Letter of Support for Reducing the Density and

Proximity to Schools of Tobacco Retailers

  • In New York State, the tobacco industry spends approximately $585,000per day to market its product.1
  • The U.S. Federal Court of Appeals concluded in 2006 that the tobacco industry created highly sophisticated marketing campaigns to get young people to initiate smoking.2
  • Greater concentration of tobacco retailers is associated with illegal cigarette purchases by young people and higher rates of youth smoking prevalence.3,4
  • In-store tobacco displays can influence kids’ smoking, increasing the likelihood of teenagers being susceptible to initiating, experimenting, or becoming current smokers.5,6
  • Experimental smoking among youth was related to the density of tobacco outlets both in high school neighborhoods and in neighborhoods where youth live. [7]
  • Advertising is more prevalent in stores located near schools and where adolescents are more likely to shop.[8]

______supports protecting youth from

(Your name or organization)

tobacco marketing by reducing thedensity of tobacco retail outlets and/or

their proximity to schools, playgrounds and parks.

Communities have been granted the authority through the Federal Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to set a maximum number of tobacco retailers within a geographic region and to preventtobacco retailers from locating near schools, parks, playgrounds, etc.

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Signature Date

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Print name Title (if applicable)

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Organization (if applicable)

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Address

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Email

Please return this signed letter to:

Southern Tier Tobacco Awareness Community Partnership (STTAC)

PO Box 858

Corning, NY 14830

Or email scanned copy to:

Or fax copy to: 607-937-9922

For more information, please visit our website or

the New York State Tobacco Control website at

or email or call 607-936-1813.

1. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. “The Toll of Tobacco in New York.”

2. Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, The verdict is in: Findings from the United States v. Phillip Morris, Marketing to Youth (2006).

3. Leatherdale, Strath. “Tobacco retailer density surrounding schools and cigarette access behaviors among underage smoking students.” Annals of Behavioral Medicine 33(1):105-111(2007)

4. Henriksen, Feighery, Schleicher, et al. “Is adolescent smoking related to the density and proximity of tobacco outlets and retail cigarette advertising near schools?” Preventive Medicine 47:210-214 (2008)

5. Paynter J, et al., “Point of sale tobacco displays and smoking among 14-15 year olds in New Zealand: a cross-sectional study,” Tobacco Control, 18:268-274, 2009.

6. Henriksen, L, et al., “A longitudinal study of exposure to retail cigarette advertising and smoking initiation,” Pediatrics 126:232- 238, 2010.

7.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health,2012. p. 601.

8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health,2012, p. 600.