Document the Problem

Illegal Sales
• Clearly decide what you are trying to demonstrate with your YPS before you begin.
  
• Select the type and number of stores that best demonstrate what you are trying to show.
  
• Recruit about 1 teen for each 25 or fewer stores that you will be assessing (or a minimum of four different teens), and try to make sure you have adequate representation of various ethnic groups and that you use equal numbers of boys and girls.
  
• Use teens that are at least 16 years of age or older.
  Tobacco Marketing Store Survey
  
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Store Marketing
• Clearly identify the geographic area (county, city or neighborhood, council or board of supervisor districts) or your particular interest (stores in neighborhoods with large minority populations, stores near schools and parks, or stores that teens frequent) prior to conducting any surveys. This will help you determine the number of stores you need and whether you need a comparison group of stores.
  
• Allow sufficient time to develop a good store list and map the location of the stores (according to political districts) prior to conducting any surveys.
  
• Plan to take photos of what you see to illustrate the problem of tobacco ads and promotions.
  
• It is more complicated to conduct an accurate tobacco ad survey than a YPS. It is highly recommended that adults, not teens conduct the surveys.
  
• Involve your local program evaluator in the data analyses.
  
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Enforcement
• Research existing laws and identify the agencies or parties that are given enforcement authority of the law.
  
• Sleuth out which local agency has the responsibility to enforce the law. Either through informal communications such as telephone calls or more formal written surveys, identify the frequency of enforcement, whether it is conducted routinely or only in response to complaints. Also identify barriers to enforcement and how serious a problem the enforcement agency considers the issue (e.g., tobacco sales to minors, non-compliance with sign laws, etc.).
• Compile the results of your sleuthing to gain an understanding of the extent of enforcement and to aid problem solving.
  
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Merchant Education
• Storeowners are in the retail business to make a living and to earn money; however, they perceive themselves as part of the community and as playing an important role in the lives of their customers.
  
• Atypical forms of identification, such as out-of-state drivers' licenses and military licenses, are problematic for retailers trying to verify the age of the purchaser.
  
• Most retailers are unwilling to post pro-health messages and believe these are not an effective deterrent to youth who attempt to purchase tobacco.
  
• Support for tobacco retail licensing varies among retailers. Chain managers perceive it as a cost of doing business while independent storeowners feel any additional fees are not warranted.
  
• Independent stores most often receive information about new tobacco control laws from tobacco distributors, whereas managers in chain stores usually receive information from their corporate headquarters.
  
• Retailers acknowledge that in-store promotions increase sales of many products including tobacco, soda and alcohol.
  
• Tobacco companies offer a variety of promotions to retailers. The primary purpose of these appears to be to lower the price of tobacco and to obtain better product placement.
  
• In general, storeowners support the removal of self-service displays.
• Local merchant focus groups may help projects further understand the views of merchants locally or to obtain feedback on specific interventions or outreach materials.
  
• Agencies should consider hiring a professional focus group facilitator to conduct the focus groups and to recruit participants. It may be necessary to offer a stipend to retailers to get them to participate.
  
• Focus groups should be carefully thought through in terms of the questions you want answered and who you want to participate (e.g., chain stores, independent stores, storeowners, clerks, store types, or specific neighborhoods).
• Focus group results should be analyzed and summarized into a final report in order to refer back to as you implement your local campaign.
  
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The Political Environment
• Just as it is important to gain an understanding of the public health problem posed by tobacco marketing and sales to minors or the lack of enforcement, it is important to understand the political environment in which your campaign will take place and the views of local opinion leaders.
  
• The goal of opinion leader research is to assess the receptivity of community leaders to the issues and solutions proposed by the campaign.
  
• Contact veterans of past tobacco control policy efforts or retired elected officials who were supportive of past efforts for their advice.
• Learn the background and histories of key decision-makers. Develop short biographies to assess their potential support or opposition to your campaign as well as possible leverage points.
  

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