Underage Sales of Tobacco in Dollar Stores and Top Grocery Stores, 2015-2020, U.S.

introductionYouth access to tobacco in retail settings remains a pressing public health concern and may vary across retail corporations. This study compares underage sales violation rates in tobacco-selling dollar store corporations-a rapidly growing retail segment where cheaper tobacco prices may appeal to youth-with rates in other major grocery corporations.

methodsIn 2021, U.S. Food and Drug Administration data (N=64,059 inspections) from January 2015 to March 2020 were used to compare underage tobacco sales in the two major tobacco-selling dollar store corporations, Dollar General and Family Dollar, with sales in major grocery corporations: Albertsons, Delhaize, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart. Generalized linear mixed models controlled for neighborhood characteristics. Post hoc analyses examined whether the corporation with the highest violation rate was more likely to be in neighborhoods with higher proportions of racially minoritized residents, socioeconomic disadvantage, or rural status.

resultsFamily Dollar failed 12.1% of underage sales inspections. All other corporations had a significantly lower likelihood of selling tobacco to an underage buyer than Family Dollar. This significant association persisted after controlling for neighborhood characteristics. Family Dollar locations were associated with being in neighborhoods with higher proportions of racially minoritized residents and greater socioeconomic disadvantage.

conclusionsRegulating corporate behavior is necessary to reduce underage access to tobacco in dollar stores and address place-based inequities in youth tobacco access. Increasing the use of U.S. Food and Drug Administration no-tobacco-sale orders and Assurances of Voluntary Compliance, which provide a mechanism for state attorneys general to engage with tobacco retailers regarding enforcement of minimum legal sales age laws, may help to reduce youth tobacco access in retail settings.