Tobacco Companies Spend Billions of Dollars Each Year in Stores to: Promote and advertise tobacco products heavily Place products prominently Price products cheaply to appeal to current and potential users, including kids

Promote and Advertise Heavily Tobacco products are promoted in stores through advertisements and branded items, such as shelving units, counter mats and shopping baskets Ads are placed both inside and outside stores

Ramsey County, MN. Marlboro sign directly above an ice cream cooler – almost a part of the cooler itself – with other tobacco ads on the window. Photo courtesy of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota,

Washington, DC. Camel cigarette poster placed directly on an ice cream cooler at a convenience store.

Boston, MA, storefront plastered with tobacco advertisements. Photo courtesy of Civic Boston.

Portland, OR, convenience store with ads and signs for numerous tobacco brands and products.

Honolulu, HI, store with tobacco ads covering the windows and doors. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Waipahu, HI. Ad placement makes cigarettes seem as innocuous as a slush drink. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Raleigh, NC. Camel cigarette logo displayed prominently on store awning. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Minnesota. An outdoor sign advertises Newport cigarettes. Photo courtesy of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota,

Place Prominently Tobacco companies pay stores to display products, ads and other materials in prominent locations and shelving space. “Power walls” of products are often placed behind cash registers, stimulating impulse purchases Products or ads are often placed near candy or at kids’ eye level

Chapel Hill, NC. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Minnesota. Photo courtesy of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota,

Horry County, SC. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Carrboro, NC. Cigarettes are behind the counter as mandated by federal law, but cigars are still available on the counter just above the candy. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Kleibloer of Counter Tobacco,

Honolulu, HI. Colorful, flavored cigarillos are displayed and available to pick up just above the gum. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Washington, DC. A display of colorful, flavored cigars sits next to colorful Easter candy at a gas station.

Portland, OR. Camel products power wall. Note the toy fire truck on top of the display.

Price Cheaply Stores are crammed with price strategies, including discounts paid to retailers, coupons and multi-pack discounts (e.g., buy two, get one free) Ads prominently announce discounts on particular brands Discounts entice price-sensitive kids

Carrboro, NC, convenience store. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Kleibloer of Counter Tobacco,

Clinton, NC. Advertising a price deal for single flavored cigarillos at a store. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Carrboro, NC. A price-related ad for Newport Red near a candy display in a convenience store. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Kleibloer of Counter Tobacco,

Clinton, NC. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Chapel Hill, NC. Outdoor ad promoting Marlboro multi-pack discount. Photo courtesy of Counter Tobacco,

Carrboro, NC. Outdoor ads promote tobacco price specials along a fence outside a store. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Kleibloer of Counter Tobacco,

This image shows how store discounts and coupons can reduce the price paid on products by one-third of the original price. Image and content are the result of research conducted by the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota,

Tobacco Companies and Convenience Stores Partner to Fight Life-Saving Policies Due to their poor image, tobacco companies use stores as front groups to fight tobacco control policies, especially tobacco taxes Tobacco companies provide retailers with funds, information and other support for their anti-policy efforts

Voters’ pamphlets for a 2001 Washington state ballot initiative to increase the cigarette tax included a statement from opponents supposedly prepared by the Korean Grocers Association and the Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores. However, the author was revealed to be Brendan McCormick, Director of Media Relations for Philip Morris USA. Voters passed the tax increase overwhelmingly.

In Georgia, receipts for cigarettes at a Kroger grocery store carried messages against the 2010 cigarette tax increase proposal. The messages were “Paid for by Altria Client Services on behalf of Philip Morris USA.” Galloway, J, “An anti- tax ad with every pack of cigarettes,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Political Insider blog, March 16, 2010.

This two-sided flyer was provided by Philip Morris USA for Utah convenience stores to distribute in December 2008.

R.J. Reynolds placed flyers in Maryland convenience stores to oppose a 2011 tobacco tax increase proposal.

A page on R.J. Reynolds’ NoCigTax.com website is directed at retailers to oppose tobacco taxes. Screenshot taken February 21, 2012.

A page on Altria’s website is directed at retailers to oppose tobacco taxes. Screenshot taken February 21, 2012.

When Congress debated increasing the federal tobacco tax, this R.J. Reynolds flyer urged retailers to oppose the proposal. Downloaded from NoCigTax.com website July 24, 2007.