TECC Technical Assistance Portfolio 2023-2024

OUT Against Big Tobacco Central Valley (OABT-CV)

Postcard

THE FACTS:

HOW BIG TOBACCO IS INFILTRATING OUR COMMUNITIES

YOU CAN BE OUT , TOO! Share resources to help quit tobacco + The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 + Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 + SmokeFree: 1-800-QUIT-NOW + Every Try Counts!: 1-877-44U-QUIT

WHAT’S THE ISSUE? Big Tobacco spends millions every year to keep people hooked on their harmful products. One of their most successful predatory tactics is giving away tobacco products with massive discounts at practically no cost. These discounts are advertised more often to people with low incomes and neighborhoods made up of BIPOC communities, making it easier for people to start using tobacco, especially youth. DANGEROUS DISCOUNTS

Sources: • Hamilton-Moseley, K. R., McNeel, T. S., Choi, K. (2023). Cumulative cigarette discount coupon exposure and trajectories of cigarette smoking: a longitudinal analysis in US adults. Tobacco Control. https://doi: 10.1136/tc-2022-057801 • Liber, A.C., Sánchez-Romero, L.M., Cadham, C.J., Yuan, Z., Li, Y., Oh, H., Cook, S., Warner, K. E., Henriksen, L., Mistry, R., Meza, R, Fleischer, N. L., Levy, D.T. (2022). Tobacco Couponing: A Systematic Review of Exposures and Effects on Tobacco Initiation and Cessation. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. https://doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntac037 • Federal Trade Commission. (2022, August 31). FTC Report Highlights Dramatic Surge in Sale of Flavored Disposable E-Cigarettes and Menthol E-Cigarette Cartridges. https://www.ftc.gov/ news-events/news/press-releases/2022/08/ftc-report-highlights-dramatic-surge-sale-flavored disposable-e-cigarettes-menthol-e-cigarette • Zarei, K., Hamilton-Moseley, K. R., Chen-Sankey, J., et al. (2023) Financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased receipt of commercial tobacco discount coupons among US adults who use commercial tobacco. Tobacco Control. https://doi: 10.1136/tc-2022-057814 • Choi, K. (2016). The associations between exposure to tobacco coupons and predictors of smoking behaviours among US youth. Tobacco Control. https://doi: 25:232-235. ©2023. California Department of Public Health. Funded under contract #20-10363. Folks who use tobacco products and are going through financial difficulties get more discounts from tobacco companies. About 13% of young people are exposed to tobacco coupons, which makes them more likely to try tobacco products. 13% In 2020, the tobacco industry ramped up efforts to hand out free or super cheap e-cigarette products because of new federal regulations designed to limit youth access.

EXAMPLES OF THESE DECEIVING TACTICS INCLUDE:

Coupons or rebates distributed through mail, email, products, and social media Free or deeply discounted samples or “gifts”

@outagainstbigtobacco @OutTobacco

Marketing or promotions such as “buy one, get one free”

@OutTobacco

Sources: • Lee, J. G. L., Henriksen, L., Rose, S. W., Moreland-Russell, S., & Ribisl, K. M. (2015). A systematic review of neighborhood disparities in Point-of-Sale tobacco marketing. American Journal of Public Health, 105(9), e8–e18. https://doi. org/10.2105/ajph.2015.302777 • Truth Initiative. (2019). How local governments are countering industry efforts to sell cheap tobacco. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/tobacco prevention-efforts/how-local-governments-are-countering-industry-efforts • Choi, K., Chen, J. C., Tan, A. S., Soneji, S., & Moran, M. B. (2018). Receipt of tobacco direct mail/email discount coupons and trajectories of cigarette smoking behaviours in a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of US adults. Tobacco Control, 28(3), 282–288. https://doi.org/10.1136/ tobaccocontrol-2018-054363

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