How would the tobacco retail landscape change if tobacco was only sold through liquor stores, petrol stations or pharmacies?

Objective: To examine the potential impact of tobacco being available only from pharmacies, only from liquor stores or only from petrol stations on the New Zealand tobacco retail landscape. Methods: Tobacco retailers and pharmacies were mapped using GIS. Comparisons were made between tobacco retailers and pharmacies. Simple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between outlet types and deprivation. Results: A total of 5,243 tobacco outlets, including liquor stores and petrol stations, and 1,035 pharmacies were identified. The density of all outlets was greater in areas of higher deprivation. The majority of tobacco retailers and pharmacies were located in urban areas. Outlets were mapped in relation to walking distances from secondary schools; significant differences between outlet types are presented. Conclusions: The policy options examined in this study would considerably reduce the overall availability of tobacco, decrease cues to smoke and reduce the density of tobacco sales around schools. However, inequities in availability would exist with access to tobacco in rural areas disproportionately reduced, and a positive sociodemographic gradient remaining. Implications for public health: Substantially reducing tobacco availability has been identified as a crucial tobacco control strategy. This study provides information on the impact of different policy options to support Smokefree 2025