90% of Public Schools in Miami Are Within 1,000 Feet of Tobacco Retailers; City Is Home to 81 Times More Tobacco Retailers Than McDonald’s

Easy Access to Tobacco, Availability of Kid-Friendly Flavored Products Increase Risk of Youth Nicotine Addiction

In Miami, 90% of public schools are within 1,000 feet – about two city blocks – of a tobacco retailer, according to a comprehensive new study mapping tobacco retailers in 30 major U.S. cities. The study was conducted by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington University in St. Louis.

Other key findings for Miami include:

• Tobacco retailers are concentrated in low-income areas. There are nearly 3 times more tobacco retailers per square mile in the lowest-income neighborhoods than in the highest-income neighborhoods, as defined by data from the U.S. Census.
• Tobacco retailers are ubiquitous. There are 81 times more tobacco retailers than McDonald’s restaurants and 64 times more than Starbucks.
• Tobacco retailers are easy to access. 93% of city residents live within a half mile, or about a ten-minute walk, of a tobacco retailer.

Across the 30 cities, the study found, on average, that 63% of public schools are located within 1,000 feet of a tobacco retailer, and the lowest-income neighborhoods have nearly five times more tobacco retailers than the highest-income neighborhoods. On average, 70% of residents across the 30 cities live within a half mile of a tobacco retailer.

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Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – Cision PR Newswire – August 12, 2020.