Community support for this change was fueled by growing concerns about the health effects and rising use of electronic nicotine products among youth. One of the biggest drivers of youth tobacco use is the retail environment, where harmful substances such as tobacco and nicotine products are marketed and sold, often in appealing flavors directly targeted towards youth.

To strengthen the case for change, Counter Tools partnered with The Coalition to support their advocacy work by providing tobacco retailer density and proximity maps of Lufkin, Texas.

Tobacco retailer density refers to how concentrated tobacco outlets are in a neighborhood, often measured as retailers per 1,000 people. High density increases exposure to advertising and makes tobacco more accessible, leading to higher rates of use among both youth and adults. Proximity measures the distance to the nearest retailer, in feet or miles. The closer the store, the easier it is for young people to be exposed to products and marketing. Research shows that high density and close proximity fuel disparities: youth initiation rises, people who smoke consume more, and quit attempts are less likely to succeed. Reducing density and proximity is key to protecting community health.

These maps visually demonstrated how 61% of tobacco retailers were clustering close to schools and parks within a 2,000-foot radius, raising the risk of youth exposure to marketing and easy access to nicotine. By presenting data in a clear and compelling way, The Coalition was able to strengthen its case and mobilize community support. Data visualizations that highlight the need for change are often the turning point in advocacy, transforming abstract data into a persuasive story to influence policy and create healthier environments.

“The tobacco retailer maps from Counter Tools were a powerful tool in our advocacy
efforts. A quick glance at our map shows the high number of vape shops in our rural
town of only 35,000 people. This was tangible proof that it was time for our community
to act and protect our youth from further exposure to these harmful products.”
Sharon Kruk, Executive Director | The Coalition

With the passing of this ordinance, new e-cigarette and vape retail shops require a special use permit and are zoned to light and heavy manufacturing districts, which are mostly on the outskirts of town and away from residential zones. Importantly, the ordinance sets a 1,000-foot buffer zone around schools and churches, safeguarding youth by preventing vape retailers from clustering near places they frequent. Existing vape shops will not be impacted by this ordinance unless they are closed for more than six months, in which case they would have to apply for a special use permit. Additionally, the ordinance does not apply to stores with vape products bringing in less than 50% of the store’s revenue.

Counter Tools celebrates this milestone alongside The Coalition and community leaders in Lufkin, Texas. Their work sets a positive example for other cities looking to address youth tobacco use at the point of sale. With each local victory, we move closer to a healthier future where all youth can grow up free from the influence of commercial tobacco.

Strategy

During the summer of 2022, youth across the state of Kansas participated in a project to learn more about the tobacco retail environment in their communities. The project was led by Counter Tools in coordination with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition. Using a survey form adapted from the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (STARS) surveillance tool, high school students from five Resist chapters gathered data about the tobacco retailers in their counties, including the types of tobacco products sold and how they are marketed. Resist is a statewide, youth-led movement that strives to de-normalize tobacco use among youth and unites communities to stand up against the tobacco industry. 

Results

Students completed a total of 77 store assessments at tobacco retailers throughout Douglas, Johnson, Jackson, and Wyandotte counties as well as in the town of Holcomb in Finney County. Resist chapters focused on assessing retailers that were located near their schools or were visited regularly by them and their peers. Most of these retailers were convenience stores, and close to 70% of the stores featured exterior tobacco advertisements. Youth also observed many stores selling flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and oral nicotine products. In reflecting on their experience, students were struck by the large displays for e-cigarettes with bright colors available in flavors ranging from fruit and candy to herbs and spices. Sometimes these displays were only a few feet off the ground – right at eye level for kids – or located near other products that youth might be looking for, like candy or toys. E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, and in addition to targeted marketing, flavors are a key driver of youth e-cigarette use. Almost 80% of the stores students assessed sold cigarillos or little cigars for less than $1 – inexpensive enough that price-sensitive groups like youth may find these products more appealing. 

Read the full success story here.

Our partners have achieved great successes in public health. We recognize their hard work and leadership in creating healthier communities. We hope these stories inspire your work around place-based public health. View more Success Stories on Our Impact page.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!

We’d like to recognize our partners for the following accomplishments in 2021:

• Arizona Office of the Attorney General reinitiated tobacco enforcement inspections this year using the Tobacco Enforcement System (TES), created out of Arizona’s partnership with Counter Tools. Arizona filed suit to hold JUUL accountable for its role in youth tobacco initiation, and recently secured a settlement requiring JUUL to pay $14.5 million, most of which will be used to fund programs to stop youth vaping.
• Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida, along with local providers across the state, creatively navigated newfound preemption on local regulation of tobacco sales and marketing. They found new ways to make progress in tobacco prevention and prepared to launch a comprehensive new data collection effort for both general store assessments and tobacco-related Assurances of Voluntary Compliance through Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit software platform. Florida is also getting a clearer picture of the tobacco retailer landscape in their state by completing all mergers in POST to compile a clean, canonical retailer list.
• CADCA’s Geographic Health Equity Alliance continues to offer evidence-based training and support to help partners across the country reduce geographic health disparities. GHEA co-led a collaborative for tobacco and cancer control programs, teaching them to apply the principles of policy surveillance to K-12 tobacco free school policies in their states. GHEA is also supporting the process of drafting competencies for place-based public health professionals.
• California Department of Justice successfully launched a new statewide licensing and enforcement system for tobacco control that will federate local, state, and federal data from a growing number of agencies across the state.
• Charleston Center completed a community scan to assess community needs and resources for addressing opioid and stimulant misuse in zip codes across Charleston County, SC that had a high level of overdoses.
• Community Advocates Public Policy Institute conducted a countywide, volunteer-based data collection effort in Milwaukee County, WI to better understand the availability of tobacco and alcohol products in the retail environment using the Counter Tools’ Store Audit Center. Community Advocates strengthened community-centered public health work by collaborating with partner organizations in Milwaukee.
• Indiana Department of Health-Tobacco Prevention and Cessation kickstarted a new cycle of point-of-sale efforts in counties across the state with program funding and support. Indiana supported local partners in increasing their community education efforts, leading community conversations about the impact of tobacco across the state, and utilizing Counter Tools-created communication materials (including educational packets and static maps) to increase community knowledge on why tobacco prevention matters.
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment introduced grantees and youth councils to the concept of point-of-sale commercial tobacco prevention and control. Kansas also supported grantee efforts to implement or strengthen local tobacco retail licensing ordinances.
• Maryland Department of Health’s local health departments completed over 1,200 enforcement and 3,600 education visits using Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit. Maryland also identified and reported tobacco retailers with multiple sale to minor violations within a one-year period.
• Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation & Prevention Program strengthened retailer violation tracking capabilities in Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit and completed over 1500 enforcement and 3800 inspection visits by Board of Health staff.
• Minnesota Department of Health supported cities and counties in a statewide store assessment effort to document the marketing and selling of tobacco and food products in the retail environment using the Counter Tools’ Store Audit Center. Minnesota advanced policy efforts across the state, including passing flavored tobacco product bans in cities within Hennepin County, enacting a tobacco endgame policy in Bloomington, and passing comprehensive pricing, flavor and density-related retail tobacco restrictions in St. Paul.
• Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services successfully completed retailer assessments in 12 counties across the state for the first time in more than two years utilizing Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit.
• New Jersey Prevention Network trained public health leaders from 10 regional tobacco collaboratives on local point-of-sale tobacco control policy. New Jersey also began collaborating with Counter Tools to develop a toolkit to equip municipalities with key public health information about cannabis and other THC-derived products.
• Oregon Health Authority pioneered a strong model of statewide tobacco retail licensing, supported local level pioneering work in prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, and prohibited price discounts and coupons. Oregon also created opportunities for creative, community led work to address the root causes of the commercial tobacco use epidemic.
• Smokefree SC and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control successfully stopped a preemption bill from passing which would have stifled point-of-sale tobacco control efforts at the local level. South Carolina provided grant funding to strengthen local efforts in tobacco prevention campaigning and supported local advocates in laying the groundwork for tobacco retailer licensing at the county level.
• Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services continued to educate decision makers on the value of statewide tobacco retail licensing and completed merchant education with over 1,600 retailers across the state using Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit (POST). Virginia regularly cleaned and updated their statewide list of more than 16,700 alcohol retailers to more accurately visualize the alcohol retail environment across the state using Counter Tools’ Store Mapper.

We are thankful for your partnership and commitment to healthier, more equitable communities. Cheers to a new year ahead of working together to support place-based public health!

We have a new success story about our partner in Wisconsin that serves as a good example of the importance of collecting data about the retail environment, having cross-sector collaboration in efforts, and increasing access to healthy products for the betterment of population health.

Counter Tools has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WI-DHS) since 2016 to assist with data collection, provide understanding of data/trends, and support change related to tobacco, alcohol and food products in the retail environment.

WI-DHS implemented the Wisconsin Retail Assessment Project (WRAP) annually, from 2016-2019, to document the advertising for and availability of tobacco, alcohol and food products in the state. Some goals of WRAP were to increase knowledge about the retail environment, identify disparities, foster community awareness, and build public support towards interventions.

Coalitions participating in WRAP were tasked with assessing stores/retailers through completing store assessments. Hundreds of licensed stores/retailers were assessed across the state from 2017 – 2019 as part of the data collection process for food and alcohol. Counter Tools worked with Wisconsin to develop a new survey form and program it into an online data collection tool, and helped create a comprehensive and accurate retailer list.

In addition to providing technical assistance throughout the data collection process, Counter Tools analyzed the assessment data at both the county and state-level and created infographics and factsheets for food and alcohol.

A local collaborative worked with each store manager to develop personalized strategies for improvement, such as purchasing fruit baskets and shelf signage, offering training on stocking healthy options, and helping advertise successes with media outreach.

Wisconsin found that better understanding the retail environment, using the assessment data collected to identify specific areas for change, increasing community awareness, and starting conversations with stores were effective strategies in moving things forward.

Read the full success story here.

Our partners have achieved great successes in public health. We recognize their hard work and leadership in creating healthier communities. We hope these stories inspire your work around place-based public health. View more Success Stories on Our Impact page.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!

Counter Tools has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) since 2012 to help support local areas in the state in their pursuit of policy change around tobacco. MDH’s partnership with Counter Tools aims to equip and empower Minnesota’s local grantees with knowledge and data that can be incorporated into efforts around community education, awareness building, and policymaking.

In March 2019, Hennepin County Public Health (HCPH) conducted store assessments at tobacco retailers in the city of Golden Valley, utilizing Counter Tools software for data collection and mapping. HCPH used reports and community outreach to build public support, and partnered with Public Health Law Center for assessment on proposed policies.

In October 2019, Golden Valley passed a number of comprehensive tobacco prevention policies. These policies covered a broad range of prevention strategies, including raising the minimum legal sales age to 21, banning the sale of flavored tobacco products, increasing tobacco product pricing, capping the number of tobacco retailer licenses issued, increasing penalty fees for tobacco retailers, and more. In June 2020, they passed additional regulations under the city’s zoning code to restrict the location of tobacco retailers and their proximity to youth-oriented facilities.

The use of local data, education efforts, and strong political and community support helped pass these policies. Policy successes, supported by data, can be used as a mechanism to reduce exposure and access to tobacco especially for those most at-risk like youth.

Read the full success story here.

Our partners have achieved great successes in public health. We recognize their hard work and leadership in creating healthier communities. We hope these stories inspire your work around place-based public health. View more Success Stories on Our Impact page.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!

In January 2019, Alachua County implemented a local tobacco retailer licensing policy, raised the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to 21, and required any new tobacco retailers to be located at least 1000ft away from schools.

Here are some of the strategies that led to their success:

• Training and message framing on why the retail environment matters
• Increasing understanding of tobacco retailer licensing and relevant strategies
• Working closely with independently-led local tobacco-free partnerships and coalitions
• Providing technical support, data sharing, and a model policy that would help with administration and enforcement of the license
• Creating maps to help tell the story at a local level, showing the impact of potential policy changes and highlighting smoking inequities
• Using a “show & tell” strategy to engage the public and make a visceral connection

The Alachua County DOH has since contacted other communities across the United States with similar tobacco retailer licensing policies and similar community characteristics to Alachua County to find best practices for retailer education, compliance checks, and the most effective ways to ensure compliance. As pioneers in Florida, Alachua County is now also in a position to support other Florida counties that are hoping to pass their own tobacco retailer licensing ordinances.

Read the full success story here.

Our partners have achieved great successes in public health. We recognize their hard work and leadership in creating healthier communities. We hope these stories inspire your work around place-based public health. View more Success Stories on Our Impact page.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!

Reality Check is a youth-led, adult-supported program based out of New York. Under Reality Check, youth have the opportunity to become leaders in their communities and educate their peers, family, community members, legislators, and decision-makers on the tobacco industry’s manipulative marketing practices and tobacco use.

Counter Tools first attended a New York Youth Summit in 2015 and has since partnered with Reality Check yearly to train and support youth in their efforts. The training sessions highlight the industry’s targeting of youth, minorities, and lower-income neighborhoods with point-of-sale tactics such as the selling of flavored tobacco products and highly-visible tobacco advertising.

Besides gaining foundational knowledge, the youth are also trained on advocacy and social justice. Counter Tools has rallied and protested outside the annual Altria shareholder’s meeting alongside the youth and adult leaders.

The annual training and rally is attended by upwards of 100 young people from middle and high school. Along with Reality Check, over the years, other groups have participated such as No Limits Nebraska, Dover Youth to Youth and the Truth Initiative.

This year, as a result of limitations around COVID-19, Counter Tools has worked with Reality Check to prepare a week of virtual training sessions, activities, and social media advocacy. The Altria shareholder’s meeting will be protested virtually and the week will conclude with No Menthol Sunday (created by NAATPN). This week’s title/theme is “Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies Week of Engagement: Seven Deadly Lies” and it will run from May 11th – May 17th, 2020! Find more information about this week at MobilizeAgainstTobaccoLies.com.

Read the full success story here.

This is the second story in our new series of Success Stories. Our partners have achieved great successes in public health. We recognize their hard work and leadership in creating healthier communities. We hope these stories inspire your work around place-based public health.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!

Our first success story is about our work with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (VDBHDS). In 2015, VDBHDS and Counter Tools entered into a project to create an accurate state-wide tobacco retailer list. Deepening local understanding of the effect of the tobacco retailer environment on health enabled VDBHDS to develop a statewide infrastructure for tobacco use prevention and control and helped to identify and reduce tobacco-related disparities.

This project included:

• Data integration and cleaning of retailer lists from FDA, Synar, and Dunn & Bradstreet
• Ground truthing efforts to record GPS locations of all observed tobacco retailers
• Store assessments, merchant education, and pledge forms for voluntary pro-public health changes
• Using data to visualize retailer density and understand the impact of policy changes

With an accurate retailer list, VDBHDS continues to assess 100 percent of tobacco retailers across the state. These data collection efforts, along with the available analysis using Counter Tools software, have been integral for tobacco prevention and control staff across the state to better understand the effect of the tobacco retailer environment on health.

Read the full success story here.

Do you have a success story to share? Reach out at hello@countertools.org!