PRC - Research - Robert I. Lipton, Ph.D. - "Geography of Underage Tobacco Retail Sales in Los Angeles"

According to recent information, teens in Los Angeles are successful about 33% of the time in attempts to illegally purchase tobacco from retail outlets. Two years ago, Los Angeles enacted an ordinance that sought to limit underage tobacco sales through a series of actions such as licensing tobacco retailers, conducting underage sales checks and tracking offenders and repeat offenders. Although Los Angeles is actively involved in tobacco compliance enforcement and information gathering, there is a little systematic understanding of the socio-demographic, vendor, customer and community context in which compliance occurs. In response to this need we are proposing to describe the spatial distribution of compliance, in regard to the above mentioned factors, as a way to more fully include information that may bear on compliance enforcement and intervention.

Spatial analysis is important for describing the setting in which populations involve themselves with activities that increase or decrease risk of compliance. Specific socio-demographic and ethnic/cultural factors may help construct a geographic place, along with specific physical features such as roads, dense housing, etc, that are related to a host of public health issues. Further, geographic areas have specific characteristics that, above and beyond individual effects, may be related to underage tobacco compliance and tobacco outlet concentration. In this regard, we ask the question "does place matter in regard to compliance?" We are interested in the confluence of factors that produce a certain level of compliance for a given area such as outlet characteristics, area characteristics (e.g. density of outlets), vendor characteristics, customer characteristics and the socio-demographic setting. Information obtained from this project, in close cooperation with the City of Los Angeles, will be used to inform and improve future compliance policies and enforcement efforts.

This three year project, using 2000 census data and outlet, vendor, and underage purchaser characteristics, as well as compliance data provided by the Los Angeles city attorney's office has the following specific aims:

Identify census tracts (and/or block groups) in Los Angeles with the best and worst compliance rates (highest and lowest quintiles), both in terms of repeated violations and density of non-compliant outlets.

Model expected compliance across census tracts and block groups based on characteristics of the place to determine which specific areas have higher or lower than expected non-compliance/compliance rates ("hotspots").

Determine rates of persistent non-compliance of outlets for the years 2003-2004, and describe the characteristics of those outlets, locations, vendors and underage customer decoys.

These approaches will serve, both at the scientific and policy/enforcement level, to more accurately target and locate those areas most in need of compliance and prevention efforts. In addition, underserved and understudied populations and areas can be specifically examined. Due to the unprecedented quality of the compliance data and the diversity of Los Angeles, information obtained by this project will benefit not only Los Angeles, but the entire state by contributing to the scientific and theoretical knowledge needed to improve policy as well as, at the practical level, improving enforcement activities that reduce underage access to tobacco and improve public health.

To improve targeting of compliance enforcement and intervention efforts by identifying census tracts and block groups in Los Angeles, over a three year period, where compliance is relatively low.

To improve enforcement/compliance through a better understanding of the socio-demographic and vendor-customer context in which compliance/non-compliance occurs.

To provide a baseline from which to develop, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, more coherent prevention and enforcement interventions at the community level for 2002-2004.