Brand placement on price boards after tobacco display bans: a point-of-sale audit in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore how cigarette brands are arranged on boards listing tobacco products and/or prices following the 1 January 2011 ban on point-of-sale tobacco displays in Victoria, Australia. METHODS: An audit undertaken in late 2011 gathered information on the prevalence and contents of tobacco product information displays ('price boards'). We examined how often all or most of the brands listed at the top of price boards were owned by the same tobacco company, and whether premium, mainstream and value brands were listed in prominent positions more frequently in different store types and socio-economic areas (SES). RESULTS: Of the 281 stores audited, 64% (179) had legible..