Department of Health Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Tob Control. 2021 Sep;30(5):583-586. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055588. Epub 2020 Aug 7.
The retail availability of tobacco is at odds with the health harms associated with tobacco smoking and undermines tobacco control efforts. Evidence suggests ease of access to tobacco through retail outlets contributes to smoking prevalence.
This study aimed to understand why retailers stop selling tobacco and explore possible implications for tobacco control.
The Tobacco Licensing Database maintained by the Department of Health Tasmania was used to identify and recruit past retailers who no longer held licences. Semistructured interviews were conducted to explore business demographics and the reasons they stopped selling tobacco. Interview findings were analysed using a thematic framework.
Twenty former tobacco retailers participated, representing all business types except specialist tobacconists and large supermarkets. Retailers gave multiple reasons for ending tobacco sales, related to business considerations, security, tobacco regulations, ethics and health. Most often, the decision was business-related; health or ethical considerations were rarely a factor. Most retailers felt they played no role in mitigating tobacco-related harm.
This study provides insights into factors that make tobacco sales unattractive or unfeasible for low-volume outlets and may inform supply-focused tobacco control policy. A campaign that emphasises the possible business benefits of ending tobacco sales in favour of other higher-margin products may support retailers to transition away from tobacco sales. The regulatory obligations of selling tobacco are disincentives and create a less favourable retail environment.
烟草的零售供应与吸烟对健康的危害相悖，并且破坏了控烟工作。有证据表明，通过零售店更容易获得烟草，这导致了吸烟的流行。
本研究旨在了解零售商为何停止销售烟草，并探讨这对烟草控制可能产生的影响。
使用塔斯马尼亚州卫生部维护的烟草许可证数据库，确定并招募不再持有许可证的前烟草零售商。采用半结构化访谈的方式，探讨他们的业务特征以及停止销售烟草的原因。使用主题框架对访谈结果进行分析。
共有 20 名前烟草零售商参与了研究，涵盖了所有除专业烟草零售商和大型超市以外的业务类型。零售商给出了停止销售烟草的多种原因，包括商业考虑、安全、烟草法规、道德和健康等因素。大多数情况下，这是一个商业决策；健康或道德因素很少是一个因素。大多数零售商认为他们在减轻与烟草相关的危害方面没有发挥作用。
本研究深入了解了使低销量零售商对销售烟草失去吸引力或不可行的因素，可能为以供应为重点的烟草控制政策提供信息。一场强调结束烟草销售可能带来商业利益、转而销售其他高利润产品的运动，可能会支持零售商逐步停止销售烟草。销售烟草的监管义务是一种抑制因素，会创造一个不利的零售环境。
