Study finds youngsters in most deprived areas pass a shop selling tobacco 149 times each week.
Children from Scotland’s poorest areas experience similar exposure to tobacco retailing in one day as children from the least deprived areas did in six, a study has found.
Researchers from the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh used GPS trackers to follow 700 ten- and 11-year olds from across the country over eight consecutive days.
They found that children from the most deprived neighbourhoods came within 10m of a shop selling tobacco 149 times a week, compared to just 23 times a week for the least deprived.
Previous research has shown that tobacco outlets are twice as common in deprived areas. But the new study has shown that children from the most deprived areas were exposed to tobacco retailing six times more frequently than those from weathier areas..
Most exposure came from convenience stores and newsagents selling tobacco, with peaks just before and after school. There was also a higher than expected amount of exposure from supermarkets on weekends.
Children from more deprived areas are more likely to start smoking themselves, and the researchers said pre-adolescence is a critical period where the path to starting smoking begins.
Lead author Dr Fiona Caryl, from the University of Glasgow’s MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, said: “Our findings provide a significant contribution to the policy debate on tobacco availability. Identifying ways to reverse the normalising effects of ubiquitous tobacco retailing is key to policies aimed at preventing people from starting smoking.”
Professor Jamie Pearce, an expert in in tobacco-related health from University of Edinburgh and co-author of the study, added: “This exciting and novel work suggests any moves to reduce tobacco availability, whether to reduce the number of retail outlets, or restrict the timing of sales, will have a greater benefit for more deprived groups who suffer the greatest amount of tobacco-related harm.”
The research was supported by NHS Health Scotland, who said the findings would be used to inform future strategy.
Dr Garth Reid, the body’s interim head of evidence for action, said: “As a national health board working to reduce health inequalities and improve health, we were pleased to support this innovative research into children and young people’s exposure to tobacco products in Scotland.
“We welcome the findings, which will inform a report that we will publish later this year, considering the implications for health inequalities and tobacco control in Scotland in greater detail.”
