Tobacco retail outlet marketing exposure and growth of e-cigarette and cigarette use over adolescence and early young adulthood.

Objectives: To determine if cigarette and e-cigarette tobacco retail outlet (TRO) marketing influenced past 30-day (P30D) cigarette and e-cigarette use trajectories across early adolescence through young adulthood.

Methods: A prospective cohort design in the five major counties in Texas was conducted using 12 survey waves from 2014 to 2020 with 3892 students in 6th, 8th and 10th grade at baseline. Growth curve modelling was used to determine the association between self-reported exposure to TRO marketing and P30D use and whether this relationship varied by age.

Results: Across ages 11-22, exposure to TRO cigarette marketing increased the odds of P30D cigarette use (OR=1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.09) and TRO e-cigarette marketing increased the odds of P30D e-cigarette use (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.09), on average. The effect of marketing on P30D cigarette use was stable across ages, while the effect on P30D e-cigarette use was stronger at younger ages.

Conclusions: Exposure to TRO marketing increases the odds of tobacco product use for youth ageing into young adulthood. E-cigarette marketing may be particularly influential in early adolescence. TRO marketing restrictions are needed to reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults.