Area-level sociodemographic differences in tobacco availability examined with nationwide tobacco product retail licence data in Finland.

Background: Differences in tobacco retailer density between areas by sociodemographic composition have been observed. However, little research comes from European jurisdictions and from countries with a tobacco retail licensing system. In Finland, the system consists of criteria for retailers and supervision fees.

Methods: The tobacco product retail licence data and sociodemographic data were retrieved from corresponding Finnish authorities. Area-level tobacco availability was measured as the presence of a retailer and as the number of retailers per 1000 inhabitants by postcode area. Sociodemographic indicators included median income, percentage of inhabitants in the lowest income tertile, percentage of adults with higher education and unemployment rate. Analyses were based on logistic regression and Ordinary Least Squares regression with log-transformed density.

Results: Lower area-level sociodemographic composition was mainly associated with higher tobacco availability. Income was the strongest correlate of the tobacco retailer availability: areas with higher median income had lower odds of having a tobacco retailer (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.61 per €1000) and lower retailer density (-4.4% per €1000, Cohen's f=0.51). Areas with a greater proportion of people in the lowest income category had higher densities of tobacco retailers (+2.8% per percentage point, Cohen's f=0.07). Other sociodemographic indicators showed inconsistent associations with retailer presence and density.

Conclusion: Tobacco availability can be higher in areas with lower sociodemographic composition also in a country with a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing system and small income inequalities. Retailing policies should be further developed to reduce tobacco availability and narrow inequalities in tobacco use.