Congratulations to our winners in Counter Tobacco's third annual photo contest, and a big THANK YOU to all participants! View winning entries and find other hard-hitting images of tobacco industry tactics at the point of sale in our image gallery.
Grand Prize Winner! Submitted by Nicole S. from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Did you know? Rates of tobacco use are higher in the military than in the general civilian population, which can reduce military readiness and cause adverse health outcomes. In 2011, 12.8% of all military personnel used smokeless tobacco products like snus compared to 3.2% of the general population. Learn more about tobacco's impact on the military in this Tobacco Use in the Military fact sheet from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
Winner: Electronic Smoking Products!
Congratulations to Joyce M. for this great capture in Oklahoma City, OK! View all category winners here.
We asked our audience to submit photos showcasing tobacco industry marketing tactics and promotional strategies at the point of sale (POS), and we received over 40 great photos from 14 different states and even two other countries (Austria and Pakistan). The entries cover a wide range of problems at the point of sale, and beyond just the contest, we hope these photos will be used to continue POS advocacy work.
Winnershave been chosen in the following categories of tobacco industry activities at the POS:
Most Ironic
Stores Near Schools
Best Map or Infographic
Electronic Smoking Products
Novel Products
Greatest Youth Appeal
Fan Favorite
You can find winners and honorable mentions for all categories, as well as all photo contest submissions and other captivating images of POS tobacco industry tactics in ourimage gallery.
What's all this for?
The Surgeon General has concluded that "advertising and promotional activities by tobacco companies have been shown to cause the onset and continuation of smoking among adolescents and young adults." [1] The tobacco industry spends the majority of their marketing budget at the point of sale promoting its deadly products. [2] CounterTobacco.org is dedicated to providing tools and resources to counteract retail tobacco product sales and marketing. The photo contest and image gallery expose the tobacco industry's marketing tactics in hopes of educating communities, and especially youth, about the dangers of tobacco retail marketing. Education and exposure of the industries' tactics are critical to building awareness and serve as a first step in the policy change process. These photos offer tobacco control advocates a powerful tool to show what is happening at the point of sale.
With the tobacco industry wielding its influence and dollars at the point of sale, policy changes at the federal, state, and local levels are critical. Learn more about counteracting retail tobacco products sale and marketing.
More news from CounterTobacco.org
Introducing: Jessica Eaddy
Meet CounterTobacco.org's new Project Director and Managing Editor, Jessica Eaddy! Jessica oversees the writing, content, user engagement, social media, and grant management of CounterTobacco.org. She spent the previous 3 years working with CCNC’s Project Lazarus to educate physicians about chronic pain and opioid overdose prevention through the Governor’s Institute on Substance Abuse. She has focused on the research, prevention, and treatment of substance use disorders throughout the past decade. Jessica received her Masters of Social Work and Certificate in Substance Abuse Studies from UNC in 2009.
Upcoming Webinar: Retail Regulations: Addressing Electronic Smoking Devices at the Point of Sale
Join us andChangeLab Solutions for a webinar on September 25, 2015 at 1pm EDT on electronic smoking devices and the point of sale.
E-cigarettes, e-hookah, vape pens and other electronic smoking devices continue to expand at the point of sale, both in availability and marketing. These products are largely unregulated and present both a challenge and an opportunity in POS tobacco control efforts. Tune into this webinar for more information on how to address the sales and marketing of these products. Presenters will be Ian McLaughlin from ChangeLab Solutions and Katie Byerly fromCounterTobacco.org. Registration link coming soon!
News, Research, and Resources
CounterTobacco.org's latest "News and Research Roundup", a monthly summary of the latest POS research, reports, and policy news.
Looking for case studies? Check out Stories from the Field for examples of how other cities, states, and communities have successfully developed, passed, and implemented effective POS policies, and run successful media and awareness campaign!
