Tobacco Teardown

First, let’s start with an Operation Storefront

activity.

Operation Storefront is a project conducted in communities

throughout the United States, in which youth teams inspect local

stores to document tobacco product placement and marketing.

Are children being exposed to frequent tobacco ads and

marketing?

Are ads at children’s eye level?

Are tobacco products located near candy

displays?

Are they located where they require clerk

assistance?

Now that you have all of that information, let’s do a Tobacco

Teardown.

What is a Tobacco

Teardown?

A youth based cleanup effort to help communities change the way that tobacco

is promoted. SWAT teams approach convenience stores that have tobacco advertising. Youth request that stores

teardown their storefront tobacco ads. In exchange, the youth help clean and

beautify their store. In the case of stores who do not display tobacco advertising

and do not promote tobacco use messages, the youth may conduct a cleanup as an

offer of appreciation to them.

Why do a Tobacco

Teardown?

Why do a Tobacco

Teardown?

Many convenience stores are located near schools, so children are exposed to tobacco advertising on a daily

basis. Retail stores are a major focus for tobacco industry advertising partly due to the limits placed on advertising elsewhere such as television, newspapers and billboards

through the Master Settlement Agreement. Because of the high frequency of youth visiting convenience stores, the

tobacco industry promotes these locations as ideal sites to “hook” youth.

Tobacco kills about 6,000 Oklahomans each year. It is our leading cause of preventable death, killing more Oklahomans than alcohol, auto accidents, AIDS, suicides, murders, and illegal drugs combined. (www.health.state.ok.us)

The tobacco industry spends an estimated $274.3million in Oklahoma yearly promoting a product that kills. (www.tobaccofreekids.org)

Every year in Oklahoma, 7,500 youth under the age of 18 become new daily smokers. (www.tobaccofreekids.org)

Published research studies have found

that youth are three times more sensitive to

tobacco advertising than adults and are

more likely to be influenced to use

tobacco by tobacco industry marketing

than by peer pressure. One-third of underage experimentation with tobacco is attributable

to tobacco company advertising.

(www.tobaccofreekids.org)

How do I do a Teardown?

FirstTraining on Operation Storefront & Tobacco

Teardown.

thirdOperation Storefront activity.

fourthPrepare your retailer information

packet.

secondGet all parental releases

signed.

sixthVisit with your retailer. Is this safe for the youth educator or would it be best for an adult

partner.

fifthMake sure your local media is on

board.

seventhTobacco Teardown activity.

Media attention is one of the most

important aspects of the Tobacco Ad Teardown. This is the way that the

community knows what and why this

project is happening. In

addition, media attention is most likely one of the

main incentives for store participation.

There are many ways to utilize media and it is

important for teams to be creative.

Press releases: sent to radio, newspaper and local television.

Newspaper: ads, interviews (team spokesperson, and store owners), community calendar, articles, and letters to the editor.Radio: News, live or prerecorded interviews, PSA’s, and commercials.

Television: Live on site broadcasts, news shows and interviews.

Ways to Utilize the Media

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the store owner forgot that he/she set up a meeting with you and isn’t around.

- Reschedule

- Call again

- Show up at the store at a random time

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the owner only wants to remove some of the ads but wants to keep other banners, signs and posters in his store.

- Try to do as much as possible

- Encourage the owner to take down all of it

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the owner says he/she makes $1,000 each month by having outdoor ads and can’t afford removing them.

- Saves money by cleaning the lot and beautifying the store

- Removing the ads makes the store more appealing and families like it

- Ask them if they have a contract, if so have them review it and see how much signage is mandatory

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the owner doesn’t believe that ads have any effect on whether people use tobacco, so why bother?

- Give them statistics on youth tobacco use rates

- Provide them with statistics about the incidence of tobacco use and advertising

- Tobacco users will buy from them whether or not they advertise

- Tobacco companies spend so much to have them displayed to promote and normalize pro-use messages to youth

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the owner wants to know how the Teardown will benefit them.

- Tell them that this activity will be getting media attention. Make sure that you set this up before the teardown takes place. Media attention is a great way for the store to get positive publicity.

- The store will look more presentable and get community recognition via radio, television and newspaper. All of this is great for business.

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

If the owner is too busy to participate in the project.

- There is nothing that they have to do.

- Show up at random times and present them with the packet. Often times, the store manager will be working with you and speak to the owner themselves.

Role PlayingWhat would you do?

The most important part is to build a positive relationship with the

retailer. Do not burn any bridges. You may just be planting the seed for a future Teardown. Many stores decide to reduce advertising on their own

just because of the information that you are

providing.

Don’t just sit there!

Let’s get started!

Tobacco Teardown