division; 1995. [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Mills C, Stephens T, Wilkins K. Summary report of the workshop on data for monitoring tobacco use. Chron Dis Can. 1994;15(3):105–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Gottlieb S, Fallavollita J, McDermott M, et al. Cigarette smoking and the age at onset of a first non-fatal myocardial infarction. Coron Artery Dis. 1994;5:687–94. doi: 10.1097/00019501-199408000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Villeneuve P, Morrison H. Health consequences of smoking in Canada: An update. Chron Dis Can. 1994;15(3):102–4. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.U.S. Department of HealthHuman Services. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. Rockville, MD: DHHS; 1989. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Kaiserman MJ. The cost of smoking in Canada, 1991. Chron Dis Can. 1997;18(1):13–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Stewart SA, Wilkinson H. The Tobacco and Youth Survey. Public Health and Epidemiological Reports for Ontario. 1993;4(11):337–39. [Google Scholar]
  • 12.U.S. Department of HealthHuman Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Georgia: DHHS; 1994. [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Stanwick R, Fish D, Manfreda J, et al. Where Manitoba children get their cigarettes. CMAJ. 1987;137:405–8. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Health Canada. The 1994 Youth Smoking Survey: Cigarette Purchasing. 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Brown KS, Taylor TE, Madill CL, Cameron R. The Relationship Between the Tax Decrease and Smoking Among Youth: Results of a Survey in South-Western Ontario. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Working Paper Series #14; 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Flay BR. Youth tobacco use: Risks, patterns and control. In: Orleans CT, Slade J, editors. Nicotine Addiction: Principles and Management. New York: Oxford University Press; 1993. pp. 365–84. [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Nielsen AC. Measurement of Retailer Compliance With Respect to Tobacco Sales-to- Minors Legislation. 1995. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Porter A. Disciplinary attitudes and cigarette smoking: A comparison of two schools. BMJ. 1982;285:1725–26. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6356.1725. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.U.S. Department of HealthHuman Services. Smoking and Health in the Americas: A 1992 Report of the Surgeon General, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization. 1992. [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Ialomiteanu A, Bondy S. Prevalence of Smoking Attitudes Toward Tobacco Control Policies: Findings of the 1995 Ontario Alcohol and Other Drug Opinion Survey (OADOS) Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit; 1995. [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Ashley MJ, Bull SB, Pederson LL. Support among smokers and nonsmokers for restrictions on smoking. Am J Prev Med. 1995;11(5):283–87. doi: 10.1016/S0749-3797(18)30431-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Cummings KM, Sciandra R. Public attitudes regarding limits on public smoking and regulation of tobacco sales and advertising — 10 U.S. communities, 1989. MMWR. 1991;40(21):344–45. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Forster JL, McBride D, Jeffery R, et al. Support for restrictive tobacco policies among residents of selected Minnesota communities. Am J Health Prom. 1991;6(2):99–104. doi: 10.4278/0890-1171-6.2.99. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Government of Canada. Tobacco Sales to Young Persons Act. 1994. [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Government of Ontario. Ontario Tobacco Control Act. 1994. [Google Scholar]
  • 26.DiFranza JR, Sauvageau JA, Aisquith BF. Youth access to tobacco: The effects of age, gender, vending machine locks, and “It’s the Law” programs. Am J Public Health. 1996;86(2):221–24. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.86.2.221. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.DiFranza JR, Brown LJ. The Tobacco Institute’s “It’s the Law” campaign: Has it halted illegal sales of tobacco to children? Am J Public Health. 1992;82:1271–73. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.82.9.1271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.DiFranza JR, McAfee T. The Tobacco Institute: Helping youth say “yes” to tobacco. J Fam Pract. 1992;34(6):694–96. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Altman DG, Linzer J, Kropp R, et al. Policy alternatives for reducing tobacco sales to minors: Results from a national survey of retail chain and franchise stores. J Public Health Pol. 1992;13(3):318–31. doi: 10.2307/3342731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Dovell RA, Mowat DL, Dorland J, Lam M. Changes among retailers selling cigarettes to minors. Can J Public Health. 1996;87(1):66–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Dovell RA. Analysis of Factors Associated with a Behaviour Change Among Retailers Who Sell Cigarettes to Minors [thesis] Kingston, ON: Queen’s University; 1994. [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Alcaraz R, Klonoff EA, Landrine H. The effects on children of participating in studies of minors’ access to tobacco. Prev Med. 1997;26:236–40. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1996.0133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Release 6.0. Chicago IL: SPSS Inc.; 1993. [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Health Canada. Office of Tobacco Control. Measurement of Retailer Compliance With Respect to Tobacco Sales to Minors Legislation & Restrictions on Tobacco Advertising. 1995. [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Erickson AD, Woodruff SI, Wildey MB, Kenney E. A baseline assessment of cigarette sales to minors in San Diego, California. J Commun Health. 1993;18(4):213–24. doi: 10.1007/BF01324432. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 36.Wakefield M, Carrangis J, Wilson D, Reynolds C. Illegal cigarette sales to children in South Australia. Tobacco Control. 1991;1:114–17. doi: 10.1136/tc.1.2.114. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Altman DG, Foster V, Rasenick-Douss L, Tye JB. Reducing the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. JAMA. 1989;61(1):80–83. doi: 10.1001/jama.1989.03420010090039. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 38.Johnson JL, Green LW, Frankish CJ, et al. A dissemination research agenda to strengthen health promotion and disease prevention. Can J Public Health. 1996;87(s.2):S5–S10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 39.Ajzen I, Fishbein M. The prediction of behavioural intentions in a choice situation. J Exp Psychol. 1969;5:400–16. [Google Scholar]
  • 40.McDonald L. The Sociology of Law and Order. Toronto: Methuen Publications; 1979. [Google Scholar]
  • 41.Green LW, Kreuter MW. Health Promotion Planning — An Educational and Environmental Approach. 1991;17:19. [Google Scholar]
  • 42.Landrine H, Klonoff EA, Fritz JM. Preventing cigarette sales to minors: The need for contextual, sociological analysis. Prev Med. 1994;23:322–27. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1994.1045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 43.O’Grady B, Asbridge M, Abernathy T. An Analysis of Factors Related to Illegal Tobacco Sales to Youth in Ontario. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit; 1997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 44.Jason L, Billows W, Schnopp-Wyatt D, King C. Reducing the illegal sales of cigarettes to minors: Analysis of alternative enforcement schedules. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996;29(3):333–44. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 45.Altman D, Carol J, Chalkley C, et al. Report of the Tobacco Policy Research Study Group on access to tobacco products in the United States. Tobacco Control. 1992;1(suppl):S45–S51. doi: 10.1136/tc.1.suppl1.S45. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 46.Curran J, Ellis E, Hotte A. Controlling youth’s access to tobacco — One community’s approach. Public Health and Epidemiological Reports for Ontario. 1995;63:51–55. [Google Scholar]
  • 47.Dovell RA, Abernathy TJ. Impacts of new legislation to prevent sales of tobacco to minors. Environ Health Rev. 1997;41(2):45–50. [Google Scholar]
  • 48.Jason LA, Ji PY, Anes M, Birkhead SH. Active enforcement of cigarette control laws in the prevention of cigarette sales to minors. JAMA. 1991;266(22):3159–61. doi: 10.1001/jama.1991.03470220075030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 49.Radecki TE, Zdunich CD. Tobacco sales to minors in 97 U.S. and Canadian communities. Tobacco Control. 1993;2:300–5. doi: 10.1136/tc.2.4.300. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 50.Langemann HA. Tobacco Sales to Minors Compliance Check Survey 1995: Vancouver Health Department. Environ Health Rev. 1996;40(1):6–10. [Google Scholar]
  • 51.Prochaska JO, DiClemente, CC. The Transtheoretical Approach. Homewood, IL: Dow-Jones Irwin, 1984;50.

Articles from Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES