The retail setting is an important environment. It's where public health can collaborate with retailers to prevent youth from starting to smoke and use other tobacco products and supports former smokers and tobacco users to stay quit. The Tobacco Industry recruits and maintains customers using advertising, price promotions and discounts, tobacco product placement, and other marketing tactics in the retail environment. With tobacco products bought mostly in stores, products and advertising normalizes the presence of tobacco in everyday life, making it easier for youth to start smoking and harder for those who want to quit.
This page includes information about tobacco retailers, including sales to people under the age of 21 and a summary of the tobacco retail environment. In the future this site will share data on alcohol retailers, including maps of alcohol retailer locations and the social and economic characteristics of communities with large numbers of retailers.