Flavored tobacco products cater to younger populations, which can pose a threat to public health tobacco control measures. Implementation of policy to prevent and reduce use of flavored tobacco products is critical to end commercial tobacco in California. In August 2020, the state enacted Senate Bill (SB) 793 to prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarette products. In November 2022, voters supported a proposition to uphold the state’s law. At the local level, over a hundred jurisdictions have also adopted flavored tobacco product sales bans in the state.
Principal investigator, Denise Payán, PhD, assistant professor of health, society, and behavior, received nearly $775,000 with a TRDRP New Investigator award to conduct a three-year research project to uncover gaps and opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and impact of tobacco sales bans. Limited research has been conducted examining flavored tobacco policy implementation, compliance, and enforcement. The TRDRP New Investigator award will also provide the team with a strong foundation to seek external funding to develop and pilot test communication and educational interventions to support tobacco policy implementation.
With experienced and early career researchers from UC Irvine and UC Merced, the research team will investigate factors influencing local implementation of SB 793 and related outcomes in two local jurisdictions in Orange County and the San Joaquin Valley. Tobacco control stakeholder interviews and tobacco retailer surveys will be conducted, in addition to collecting secondary data on compliance.
Results will be disseminated using a variety of methods (community action bulletins, research briefs, community meetings, conferences, scientific publications) to reach a wide range of tobacco control policy stakeholders to improve implementation. Targeted stakeholders include policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and community members in Orange County, the San Joaquin Valley, and throughout the state.
