Investigation and countering of tobacco industry’s interference with tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban at the point-of-sale in Armenia
Funding Agency: Vital Strategies (as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use)
PI: Varduhi Petrosyan, MS, PhD and Co-PI: Varduhi Hayrumyan, MS, MPH
Although comprehensive advertising bans were introduced in 2020, weak enforcement has enabled the industry to adapt, using open displays, creative messaging, and non-compliant vape shops that target youth and normalize tobacco use. This project responded to the urgent need to counter tobacco industry’s (TI) aggressive marketing strategies at point of sale (POS) locations in Armenia. The project revealed and documented TI marketing and youth-targeting approaches for tobacco products that undermine the spirit of the POS ban in Armenia and expose the revealed TI tactics among key stakeholders, decision-makers, government stakeholders, and the general population. Specifically, the project 1) investigated and documented TI marketing and youth-targeting approaches with tobacco and nicotine products at POS through qualitative research methods including observations, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions; 2) disseminated the documented evidence among decision-makers, government stakeholders and the general population, including youth and their parents, through several channels.
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