Strong presence of tobacco retailers around American schools

A study (Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Universities of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington in St. Louis) conducted in 30 major US cities[1] shows that a tobacco retailer is located within 300 meters of 63% public schools.

Retailers selling cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products in these 30 cities (an estimated 29 million adults and 8 million children, or 1 in 9 U.S. residents) have the following characteristics:

• A retailer is located within 300 meters of an average of 63,133 public schools, ranging from 33,133 in Sacramento, California to 94,133 in New York City, New York;
• The number of retailers per square mile is nearly five times higher in low-income neighborhoods, and 12 times higher in Memphis, Tennessee;
• On average, 70% of residents in these 30 cities live within 800m of a tobacco retailer, from 42% in Charlotte (North Carolina) to 94% in New York (New York);
• These retailers are clustered, with an average of 54% tobacco retailers located within 150 meters of another retailer, from 42% in Fort Worth (Texas) to 76% in Miami (Florida);
• Omnipresent (40,856 in total), they are 31 times more numerous than McDonald's restaurants and 16 times more than Starbucks cafes.

Living in neighborhoods with high concentrations of tobacco retailers increases youth’s susceptibility to smoking initiation and makes it more difficult to quit. Furthermore, higher concentrations of these retailers in disadvantaged neighborhoods contribute to and exacerbate health disparities, with tobacco use remaining the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States, accounting for 480,000 deaths and $170 billion in health care spending annually.

"This study clearly illustrates how the tobacco industry continues to target children and vulnerable communities with its deadly and addictive products.»[2], said Matthew L. Myers, President of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.