Counter Tools https://countertools.org Place-Based Public Health Consulting Services Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:57:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://countertools.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CounterTools_favicon-66x66.png Counter Tools https://countertools.org 32 32 Visualizing health for community change https://countertools.org/blog/visualizing-health-for-community-change/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:14:24 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=29877 Public health data is one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding communities, identifying patterns, and informing change. But even the most meaningful data can fall short if it isn’t communicated in a way that people can understand and use. Using data to inform public health decisions has many benefits, but there can be a disconnect between the data that exists and the decisions that need to be made. The problem isn’t always the availability of data, but the ability to understand and use it. 

Our client-partners work with data that contains information about the retail environment, including retailer locations, products sold, pricing, and proximity to youth-centered spaces. While this information is important, it’s difficult to advise on policy without a clear understanding of what impact a particular change may have. A spreadsheet filled with data may have a crucial story to tell, but it’s not always easy to see. 

This is where data visualization can help. Data visualization is the process of turning information into visual tools such as maps, graphs, and dashboards. It allows individuals to see beyond the raw numbers and connect with the meaning behind the data. Visuals can help reveal patterns, trends, and disparities that hide in large datasets, helping public health professionals understand the data and the community it represents. For example, a spreadsheet can show the number of retailers in a county, but a map can display where those retailers are located relative to schools, parks, and other places with higher concentrations of youth. A dashboard containing descriptive and context-based visuals lays out data in a way that can help organizations identify the areas where prevention efforts and policy changes are most needed. These visuals help turn dense data into a clearer story.

Storytelling matters in public health. Advocates are looking to explain why an issue deserves attention, funding, and policy action. When data is presented visually, complex challenges become easier to understand and feel more actionable. It also highlights inequities, allowing policymakers to identify communities that may experience greater exposure to harmful products and health disparities. Data visualization strengthens public health expertise, community voices, and advocacy. When data is clear and accessible, it becomes easier to communicate problems, identify solutions, and guide decision-making. Data visualization can support community members in actively participating in community change work and helping shape the solutions that directly impact their lives. 

At Counter Tools, we help bridge the gap between data and action by creating high-quality visualizations that allow our client-partners to understand the retail environment in their communities. These insights can support evidence-based strategies and informed policy decisions. Contact Counter Tools to learn more about how you can use data visualization in your education and advocacy efforts.

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Why the point of sale matters for cannabis sales https://countertools.org/blog/why-the-point-of-sale-matters-for-cannabis-sales/ Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:14:11 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=29812 Understanding the Retail Environment, Public Health, and Community Action

As cannabis products become more widely available in retail settings across the United States, communities are increasingly committed to ensuring that public health is not compromised by commercial interests.

The retail environment shapes how cannabis products are marketed, who is exposed to them, what products are easiest to access, and ultimately how communities experience the impacts of cannabis commercialization.

For public health practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and community advocates, understanding cannabis sales at the point of sale is critical for developing effective, evidence-based policies that protect public health while responding to a rapidly changing marketplace.

That is why Counter Tools developed the resource Cannabis at the Point of Sale: Products, Policies, and the Retail Environment — a one-pager designed to help communities begin to understand, assess, and respond to the evolving cannabis retail landscape.

What Does “Point of Sale” Mean for Cannabis Products?

The “point of sale” refers to the places where cannabis products are sold and promoted. This includes licensed cannabis dispensaries – but also includes the many all-age stores that sell cannabis-derived (hemp) intoxicating products, such as convenience stores, gas stations, smoke and vape shops, and grocery stores.

Just as tobacco and alcohol research has shown that retail environments influence public health outcomes, cannabis retail environments can also affect initiation, patterns of use, social perception, and health risks.

Why Cannabis Retail Environments Matter

Cannabis products today are very different from those available decades ago. Retail markets now include high-potency concentrates, flavored vape products, infused beverages, gummies, candies, snacks, and products designed with branding and packaging that can strongly appeal to youth.

Communities often focus on legalization policies themselves, but retail conditions are equally important because they determine how cannabis products are introduced into everyday environments.

The point of sale matters because it influences:

  • Youth exposure and appeal
  • Product accessibility
  • Consumer understanding of risks
  • Use patterns and dependence
  • Community density of retailers
  • Perceptions of safety and normalization

Understanding these factors allows communities to identify gaps in regulation and opportunities for prevention.

One of the biggest public health concerns related to cannabis retail environments is youth exposure. Research has shown that colorful packaging, candy-like products, sweet flavors, cartoon imagery, and food-based branding can increase youth appeal. Cannabis gummies, chocolates, beverages, and snacks are often packaged in ways that resemble conventional consumer products familiar to children and adolescents.

What Can Communities Do?

Local governments, coalitions, researchers, and advocates can take meaningful action by gathering local data. Conducting retail assessments provides valuable information to best inform policy decisions. 

Communities can visit local retailers and systematically document:

  • Product types
  • Product potency
  • Packaging features
  • Advertising and promotions
  • Pricing practices
  • Product placement
  • Exterior and interior signage
  • Health warnings and labeling
  • Store location, proximity, and density
  • Other micro and macro-level factors

Many cannabis policies evolve rapidly, and local assessments help determine whether regulations are keeping pace with the marketplace, and whether there is compliance with the regulations. 

Point-of-sale assessments transform abstract policy conversations into concrete evidence about what is happening on the ground. Furthermore, local data is often more compelling than national statistics because it reflects conditions residents can directly observe in their own neighborhoods. 

Looking Ahead

Cannabis markets continue to evolve rapidly. New products, new marketing strategies, and new retail models are constantly emerging. At the same time, states and localities are still determining how best to regulate. The point of sale will remain one of the most important places where these tensions play out.

By paying attention to the retail environment, communities can move beyond broad debates about legalization and focus on practical, evidence-informed strategies that protect public health and reduce harm.

Collecting local data, evaluating retail conditions, and developing evidence-based policies can help communities better respond to emerging cannabis-related challenges while supporting informed decision-making for residents and policymakers alike.

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Celebrating a Decade of Impact: Counter Tools and Virginia DBHDS https://countertools.org/blog/celebrating-a-decade-of-impact-counter-tools-and-virginia-dbhds/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:18:45 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=28168 Since 2015, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and Counter Tools have worked together to build a stronger statewide foundation for tobacco use prevention and control. What began as a project to create a more accurate list of tobacco retailers has evolved into a comprehensive system supporting data-driven policy, interagency collaboration, and community-level advocacy.

At the heart of this decade-long partnership is a shared commitment to reducing tobacco-related health disparities and empowering Virginia communities with the tools and data they need to make meaningful change. Together, DBHDS and Counter Tools have maintained an accurate list of more than 7,000 tobacco retailers, despite the lack of statewide tobacco retailer licensing, supported Virginia’s Synar program to prevent youth access to tobacco, and provided community service boards (CSBs) with the resources to advocate for healthier retail environments.

Below is a look back at the milestones that have shaped this partnership and advanced Virginia’s tobacco prevention and control efforts.

2015

The partnership begins with a statewide ground truthing project to verify tobacco retailer locations. When comparing commercially available data to the ground truthed data, only 18% of the original list proved accurate, highlighting the need for better data to support prevention and enforcement efforts. This work established Virginia’s first reliable tobacco retailer database.

2016 – 2017

DBHDS begins using Counter Tools’ software, Store Mapper and Store Audit Center, enabling them to conduct store assessments and complete merchant education. Through Virginia’s COUNTER ACT campaign, which is completed while a store assessment is conducted, over 2,000 retailers voluntarily committed to reducing in-store tobacco advertising and ensuring compliance with youth access laws.

2018

DBHDS integrates Counter Tools’ Point-of-Sale Toolkit (POST) to standardize data collection across regions. This effort strengthened statewide surveillance and offered clearer insights into the retail landscape influencing tobacco use behaviors.

2019

The partnership expands to include alcohol surveillance, with store assessment data shared with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to support enforcement efforts. DBHDS continues assessing 100% of tobacco retailers statewide on a two-year cycle, an unmatched level of coverage. Virginia’s minimum legal sales age is increased to 21.

2020 – 2021

Counter Tools develops custom data visualizations to highlight tobacco retailer characteristics such as product availability, pricing, youth appeal, and retailer density and proximity. Local CSBs received training on effective communication strategies to pair with these visuals, strengthening their ability to educate communities on the importance of reducing tobacco-related disparities.

In addition, Counter Tools and DBHDS expand Virginia’s surveillance efforts by adding questions about the alcohol retail environment to the state’s custom POST assessment form. The alcohol retailer list was refined by consolidating store types from more than 40 categories to 8, improving data quality and enabling more meaningful analysis. This enhanced dataset powered the development of a new dashboard that integrates multiple data sources, including outlet type (on- vs. off-premise), Virginia DMV crash data, and proximity to college campuses, helping CSBs better understand alcohol retailer density and its public health impact.

2022

DBHDS and Counter Tools co-present at the Alcohol Policy Conference in Arlington, VA, sharing how GIS mapping and density analyses inform both alcohol and tobacco prevention efforts across the state.

2023

New POST questions are added to the store assessment form on lottery products through talks with the problem gambling prevention coordinator at DBHDS. Support for CSBs continues through the use of POST to maintain an accurate, up-to-date retailer list, which is critical in the absence of statewide tobacco retailer licensing.

2024 – 2025

Over 6,000 store assessments are analyzed to update statewide infographics on the retail landscape. Collaboration expands to include partners from problem gambling prevention and Virginia Commonwealth University, enhancing the Store Mapper to include locations selling gambling products and documenting nearby daycare centers. Counter Tools also delivers a webinar on zoning and density strategies to support communities considering local ordinances following the passage of HB 94. Additional collaboration with the Office of Hemp Enforcement leads to new POST questions capturing data on hemp-derived cannabis products.

To continue supporting the Synar program in Virginia, Counter Tools provides maps for each of the CSBs to conduct the Synar coverage study and calculates the overall coverage rate for Virginia. The year culminates with a joint presentation at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health in Chicago, showcasing Virginia’s innovative approach to healthy retail strategies.

 

Hear what DBHDS has to say

Behavioral Health Wellness Consultant J.D. Carlin shares his reflections on DBHDS’ work with Counter Tools:

How are you using the store assessment data?

DBHDS uses the store assessment data in a variety of ways including:

  • Maintaining accurate retailer lists;
  • Supporting enforcement and compliance efforts;
  • Guiding merchant education and retailer engagement;
  • Providing data-driven insights to policy and decision-makers;
  • Supporting community-level efforts to impact their local landscape; and
  • Expanding education and assessment efforts to include new public health issues.

 

Biggest impact from our partnership?

Gosh, is there only one! Likely, the biggest impact is that our partnership allows us to create a comprehensive, data-driven statewide system that strengthens tobacco (and other public health issues) prevention efforts while also reducing health disparities.

 

What do you look forward to as our partnership continues to grow?

DBHDS looks forward to expanding prevention efforts in a variety of ways. Three that will be a focus are how we assess additional products and public health issues; what more advanced mapping, dashboards and analytics can do for our use of data; and what we can do to provide additional support for local efforts.

 

Looking Ahead

Over the past decade, the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services–Counter Tools partnership has built a model for how data, technology, and community engagement can work together to drive tobacco prevention and control. The work continues to inform public health strategies, strengthen partnerships, and inspire local action to create healthier communities across Virginia.

We are proud of all that’s been accomplished together and look forward to continuing the fight against tobacco industry influence in the years ahead.

 

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How Georgia’s health partners are informing state leaders about intoxicating hemp products https://countertools.org/blog/how-georgias-health-partners-are-informing-state-leaders-about-intoxicating-hemp-products/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:48:58 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=27881 Intoxicating hemp products have rapidly proliferated across Georgia’s retail marketplace, driven by manufacturers profiting from loopholes in the federal 2018 Farm Bill and gaps in Georgia’s regulatory framework. Georgia’s lawmakers have been interested in studying this issue further, and they have established a legislative committee to analyze and inform further recommendations for policies and systems changes during the upcoming legislative session.

A Georgia-based non-profit health coalition, Let’s Be Clear Georgia, and Counter Tools partnered together to lead a project focused on studying the landscape of intoxicating consumable hemp products and other intoxicating products in Georgia’s retail stores. During September and October 2025, community health staff and partners conducted retail store assessments at retailers within six different Georgia counties. This provided beneficial geographic diversity covering urban, suburban, and more rural areas across northern, central, and southern Georgia. There was also diverse representation in terms of the type of stores assessed, which included convenience stores, tobacco and vape shops, liquor/package stores, grocery stores, and drug stores. At these retail establishments, store assessors examined the types and forms of products sold, product promotion and advertisements, product accessibility within the store, products attractive to children, product constituents, product potency, and required store signage.

“A legislative study committee was formed to learn more about hemp consumables in Georgia. Recognizing that Georgia had no data on these products, our organization contacted Counter Tools to discuss conducting a retail assessment to be used to inform the public and policymakers about what is available in our state. The data confirmed what we had heard and seen. Stores were not abiding by the law, putting Georgia’s youth at risk,” said Charlotte Spell, Executive Director of Let’s Be Clear Georgia.

These retail store assessments revealed extensive non-compliance with Georgia law and widespread availability of highly potent intoxicating hemp products and other intoxicating products posing significant public health risks.

Findings showed:

1. Widespread non-compliance

More than half of all assessed stores sold prohibited hemp product types, including smokable flower and hemp-infused foods. Nearly one-third failed to post the required 21+ age-of-sale signage.

A hazelnut “crispy blunts” (wafer candy) containing consumable hemp found in a Georgia retailer. This is in violation of state law, which prohibits hemp-adulterated or hemp-infused food products.

2. Youth exposure and appeal

Nearly 70% of stores sold hemp-derived cannabis products that are attractive to children, including items using candy imagery, copycat branding, cartoon characters, and kid-focused flavors.

3. Potency loopholes

While Georgia state law limits Delta-9 THC potency for gummies and beverages, manufacturers circumvent these rules by using other intoxicating cannabinoids such as Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC, and THC-P. As a result, 55% of stores selling gummies offered products exceeding 300 mg THC/HHC per package, and 61% sold single gummies exceeding 10 mg per piece.

1,500mg per gummy; 120,000 mg per jar. Containing a mixture of semi-synthetic and chemically synthesized cannabinoids and advertised with cartoon rocket ships. With a psychotropic effect typically starting at around 5 mg of THC consumption, this is 300 times that amount per gummy.

4. Unregulated potency in inhalable products

Vape cartridges and inhalable forms—which accounted for the majority of products found in stores—have no potency limits under current state law, despite containing highly concentrated intoxicating cannabinoids.

5. Public health risks increasing

Georgia poison control calls involving cannabis ingestion rose 66% from 2018 to 2021, with more hemp edible-related calls in the first 8 months of 2025 than in all of 2024.

1,000 mg per gummy “Delta-9 THC mix blend” found at a Georgia retailer. With the state’s legal limit set at 10 mg of Delta-9 THC per gummy, this is 100 times higher than the state’s legal limit. Advertised in youth-appealing “watermelon OG” and “strawberry smash” flavors.

Kratom products containing highly concentrated levels of added 7-OH, which leads to a potent opioid-like effect that the FDA has issued warning letters about due to physical and behavioral health and safety concerns.

Counter Tools synthesized the store assessment findings and coupled this with research conducted on both federal and Georgia state laws regarding consumable hemp products. Along with descriptive statistical support from the University of North Texas School of Public Health, Counter Tools composed a final report that included a quick-reference executive summary and infographic. Let’s Be Clear will be providing these materials to the Georgia state legislature’s blue ribbon committee, which is currently meeting to review policy approaches.

“Working with the Counter Tools team was like working with old friends. They provided excellent customer service (project management) by guiding the process while assuring that our specific needs were met. The result has provided our state with valuable products that will contribute to conversations with parents, administrators, youth, and policymakers. This valuable data will also be highlighted at Let’s Be Clear Georgia’s upcoming Marijuana Prevention Summit in 2026,” said Charlotte Spell, Executive Director of Let’s Be Clear Georgia.

Counter Tools looks forward to working with more states and local communities to collect store assessment data to support their policy, systems, and environmental change goals.

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How commercial tobacco is commercializing cannabis https://countertools.org/blog/how-commercial-tobacco-is-commercializing-cannabis/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:17:35 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=27839 At the American Public Health Association conference in November 2025, Counter Tools presented on a panel to talk about Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH). CDoH refers to the ways in which businesses and industries influence population health and the ways in which people work, live, and interact. It recognizes how upstream corporate actions and business practices shape health outcomes. These business activities include lobbying, marketing and promotion, pricing, supply chain decisions, and more.

This presentation explored the commercial determinants of health (CDoH) as they relate to the cannabis industries sector, examining how product availability and design, placement, pricing, promotion, lobbying, and cross-industry partnerships may influence community health.

Recognizing that cannabis commercialization is relatively young compared to other consumer product industries, and, given the distinct social and legal backdrop of cannabis, there remains diverse viewpoints around both profit-driven motives and public health responsibilities – even from within the industry. With the significant harms faced by many U.S. communities of color due to mass incarceration, institutionalized racism, and disproportionately applied enforcement practices, cannabis-related criminalization of communities deepened cycles of poverty. Cannabis occupies a unique regulatory and historical space. It is simultaneously: 1) A product with reported therapeutic benefit for those suffering from certain medical conditions; 2) A substance historically used to justify disproportionate criminal punishment; 3) Operating only in state-based marketplaces, and 4) A rapidly expanding commercial sector attracting global corporate interest.

The expansion of cannabis commercialization has resulted in massive growth of public relations and policy strategies. Globally, the cannabis market is estimated at $50 billion today, with projections reaching $250-$400 billion by 2030. Apart from cannabis producers, processors, retailers, and interest groups working at the state level, this presentation focused more broadly on the cross-sector, multi-national corporate involvement in cannabis. At the corporate level, there are patterns that can be seen in the approaches taken by cannabis sector actors to influence public policy in ways that reflect strategies used by other sectors, such as tobacco and alcohol companies.

Internal documents from major tobacco companies — published in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at UCSF — show that the industry’s interest in cannabis dates back at least to the 1970s. A paper published in 2014, which combed through the tobacco industry documents and the companies’ stated interest in cannabis as both a potential and a rival product, has seemed to be quite predictive, at least based on the tobacco industry’s current and growing interest and investment in cannabis. Altria Group invested $1.8 billion in the Canadian company Cronos Group (45% ownership), which Altria calls an “emerging global cannabinoid company.” On their own website, Altria states that they hold “diversified positions across tobacco and cannabis.” British American Tobacco invested $86.8 million in Organigram (Canada) in 2025, plus ~$70 million in CBD and hemp companies. These investments remain small relative to tobacco’s global footprint in tobacco, nicotine, food, and beverage products — but the trendline is unmistakable. Given cannabis remains Schedule 1 under the United States Uniform Controlled Substances Act, multinational companies are “learning the industry” abroad, gaining operational experience before expanding into the U.S. once legal or regulatory hurdles shift.

Falling cigarette sales in many so-called developed nations in combination with an easing of cannabis restrictions have been clear drivers prompting this shift of their portfolio and positioning. This shift to invest more in cannabis-related products comes with the ability to leverage the tobacco industry’s manufacturing and distribution networks and technological capital and devices; they already have significant experience in inhalation and oral delivery systems, through their growth in vaping devices, new heated tobacco products, and oral nicotine pouch products. There is also a continuing trend of executives from alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries moving in roles within cannabis industries.

As cannabis becomes more profitable and corporatized – potentially both within and across state borders – we may expect certain behaviors to emerge or intensify. It is important to be vigilant and prepared for the ostensible commercial actions that will attempt to maximize profits and minimize costs, as that is an inherent goal to the business model. These patterns are already recognizable from other industries:

 

Pushing for regulations that disadvantage smaller operators

Efforts that quietly promote monopolization, reduce competition, and crowd out smaller businesses.

 

Funding research designed to produce favorable outcomes

Or suppressing findings that threaten profits.

 

Exploiting labor and growers

Both domestically and internationally, especially in regions lacking strong labor protections.

 

Prioritizing high-profit products at the expense of quality and safety

Particularly harmful for vulnerable populations of consumers.

 

Undermining education and social-equity aims

Including reducing cannabis taxes that fund health education and reinvestment in communities harmed by the War on Drugs.

 

Lobbying against evidence-supported public-health regulations

Even when such policies are designed to prevent consumer harm.

 

Using state-level preemption to block local protections

A well-documented tactic to weaken or delay stronger health regulations.

 

For policymakers, health leaders, consumers, and communities, it is important to be aware of these potential actions. Similar players that reshaped alcohol, pharmaceutical, food, and tobacco markets are already mapping out and leveraging strategies for cannabis. Understanding strategies that may threaten health – as well as anticipating commercial tactics – are both critical to supporting public health, equity, and safety.

 

References:

Barry RA, Hiilamo H, Glantz SA. Waiting for the opportune moment: the tobacco industry and marijuana legalization. Milbank Q. 2014 Jun;92(2):207-42. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12055. PMID: 24890245; PMCID: PMC4089369.

Ongenaert M, Decorte T. Like birds of a feather? A multi-case study on the connections between cannabis, tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies in legalized cannabis markets. Int J Drug Policy. 2025 Sep;143:104863. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104863. Epub 2025 Jun 5. PMID: 40479916.

University of Bath, Tobacco Tactics, Cannabis. 31 March 2023. https://www.tobaccotactics.org/article/cannabis/

Altria, About Altria, Corporate Factsheet. https://www.altria.com/about-altria/At_A_Glance/corporate-fact-sheet

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Webinar: Turning tobacco control retailer policies into action https://countertools.org/blog/webinar-turning-tobacco-control-retailer-policies-into-action/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:27:13 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=27545
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.  ET (New York) | 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. CT (Mexico City) | 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. BRT (Sao Paulo) | 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. WIB (Jakarta)
 
Vital Strategies and Counter Tools are bringing together experts from North America for an interactive webinar, sharing experiences, resources and tools for effective implementation and enforcement of tobacco control policies at the point of sale. Join us to understand why these policies are important, along with common challenges and the tools regulators can use to build compliance. Learn about evidence and best practices for retailer education programs and hear how New York City uses data to inform interventions and strategies. There will be time to ask questions and explore how to accelerate progress at the point of sale in your jurisdiction.

Vital Strategies’ Tobacco Control Implementation Hub provides implementation and enforcement resources for all those working in tobacco control through practical tools, guidance, evidence and expert support. Learn more during the webinar about the resources and support available.

Counter Tools is a 501(c)(3) public health consulting organization that aims to promote health equity and enact policy change in communities across the U.S. by providing reliable technology, accessible data analytics, and full-spectrum, tailored support. CounterTobacco.Org provides resources for local, state, and federal organizations working to counteract commercial tobacco product sales and marketing at the point of sale.

The webinar will be in English with simultaneous translation available in Bahasa Indonesian, Portuguese and Spanish.

Featured Speakers

  • Dr. Brian King, Executive Vice President for U.S. Programs, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
  • Les Hagen, Executive Director, ASH Canada
  • John Jasek, Director of Research and Evaluation, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
  • Mollie Mayfield, Senior Policy Analyst, Counter Tools

Participants will hear about:

  • The role of point of sale regulations in tobacco control, common implementation challenges and factors affecting compliance.
  • Resources for supporting increased compliance at the point of sale, including regulatory tools, retailer education, monitoring and inspections.
  • Best practices, challenges and lessons learned from North America.

Register here!

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Meet us at APHA! https://countertools.org/blog/meet-us-at-apha-2/ Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:48:40 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=27445 Are you attending the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting November 2-5 in Washington, D.C.? We hope to see you there! Counter Tools team members will be presenting on retail alcohol and cannabis topics:

 

ATOD Legal Epidemiology: Comparing Policies Across Jurisdictions | High-Risk Alcohol Retail: Local Data, National Impact (2044.0)

Presenter: Maria Kovell

Sunday, November 2 | 2:30 – 4:00 PM

Ready-to-go alcoholic beverages pose significant public health and safety concerns for young people. The flavoring, packaging, pricing, and marketing of these beverages are particularly appealing to young people and can lead to risky drinking behaviors. Alcohol pricing policies are some of the most effective strategies for reducing alcohol-related harms. However, evaluating these policies requires information on current prices, particularly for products that afford the most alcohol for the lowest price. This presentation highlights insights from the Retail Alcohol Data (RAD) collaborative, which conducted nationwide retail assessments of high-risk alcohol product availability, pricing, and advertising.

 

Commercial Determinants of Health 2.0 (A collaborative session with International Health section) | The rise of the commercial cannabis industry and its implications for public health (4058.0)

Presenter: Jacob Delbridge

Tuesday, November 4 | 8:30 – 10:00 AM

This presentation component will explore the commercial determinants of health (CDH) as they relate to the cannabis industries sector, examining how marketing strategies, policy advocacy, and other business practices can influence public health impacts. This may include product availability, design, placement, pricing, and key advertising approaches, as well as the influencing of local, state, and federal regulatory authority. Recognizing that cannabis commercialization is relatively young compared to other consumer product industries, and given the distinct social and legal backdrop of cannabis, there remains diverse viewpoints around profit-driven motives and public health responsibilities. Furthermore, U.S. cannabis-related criminalization has deepened cycles of poverty and economic disinvestment and disenfranchisement. Many U.S. communities of color have faced significant harms due to mass incarceration, institutionalized racism, and disproportionately applied enforcement practices. Accordingly, it is important to evaluate the growing yet fragmented rollout of cannabis commercialization and corporatization and its impacts to public health, including on the social drivers of health.

 

Learn more about the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs section of APHA here.

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Lufkin, TX Takes a Stand: New Zoning Ordinance Protects Youth from Vape Retailers https://countertools.org/blog/lufkin-tx-takes-a-stand-new-zoning-ordinance-protects-youth-from-vape-retailers/ Tue, 07 Oct 2025 17:56:34 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=27385 What happens when community passion meets powerful data? In Lufkin, Texas, it led to a landmark win for youth health. With the rising number of tobacco and vape retailers in the community, The Coalition in Angelina County knew it was time to act. In August, their advocacy work led the Lufkin City Council to approve an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance, restricting new vape retailers to specific districts and requiring significant distance from schools, churches, and other sensitive areas.

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.

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Join us for lunch at NCTOH! https://countertools.org/blog/join-us-for-lunch-at-nctoh/ Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:58:57 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=26154 Are you going to NCTOH (National Conference on Tobacco or Health) in August? Visit us at booth 202 and join us for lunch on the first day of the conference! Join our team and fellow advocates for catered lunch and conversation about the challenges and opportunities in commercial tobacco prevention and control. Connect with colleagues, share ideas, and explore strategies for equitable tobacco control. Register here for lunch on Tuesday, August 26th, 12:30-1:30 PM CT.

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Elevating youth voices in Maryland https://countertools.org/blog/elevating-youth-voices-in-maryland/ Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:41:53 +0000 https://countertools.org/?p=25991 This year Counter Tools partnered with CADCA and the Maryland Department of Health’s Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control’s Take Back Your 10 (TB10) movement, a statewide youth initiative focused on preventing commercial tobacco and e-cigarette use among youth. The collaboration centered on elevating youth voices and building advocacy skills through the lens of the retail environment.

As part of this work, Counter Tools developed an evidence-based point-of-sale activity guide designed for youth ages 13-19. The guide focused on the retail environment, which is where tobacco products are marketed and sold. Youth learned to identify tobacco industry tactics – such as greenwashing and targeted marketing – conduct retail environmental scans, engage in photovoice storytelling, and analyze the impact of tobacco retailer density and proximity. The activities were designed to help youth investigate the presence and influence of tobacco in their communities and communicate their findings to local leaders.

TB10 youth also participated in hands-on training that equipped them with tools to analyze retail disparities, connect tobacco retail marketing with health outcomes, share their perspectives, and engage in community advocacy. Through these sessions, youth gained the skills and confidence to speak about tobacco’s local influence. Adult advisors were also equipped to support youth in their advocacy journeys through tailored training.

“Working with Counter Tools this year was a pivotal partnership for our tobacco prevention efforts through TB10. Their support during our hybrid/Baltimore environmental scan helped youth identify and analyze retail tobacco disparities with confidence and purpose. Counter Tools’ guidance made data collection approachable and actionable, while also creating an inclusive space that centered youth voice and leadership. Their partnership brought both professionalism and heart to our work—deepening the impact of TB10’s mission to build healthier, tobacco-free communities.”

-Leslie Ortiz-Cadwallader, Youth Tobacco Prevention Program Manager, CADCA

Counter Tools is grateful to have played a role in this effort. As the partnership comes to a close, we’re proud of the momentum and capacity built and look forward to seeing TB10 youth continue to lead the way in building healthier retail environments across Maryland.

 

 

 

 

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