Tobacco regulatory compliance with STAKE Act age of sale signage among licensed tobacco retailers across diverse neighborhoods in Southern California

INTRODUCTION The California Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act requires licensed tobacco retailers to post minimum age-of-sale signage at the point of sale. This study investigated STAKE Act compliance in licensed tobacco retailers across four racial/ethnic communities in Southern California. METHODS The sample consisted of 675 licensed tobacco retailers (excluding chain store supermarkets and pharmacies) randomly selected based on zip codes from predominantly non-Hispanic White (n=196), African American (n=193), Hispanic/Latino (n=186), and Korean American (n=100) communities. A protocol for assessing signage was completed at each store by community health workers (promotoras de salud). The law changed from a minimum age of 18 to 21 years (Tobacco 21) during data collection, as of 9 June 2016. Differences in signage compliance were evaluated before and after changes in the State law. RESULTS Overall, 45% of the stores were compliant with posting the required age-of-sale signage (which varied in minimum age by date of collection); 14% of stores did not have any store interior age-of-sale signs, and 41% of stores had some type of age-of-sale sign but were not compliant with the STAKE Act (e.g. 29.5% of the stores had non-compliant tobacco industry We Card signs but not STAKE Act signs). Stores observed after the 2016 implementation of Tobacco 21 had significantly lower STAKE Act signage compliance rates (38.6%) compared to stores observed before the change in the State law (70.9%) (z=6.8623, p<0.001). The difference in STAKE Act sign compliance between stores located in AA communities (16.9%) and stores located in NHW communities (41.5%) observed within the first three months after the change in law was statistically significant (chi(2)(1)=20.098, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest the need for prompt, educational outreach to licensed tobacco retailers on age-of-sale signage changes, multiple compliance checks, and enforcement.