Inequalities in Tobacco Retailer Compliance Violations Across the State of Oklahoma, 2015-2019

J Community Health. 2022 Aug;47(4):658-665. doi: 10.1007/s10900-022-01091-7. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between compliance check violations, and characteristics of the tobacco retailer and neighborhood social vulnerability in Oklahoma.

Design: This cross-sectional study utilized the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Compliance Check Inspections of Tobacco Product Retailers database for 2015-2019. These data were combined with Neighborhood social vulnerability variables using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index.

Setting: The setting of this study is the state of Oklahoma, USA.

Outcome measures: The outcome variable for this analysis was whether a sale was made to the youth during the compliance check (e.g., violation; yes/no) regardless of the outcome of the violation, and number of violations per a retailer.

Results: We observed a strong association between having a violation and retailer store type, after controlling for socioeconomic vulnerability and percentage of mobile homes. The proportion of a tobacco retailer's violations also varied by store type.

Conclusions: More targeted enforcements and retailer education by store type may be necessary to increase compliance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Commerce
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Humans
  • Nicotiana*
  • Oklahoma / epidemiology
  • Tobacco Products*