The Retail Capping Regulation limits or reduces the number of tobacco sales permits available to retailers in any given city or town. Reducing the density of tobacco retailers reduces the exposure of young people to tobacco industry tactics. Setting a limit on the number of available permits encourages existing permit holders to stay compliant with current tobacco sales laws and maintain their good standing to prevent the loss of their permit.
Limiting the number of tobacco sales permits helps cities and towns in their efforts to reduce the influence of the tobacco industry in their community. Studies indicate that point-of-purchase exposure to tobacco products directly influence what products youth buy and use.1 Research has shown that kids who shop at stores with tobacco two or more times a week are 64% more likely to start smoking than their peers who don’t. 2
Sources:
- U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. Preventing Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2012. Access on 8/15/2012 at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/index.html.
- Henriksen, Schleicher, Feiughery and Fortmann. Pediatrics: The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. July 19, 2010, DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009 3021
