Newswise — Since the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement banned tobacco advertising aimed at youths, tobacco companies have significantly increased point-of-purchase promotions for cigarettes, potentially offsetting the effectiveness of cigarette tax increas

The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, is published in the April issue of the journal Tobacco Control. Researchers studied cigarette scanner data collected at grocery stores in 50 retail markets across the United States from 1994 to 2003. The data allowed researchers to analyze total cigarette sales as well as cigarettes sold as part of point-of-purchase promotions which include buy-one-pack, get-one-pack-free offers, price reductions and free merchandize with purchase. “After the implementation of the Master Settlement Agreement, promoted cigarette sales increased to five times their previous level, as a proportion of total sales,” said Brett Loomis, RTI researcher and the study’s lead author. “This highlights the importance of understanding the prevalence and impact tobacco industry promotions have on smoking.” According to the study, promoted cigarette sales spiked in the fourth quarter of 1998, coinciding with the implementation of the Master Settlement Agreement and rose again in 2001 and 2002, corresponding with widespread increases in state cigarette taxes. Previous studies have shown that frequent exposure to retail tobacco advertising can increase the chances that a youth will smoke, emphasizing the influence of cigarette advertising and promotion. “The tobacco industry tends to compete based on advertising rather than price,” Loomis said. “As cigarette sales continue to fall, tobacco companies will likely continue to react with increased retail advertising. Retail chains are one of the few remaining options for tobacco advertising, so it is attracting a growing share of tobacco advertising resources.” The study can be viewed free of charge on the Tobacco Control Web site. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Substance Abuse Policy Research Program is a $54 million program that funds research into policies related to alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. About RTI International RTI International, the nation's second largest independent nonprofit research organization, is dedicated to conducting research and development that improves the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. With a staff of more than 2,500 people, RTI offers innovative research and technical services to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, governance, economic and social development, energy, and the environment. RTI maintains nine offices in the United States, five international offices, and one international subsidiary, as well as project offices around the world. For more information, please visit us at http://www.rti.org.

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