U.S. flag An official website of the United States government

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  1. Home
  2. Tobacco Products
  3. Tobacco Science & Research
  4. Research
  5. Support Services for Evaluating Minnesota Tobacco Policies Restricting the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products
  1. Research

Support Services for Evaluating Minnesota Tobacco Policies Restricting the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

Principal Investigator(s):  Ashley Ross
    
Funding Mechanism: Research Contract

ID number: HHSF223201310007B

Award Date: 7/24/2018

Institution: Research Triangle Institute International

From 2015 to 2017, three cities in Minnesota (i.e., Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth) passed ordinances that restricted the sale of flavored and/or menthol tobacco products. These city ordinances provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential impacts of flavor restrictions. This study will employ various methods to evaluate these ordinances. Researchers will develop questions to evaluate process, outcomes, and potential unintended consequences and will use these questions to design a data collection and analysis plan. Key study components will be as follows: conducting stakeholder interviews (n=9 per interview protocol); compiling and analyzing retail scanner data; obtaining data about the implementation activities of area tobacco and liquor stores; reviewing archival data regarding enforcement and licensure; analyzing existing population survey data regarding behavior; and purchasing and visually assessing actual tobacco products in retail settings. This evaluation study will allow CTP to learn from policy development and implementation experiences; explore barriers and facilitators to policy implementation and enforcement; document policy effects on outcomes such as product availability and sales and consumer behavior; and uncover potentially unintended consequences of the policies.