CHILDREN living in some of the most deprived areas of Scotland are six times more likely to encounter a shop selling tobacco as children from the least deprived areas, a study suggests.
Researchers from Glasgow and Edinburgh universities used GPS trackers to follow a group of around 700 children aged 10 and 11 across the country to study their exposure to tobacco.
They found that children from the most deprived areas were exposed to tobacco retailing (coming within 10 metres of a shop selling tobacco) around 149 times a week – higher than the 23 times that those from the least deprived areas.
Most exposure came from convenience stores and newsagents, with peaks just before and after school. There was also a higher than expected amount of exposure from supermarkets at weekends.
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Researchers added that children from more deprived areas are more likely to start smoking themselves – and pre-adolescence is a critical period where the path to starting smoking begins.
In a report published in the Tobacco Control journal, researchers said the differences they found between the children were bigger than they had expected.
A study earlier this year by a team from the universities of Edinburgh, Stirling and St Andrews indicated that tobacco outlets are twice as common in deprived areas.
University of Glasgow’s Dr Fiona Caryl, lead author of the research, said: “Identifying ways to reverse the normalising effects of ubiquitous tobacco retailing is key to policies aimed at preventing people from starting smoking.”
However, the use of GPS tracking highlighted previously unknown levels of exposure to tobacco retailing.
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Dr Caryl added: “Our findings provide a significant contribution to the policy debate on tobacco availability.”
Professor Jamie Pearce from the University of Edinburgh said: “This exciting and novel work suggests any moves to reduce tobacco availability, whether to reduce the number of retail outlets or restrict the timing of sales, will have a greater benefit for more deprived groups who suffer the greatest amount of tobacco-related harm.”
It follows a blanket ban on the display of tobacco for sale across the UK in 2015.
Joseph Carter, of the British Lung Foundation Scotland, said that measures to further restrict the availability of tobacco should be considered.
Mr Carter said: “If you live in a deprived area, you are three times more likely to die from lung cancer in Scotland. Clearly tobacco availability is playing a significant role in driving the stark inequality in deaths from smoking-related lung disease.
“We simply can’t accept a situation where children living in the most deprived areas should be exposed to these harmful products. We need to consider measures to further restrict the availability of tobacco, such as raising the age restriction at which you can purchase it to 21.
"Lung disease is Scotland’s biggest killer and tobacco plays a huge part in people developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in later life.
“Preventing people from taking up smoking in the first place is essential to give everyone in Scotland the chance to live well with healthy lungs.”
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Dr Garth Reid at NHS Health Scotland said: “As a national health board working to reduce health inequalities and improve health... we welcome the findings, which will inform a report that we will publish later this year, considering the implications for health inequalities and tobacco control in Scotland in greater detail.”
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