Advertising at points of sale near schools

Outdoor advertising of tobacco products is banned in Greece; now the tobacco industry has moved its focus to point-of-sale advertising: large displays – so-called “power walls” – placed by cash tills.

The University of Crete measured the extent of this advertising in 2008 in Crete, using GPS (global positioning system) to photograph and pinpoint the density of points of purchase and advertisements around schools. On average, 13 points of purchase of tobacco products were within 300 m of school gates, 30% of which were visible from the gates. In each case, at least one was within 20 m of the school entrance. Combined with the volume of advertising at each point of purchase, young Greeks’ exposure to tobacco advertising is considerable.