Determining the Impact of Smoking Point of Sale Legislation Among Youth (DISPLAY) Study

Project Description

This study aims to assess the impact of measures in The Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 (that ban point of sale (POS) tobacco displays and advertising) on young people’s exposure to tobacco advertising, their attitudes towards smoking and ultimately their smoking behaviour. Data will be collected for five years in a number of communities selected to reflect two levels of urbanisation (urban vs. small town) and two levels of social deprivation (high vs. medium, low).

There are four main components to the study:

  1. Tobacco retailer mapping study;
  2. Tobacco retailer marketing audit of tobacco retailers;
  3. Survey of secondary school children;
  4. Focus groups with secondary schoolchildren

The study will examine the relationship between changes in the prevalence and density of POS tobacco advertising and exposure to POS advertising, and the relationship between POS exposure and awareness of point of sale advertising; cigarette brand awareness; perceived ease of access to cigarettes; attempts to purchase cigarettes; perceived youth smoking prevalence; pro-tobacco attitudes and the uptake and prevalence of smoking (from the school surveys). The qualitative data will contextualise and enable interpretation of the school survey and retailers audit findings, as well as identifying any unexpected or unintended consequences associated with the legislation.

Timescale

January 2012 – December 2017

Funding

NIHR Public Health Research Programme

Leads

DISPLAY Study as a whole: Professor Sally Haw, University of Stirling.

Tobacco retailer mapping study: Professor Jamie Pearce, University of Edinburgh

Tobacco retailer marketing audit: Douglas Eadie, ISM, University of Stirling

School survey: Dr Winfried van de Sluijs CAHRU, St Andrew’s University

Focus group study: Dr Andy MacGregor, ScotCen Social Research, Edinburgh & Professor Amanda Amos, University of Edinburgh