Dataset Information

State and Territorial Laws Prohibiting Sales of Tobacco Products to Persons Aged <21 Years - United States, December 20, 2019.

ABSTRACT: Raising the minimum legal sales age (MLSA) for tobacco products to 21 years (T21) is a strategy to help prevent and delay the initiation of tobacco product use (1). On December 20, 2019, Congress raised the federal MLSA for tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. Before enactment of the federal T21 law, localities, states, and territories were increasingly adopting their own T21 laws as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent youth initiation of tobacco products, particularly in response to recent increases in use of e-cigarettes among youths (2). Nearly all tobacco product use begins during adolescence, and minors have cited social sources such as older peers and siblings as a common source of access to tobacco products (1,3). State and territorial T21 laws vary widely and can include provisions that might not benefit the public's health, including penalties to youths for purchase, use, or possession of tobacco products; exemptions for military populations; phase-in periods; and preemption of local laws. To understand the landscape of U.S. state and territorial T21 laws before enactment of the federal law, CDC assessed state and territorial laws prohibiting sales of all tobacco products to persons aged <21 years. As of December 20, 2019, 19 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Guam, and Palau had enacted T21 laws, including 13 enacted in 2019. Compared with T21 laws enacted during 2013-2018, more laws enacted in 2019 have purchase, use, or possession penalties; military exemptions; phase-in periods of 1 year or more; and preemption of local laws related to tobacco product sales. T21 laws could help prevent and reduce youth tobacco product use when implemented as part of a comprehensive approach that includes evidence-based, population-based tobacco control strategies such as smoke-free laws and pricing strategies (1,4).

SUBMITTER: Marynak K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7043390 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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State and Territorial Laws Prohibiting Sales of Tobacco Products to Persons Aged <21 Years - United States, December 20, 2019.

Marynak Kristy K Mahoney Margaret M Williams Kisha-Ann S KS Tynan Michael A MA Reimels Elizabeth E King Brian A BA

MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 20200221 7

Raising the minimum legal sales age (MLSA) for tobacco products to 21 years (T21) is a strategy to help prevent and delay the initiation of tobacco product use (1). On December 20, 2019, Congress raised the federal MLSA for tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. Before enactment of the federal T21 law, localities, states, and territories were increasingly adopting their own T21 laws as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent youth initiation of tobacco products, particularly in response to re ...[more]

PMID: 32078593

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Project description:ImportanceTobacco 21 (T21) policies raise the minimum legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 years to curb youth access to tobacco products. While some studies have found that T21 is associated with reducing prevalence of youth tobacco use, little is known about the impact it may have on youth of different racial and ethnic identities.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of T21 policy with the prevalence of high school youth tobacco use across sex, race, and ethnicity.Design, setting, and participantsThis survey study used representative survey data collected from the local biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2013 to 2017 comparing Cleveland, Ohio (which has a T21 policy), to proximal jurisdictions in the first-ring suburbs in Cuyahoga County (which do not have T21 policies). Within-Cleveland demographic information was also collected for 2013 to 2019. Overall high school youth tobacco use rates were compared between Cleveland and the first-ring suburbs and then examined within Cleveland among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White high school students. Percentage data were adjusted to more closely align with local population demographics. Data were analyzed from January to June 2022.ExposuresT21 was implemented in Cleveland in 2016 and not adopted in proximal jurisdictions or at the state and federal level until at least 1 year later.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcomes were prevalence of past 30-day cigarette, cigar product, or e-cigarette use, measured using geographically representative high school youth survey data from 2013 to 2015 (prelegislation) and 2017 to 2019 (postlegislation) and compared using a difference-in-differences analysis.ResultsThe unweighted sample included 12 616 high school students (27.0% [95% CI, 26.9%-28.0%] in 10th grade; 50.9% [95% CI, 50.3%-51.6%] females) participating in 1 or more Youth Risk Behavior Surveys from 2013 to 2019, including 7064 students in Cleveland and 5552 students in the first-ring suburbs. Compared with the first-ring suburbs, Cleveland had a greater proportion of younger students (1623 [28.5%] ninth grade students vs 2179 [34.0%] ninth grade students) and Hispanic students (436 students [1.1%] vs 1433 students [12.6%]) and non-Hispanic Black students (2000 students [53.1%] vs 3971 students [75.1%]). Cigars were the most commonly used tobacco product in Cleveland, with use reported by 6201 students (19.8%) in 2013, 5877 students (21.3%) in 2015, and 5784 students (16.8%) in 2019. Compared with the first-ring suburbs, there was a greater decline in prevalence of use of cigars in Cleveland (β = 0.18 [SE, 0.05]; P < .001). The disparity across race, ethnicity, and sex decreased for all current tobacco product use. For example, the maximum difference between demographic subpopulations in current cigarette use was 11.6 (95% CI, 9.5-13.7) percentage points in 2013 between White females (16.1% [95% CI, 11.3%-20.8%]) and Black males (4.5% [95% CI, 3.5%-5.4%]). This maximum difference in current cigarette use decreased significantly to 5.1 (95% CI, 3.5-6.7) percentage points in 2019 between White females (6.9% [95% CI, 3.4%-10.3%]) and Black females (1.8% [95% CI, 0.7%-2.8%]).Conclusions and relevanceThis survey study found that there was a decline in youth-reported tobacco use across every tobacco product category from 2013 to 2019. This decline changed the trajectory of use among several demographic groups and brought the youth populations with the highest tobacco product use to similar rates of others.

Project description:Introduction:Flavors can mask the harshness of tobacco and make it appealing to young people. This study assessed flavored and menthol tobacco product sales at the national and state levels. Methods:Universal Product Code tobacco sales data collected by Nielsen were combined for convenience stores and all-outlets-combined during October 22, 2011-January 9, 2016. Products were characterized as flavored, menthol, or non-flavored/non-menthol. Total unit sales, and the proportion of flavored and menthol unit sales, were assessed nationally and by state for seven tobacco products. Joinpoint regression was used to assess trends in average monthly percentage change. Results:Nationally, the proportion of flavored and menthol sales in 2015 was as follows: cigarettes (32.5% menthol), large cigars (26.1% flavored), cigarillos (47.5% flavored, 0.2% menthol), little cigars (21.8% flavored, 19.4% menthol), chewing tobacco (1.4% flavored, 0.7% menthol), moist snuff (3.0% flavored, 57.0% menthol), and snus (88.5% menthol). From 2011 to 2015, sales increased for flavored cigarillos and chewing tobacco, as well as for menthol cigarettes, little cigars, moist snuff, and snus. Sales decreased for flavored large cigars, moist snuff, and snus, and for menthol chewing tobacco. State-level variations were observed by product; for example, flavored little cigar sales ranged from 4.4% (Maine) to 69.3% (Utah) and flavored cigarillo sales ranged from 26.6% (Maine) to 63.0% (Maryland). Conclusions:Menthol and flavored sales have increased since 2011, particularly for the products with the highest number of units sold, and significant state variation exists. Efforts to restrict flavored tobacco product sales could reduce overall U.S. tobacco consumption. Implications:Flavors in tobacco products can mask the harshness of tobacco and make these products more appealing to young people. This is the first study to assess national and state-level trends in flavored and menthol tobacco product sales. These findings underscore the importance of population-based interventions to address flavored tobacco product use at the national, state, and local levels. Additionally, further monitoring of flavored and menthol tobacco product sales can inform potential future regulatory efforts at the national, state, and local levels.

Dataset Information

State and Territorial Laws Prohibiting Sales of Tobacco Products to Persons Aged <21 Years - United States, December 20, 2019.

Publications

State and Territorial Laws Prohibiting Sales of Tobacco Products to Persons Aged <21 Years - United States, December 20, 2019.

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