ECU-Stanford team shows differences in underage tobacco sales
Dr. Joseph Lee, professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, represented East Carolina University in a recent collaboration with Drs. Ilana Raskind and Lisa Henriksen from Stanford University in a study of 2015-2020 data on tobacco sales to underage buyers.
Their article, “Underage Sales of Tobacco in Dollar Stores and Top Grocery Stores, 2015-2020, U.S.,” was published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in April.
This study used data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Retailer Inspection Program.
Tobacco products at a Family Dollar.
Lee, who also serves as associate dean for research in the College of Health and Human Performance, noted that youth access to tobacco remains a pressing public health concern. In a 2018 statistic among U.S. high school students who reported past 30-day tobacco use, 12.7% reported purchasing their own tobacco.
“Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States,” Lee said. “This is not just one type of product, but this study includes sales of any kind of tobacco product. Some of these would have been e-cigarette sales.”
The researcher team compared violation rates across companies, determining that Family Dollar had the highest violation rate. Research data spanned from Jan. 1, 2015-March 19, 2020.
The full article can be accessed here.
“I wasn’t expecting to find such a big difference between one of the dollar stores and all of the others,” Lee said. “We can see some of these companies do really well, but others have much higher likelihood of selling to underage buyers. I hope this research can help companies find ways to do a better job keeping tobacco products out of the hands of youth and young people who can’t legally buy tobacco products.”
For media inquiries about this research, contact Lee at leejose14@ecu.edu and ECU HHP public communications specialist Ronnie Woodward at woodwardr21@ecu.edu.
Prestigious mentor award
Dr. Joseph Lee was one of two recipients of a 2022-23 ECU Honors College faculty mentor award. Lee was nominated by student Tyler West.
This award is described as the most prestigious award given to an instructor in the ECU Honors College. Lee was honored along with Dr. Anne Spuches from the Department of Chemistry.
They each receive a $500 professional development stipend and have their name added to a plaque in the Mamie Jenkins Building.
“This year’s nomination pool was one of the most competitive ever with an impressive number of submissions,” Honors College dean Dr. Todd Fraley said. “These two faculty members continue to inspire and motivate our students as they graciously share their knowledge and expertise. It is these lasting relationships that our students value the most.”
Dr. Joseph Lee, left, with student Tyler West at the ECU 2023 Honors College Medallion Ceremony.