The tobacco retail environment, or point of sale, is where tobacco products enter communities and where the tobacco industry's influence is most visible. This retail environment plays a critical role in shaping tobacco use, especially among youth, who are vulnerable to targeted marketing, high product availability, and price promotions. Widespread availability of flavored tobacco products, including menthol, makes it easier for individuals-especially youth and new users-to start using tobacco.
Regulating what, where, how, and for how much tobacco products are sold can help disrupt these harmful marketing tactics and reduce tobacco-related health disparities.
Tobacco Industry Marketing and Product Presence
In 2023 and in 2025, Mecklenburg County Public Health and community partners in Health Region 4, comprised of Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union Counties, partnered with Counter Tools to conduct tobacco retail store visits and analyze findings. A public-facing dashboard shares the data and tells the story of tobacco industry marketing and product presence in our community.
A Tobacco Retail Policy Impact Assessment was also conducted including stakeholder interviews and development of recommendations related to T-21 and creation of a Retail Permitting System for NC.
Decades of research has demonstrated that advertising and accessibility of tobacco products in retail settings play a crucial role in influencing tobacco use initiation, purchasing habits, and undermining cessation efforts. The point of sale refers to any brick or mortar store that sells tobacco products, including convenience stores, gas stations, corner stores, bodegas, grocery stores, vape shops, tobacco stores, bars, and restaurants. The point of sale is how tobacco enters a community.
"Zyn gas pump topper advertisement and price promotion" taken on March 12, 2021 in Hillsborough, NC, https://countertobacco.org/media-gallery/store-image-maps/
In 2022, the tobacco industry spent $8.3 billion on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco marketing at the point of sale, which accounted for 97.8% of their total marketing expenditure for cigarettes and over 88% of their total marketing budget. The tobacco industry spends the majority of their marketing budget on price discounts and promotional allowance to keep products cheap and visible at the point of sale.
Nicotine Products at Point of Sale
Image provided by Mecklenburg County’s Office of Chronic Disease Policy & Prevention.
Tobacco product “power wall” with FDA corrective statements required by law.
Image provided by Mecklenburg County’s Office of Chronic Disease Policy & Prevention.
Resources
- Counter Tools
Counter Tools is a public health consulting organization that empowers communities to become healthier places for all. They promote health equity by reducing the detrimental impact of unhealthy substances at the point of sale.
- Counter Tobacco
Counter Tools is a comprehensive resource for local, state, and federal organizations working to counteract commercial tobacco product sales and marketing at the point of sale.
- The Aspire Center
A collaborative of tobacco control researchers, practitioners, and legal experts investigating how tobacco retailer density and innovative retail tobacco interventions impact people and communities.
- Change Lab Solutions
Point of Sale Playbook
- Public Health Law Center
View various articles around Countering Tobacco; search tobacco retail environment.
- The NC Alliance for Health
is an independent statewide nonpartisan coalition of individuals and organizations working to ensure all North Carolinians live healthier lives, protected by strong health policies. View their Tobacco 21 resources webpage.