the tobacco industry is spending · pictures of tobacco advertising . 2013 – metro area venues ....

Lesson Five Identifying the Tobacco Industry at Work in My Neighborhood In Lesson Five, the students will learn how to complete the store survey. With the assistance of the adult leader, the students will determine a date, time, and the stores they will visit to survey. Objectives and Competencies

• Competent in completing the store survey • Prepared to survey approximately five stores • Understanding of the importance of this aspect of the project

Activities

• Video: Tobacco’s Hidden Influences on Our Kids – The Role of Convenience Stores in Tobacco’s Latest Marketing Plans (15 minutes)

• Review the store survey • Review the pictures of point-of-purchase tobacco advertisements, products promotions, and other

marketing strategies • Identify approximately five stores per 2 to 4 students to visit • Optional: Tobacco Scavenger Hunt • Optional: Tour a store online at: www.storealert.org

Materials Needed

• Video: Tobacco’s Hidden Influences on Our Kids – The Role of Convenience Stores in Tobacco’s Latest Marketing Plans (15 minutes)

• Copies of the store survey • Copies of the Locations List and maps to the store locations • Copies of the Letter to Parents/Guardians • Copies of the Parent/Guardian Permission Form to be returned before the next lesson • Copies of the Driver’s Certification Form if parents/guardians will be driving the students to the

store locations

2395 University Avenue West, Suite 310 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114

651-646-3005 phone 651-646-0142 fax [email protected] www.ansrmn.org

Store Survey Form Store Name: Store Address: Students: Date of visit: STORE INFORMATION Type of Store (check one): ____ Convenience/Corner Store ____ Drug store (Walgreens) ____ Gas Station ____ Grocery Store ____ Big Box store (Walmart) ____ Other ADVERTISEMENTS - OUTSIDE THE STORE 1. How many branded tobacco signs do you see outside the store (on the windows, on the walls of the building, by the roads, poles or fences, at the gas pumps)? 2. Do any of the signs have “special” price offers? ____No ____ Yes, Describe: 3. Do you see any branded signs advertising electronic cigarettes? ____No ____ Yes ADVERTISEMENTS - INSIDE THE STORE 4. How many branded tobacco signs do you see inside the store (behind the counter, on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, near the counter)? 5. Do any of the signs have “special” price offers? ____No ____ Yes, Describe: 6. Do you see any branded signs advertising electronic cigarettes? ____No ____ Yes



7. Pick one sign advertisement that is appealing to you or catches your eye. Describe the

advertisement: Other comments about advertising you see (inside or outside): TOBACCO PRODUCTS AVAILABLE 8. Do they sell any candy products resembling tobacco (Big League Chew)?… ____No ____ Yes

9. Do they sell any lighters that look like toys? … ____No ____ Yes

10. Do they sell electronic cigarettes? …………… ____No ____ Yes

11. Do they sell flavored little cigars or cigarillos? ____No ____ Yes

12. Do they sell single cigars? …………………… ____No ____ Yes 13. Do they sell cigars in packs of 2 or 3?.............. ____No ____ Yes 14. Are any tobacco products located in a self-service display (where you can access products without

assistance from the clerk)? ____ Yes ____No

Notes about anything else you notice or that surprises you:



Pictures of Tobacco Advertising 2013 – Metro area venues



Tobacco Scavenger Hunt As you visit convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, etc., gather data about the tobacco advertisements and other marketing strategies.

1. Age-of-sale signs We Card It’s Your I.D. Sign created by

the store

2. Anti-tobacco message

3. Signs Neon or illuminated On the monument sign On a utility pole Hanging from the ceiling

4. Specials or promotions

On sale or a special price Multi-pack discount or buy X get X free Free item with purchase

5. Functional items

Hour sign Push/pull sign Clock Pen or coin

holder Shopping

basket

6. Sales staff wearing items (button, shirt, etc.) advertising tobacco product

7. Flavored tobacco

products Menthol Fruit Alcohol



8. Tobacco products located

Behind a counter – requires sales clerk assistance

Not behind a counter (separate area of the store) – requires sales clerk assistance

Self-service – the customer may reach the products themselves

Near candy displays

9. Candy or toy look-a-likes

10. Vending machine



Locations List Students in Group: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ What date and time will you go visit the stores? ____________________________________________ Who is going to drive you to the stores? ___________________________________________________ Which five locations will you visit in your neighborhood?

Store Name Address

Notes



Sample Letter to Parents/Guardians (Date)

Dear Parent/Guardian:

More than 400,000 people in the U.S. die each year of tobacco-related causes. Another 50,000 kick the habit and stop smoking. These numbers pose a serious problem for tobacco companies. How do they replace these former smokers?

The answer always has been to spend millions of dollars on advertising directed to children and adolescents. The advertising works: 8,400 children start smoking each year in Minnesota. Many kids will say they are just experimenting, but consider this: 90 percent of adult smokers become addicted by the time they reach 18 years old

The tobacco industry currently spends approximately $237.9 million each year promoting its deadly products to children in Minnesota alone. An overwhelming amount of this advertising is found in our neighborhood grocery and convenience stores where our children so often see it.

(Name of school/ agency) has received funding from the Ramsey Tobacco Coalition to raise community awareness about this problem. The funding supports a program that teaches our children about the harms of tobacco and the advertising that is being done to recruit them to be new smokers. The program involves completing a survey in some of our local stores to determine exactly how much tobacco advertising our children are exposed to, and then educating the community on what the students learned. We have asked your son/daughter to participate in this project, pending your permission.

As a student working on this project, she/he will learn the basics of tobacco control then traveling to a number of neighborhood stores to complete a survey and then participate in educating the community with the results that are found. Student working on this project will be working with a group of other students and an adult advisor (insert name of staff member) to complete this program.

If you give your son/daughter permission to participate in the program, your teen will be required to attend (weekly) meetings that will be held at (insert location) from (insert time).

(Optional: We also invite your participation. We are looking for safe, insured drivers who can also help survey the stores. Please indicate on the permission slip whether you are interested.)

If you have any questions, please give me a call at (coordinator’s phone number).

Sincerely,

(Name of Coordinator) & (Title)



Sample Parent/Guardian Permission Form

I do hereby give __________________________ permission to participate in the grant programming we received from the Ramsey Tobacco Coalition. This program involves an educational activity of surveying tobacco advertising and other marketing practices found in various tobacco retail outlets. The purpose of the survey is to analyze the amount and affects of tobacco product advertising and other marketing practices in our community. I understand that this child may be involved in other educational components of this program on a later date.

I release (name of organization/school) from liability involved from this child participating in the survey and subsequent program activities.

Student name:

Address:

Phone:

Parent/guardian name:

Parent/guardian signature:

Date:



Driver’s Certification Form* *Optional: Use if parents/guardians will be driving the students to the store locations Please check if the following apply to you:

________ I am the parent/guardian of a youth who will be riding with me

________ I have not had a moving violation on my driver’s license in the past three years

________ I certify that I am a licensed and insured driver

________ I will require that all occupants in my car wear seat belts at all times

Parent/guardian name:

Address:

Phone:

Driver’s license number:

Parent/guardian signature:

Date:



the tobacco industry is spending · pictures of tobacco advertising . 2013 – metro area venues ....

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