Visibility and availability of single cigarettes around schools in four Latin American countries

Introduction: Single cigarette sales at tobacco-selling points of sale (POS) may promote smoking. We explored visibility and availability of single cigarettes in POS around schools in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, countries where their sale is banned.

Methods: Between April and July 2023, an observational study was conducted at POS around high schools in urban and rural areas in Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru. A sampling frame of schools was generated from public registries, with schools categorised according to their socioeconomic status and randomly selected within socioeconomic strata. A total of 2081 POS were surveyed based on their proximity to these randomly selected schools. Data were collected on the visibility of single cigarettes (any cigarette sticks or open cigarette packs on display and able to be seen by customers were coded as visible) and their availability (ie, whether singles were sold, whether visible or not).

Results: Single cigarettes were visible in 37.2% of POS and available in most (84.9%), with neighbourhood stores the primary source. In most (84.1%) POS with visible single cigarettes, they were displayed near candy or toys. Prices of the cheapest single cigarette sticks ranged from US$0.03 in Argentina to US$0.13 in Guatemala.

Conclusion: The findings indicate widespread availability of single cigarettes in four Latin American countries where their sale is banned. The low price of single cigarettes, and their proximity to candy/toys, may increase the appeal of smoking to youth. Stricter enforcement of bans on single cigarettes, which may serve as a gateway to experimentation and continued smoking, is needed.