ARCHIVED - Evaluation of Retailers' Behaviour Towards Certain Youth Access-to-Tobacco Restrictions - 2009

Key Results

This survey provides a measure of retailer behaviour at the national level. Results among cities and provinces should not be compared to one another.

A total of 5,502 retail stores were visited in this data collection. The national results reported in this document reflect the core 30 cities for which data have been collected since 2002 (prior to 2002 data were collected in 25 "core" cities).

Unless otherwise specified retailer compliance refers to the percentage of retailers refusing to sell cigarettes during an attempted purchase by an underage teen test shopper.

Overview

  • Nationally, in 2009, 84.3% of retailers refused to sell cigarettes to underage Canadians, statistically unchanged from 2008 (85.9%). National retailer compliance with respect to refusing cigarette sales to underage youth has exceeded 80% or greater for the sixth consecutive year.
Figure 1 - National retailer compliance and smoking prevalence for 15-17 year olds (1995-2009)
  • The percentage of retailers who asked for ID (83.2%) was similar to last year's result (84.1%).
Figure 2 - National percentage of retailers requesting ID during cigarette purchase (1995-2009)
  • Cigarette sales were refused almost 100% of the time when ID was asked for by the retailers and less than 25% of the time when ID was not requested.
  • Compliance levels declined among two trade classes; grocery stores (-6.3 percentage points) and chain convenience stores (-2.7 percentage points).
  • Three-quarters (75.6%) of all outlets complied with sign provisions, the highest recorded level since measuring retailer behaviour began in 1995 and a 10.8 percentage point increase compared to last year's  result (64.8%). Federal and provincial sales-to-minors legislation regulates the posting of age-advisory and/or tobacco health-warning signs in retail establishments where tobacco products are sold. This study only gives credit for 'FULL' compliance with each provinces own mandatory sign provisions.
Figure 3 - National retailer sign compliance (1995-2009)
  • In 2009, retailers' behaviour respecting tobacco display restrictions was observed and recorded for the first time. All provinces, except Newfoundland and Labrador, require that retail outlets accessible by Canadians under the legal age to purchase tobacco do not have any visible tobacco displays within store property. Overall, 94.8% of retailers were compliant with the legislation banning the display of all tobacco products.
  • Youth were asked to report if retailers were suggesting specific cigarette brands or other types of tobacco during an attempted purchase. Findings showed that only 13 retailers out of 5,502 suggested another brand or type of tobacco, less than 0.3%.

Results by Minors' Age and Sex

  • Sales were refused to 95.1% of 15 year olds, compared to 83.0% of 16 year olds and 79.5% of 17 year olds.
  • In 2009, the observed relationship between compliance and age was the same as in years previous to 2008 where the younger the youth, the less likely the retailer was willing to sell.
  • Retailers refused cigarette sales to female and male teens who were attempting to buy cigarettes at approximately the same rate (85.0 versus 83.7%, respectively).

Results by Clerks' Age and Sex

  • The highest compliance rate was among the group of clerks who appeared older than 25 (but not senior) where 85.4% refused sale of cigarettes to the minor. Compliance has increased considerably (+13.2 percentage point) in the age category "About Age of Minor" and has surpassed 80% for the first time.
  • Compliance rates were approximately equal for male and female clerks refusing to sell cigarettes to underage youth (84.5% versus 84.2%). Male and female clerks also requested ID from underage youth attempting to purchase cigarettes at an approximately equal rate (83.5% versus 82.8%).

Results by Retailer Type

  • Chain convenience stores obtained the highest compliance level at 89.2%, followed by grocery stores (84.6%), gas stores/kiosks (84.3%), and independent convenience stores (82.4%).
  • Compliance was significantly higher for retailers located near a school and/or mall (87.2%) compared to retailers located elsewhere (83.1%).
  • National compliance with mandatory tobacco sign laws significantly increased for all 4 retailer types. The highest signage compliance rate was among chain convenience stores at 81.6% (69.4% in 2008) followed by grocery stores, at 79.9% (71.2% in 2008), gas stores/kiosks at 76.7% (66.3% in 2008), and independent convenience stores at 71.3% (61.1% in 2008)

Conclusions

  • Econometric analysis shows that the increase in retailer compliance over time has contributed to the decrease in the prevalence of smoking among youth and the decrease in the percentage of youth accessing cigarettes in retail stores.
  • Compliance with provincial legislation in provinces restricting tobacco displays in retail establishments has been high. In 2009, 94.8% of selected retail outlets accessible by Canadians under the legal age to purchase tobacco did not have any visible tobacco displays within store property.
  • The continued improvement in retailer's behaviour will assist towards attaining the FTCS goal (2007 to 2011) of reducing the prevalence of Canadian youth (15 to 17 year olds) who smoke from 15% to 9%.

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