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Original research
Financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased receipt of commercial tobacco discount coupons among US adults who use commercial tobacco
  1. Kasra Zarei1,
  2. Kristen R Hamilton-Moseley1,
  3. Julia Chen-Sankey1,2,3,
  4. Lilianna Phan1,
  5. Aniruddh Ajith4,
  6. Kiana Hacker1,
  7. Bambi Jewett1,
  8. Kelvin Choi1
  1. 1Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
  2. 2School of Public Health, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
  3. 3Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
  4. 4University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
  1. Correspondence to Kasra Zarei, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892-546, USA; kasra.zarei{at}nih.gov

Abstract

Introduction Many individuals experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet commercial tobacco (CT) sales increased in the USA. We examined how experiencing financial hardships relates to increased CT discount coupon reception during the pandemic.

Methods A nationally representative sample of 1700 US adults who used CT during the 12 months prior to the survey were surveyed online during January to February 2021. Participants reported if they had received more discount coupons for various CT products during (compared with before) the pandemic. They also reported whether they experienced six different types of financial hardships since the pandemic, and the total number of hardships experienced was counted. Weighted multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between financial hardships and increased coupon reception, adjusting for demographics and CT product use.

Results During the first 10–11 months of the pandemic, 21.3% of US adults who used CT during the 12 months prior to the survey reported receiving more CT discount coupons. Experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic was associated with higher odds of receiving more coupons for all types of CT products: every additional count of financial hardship was associated with higher odds of increased reception of discount coupons for all CT products (adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.13 to 1.23 across products).

Conclusions Over one-fifth of US adults who used CT received more discount coupons during the pandemic. Those facing financial hardships had higher discount coupon reception, suggesting potential targeted marketing to financially vulnerable individuals by the tobacco industry.

  • COVID-19
  • Tobacco industry
  • Disparities

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

This article is made freely available for personal use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2022-057814

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    Data availability statement

    Data are available upon reasonable request.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors KZ: planning, conceptualisation, analysis, writing. KRH-M: planning, conceptualisation, manuscript review. JC-S, LP, AA, KH, BJ: conceptualisation, manuscript review. KC: conceptualisation, planning, review of analyses, writing, manuscript review, supervision. KC is the guarantor of this work and accepts full responsibility for the work and/or the conduct of the study, had access to the data, and controlled the decision to publish.

    • Funding This work was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Division of Intramural Research. JC-S was also supported by the NCI/FDA funding (R00CA242589). LP was supported by the Pathway to Independence Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research from NIH/FDA (K99CA272919) and NIMHD DIR.

    • Disclaimer The opinions and comments expressed in this article belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the US government, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.