Prominent researcher to discuss public health effects of tobacco marketing

Prominent marketing and tobacco researcher Daniel Giovenco will share findings from his research that shows how the promotion of higher-risk tobacco products in lower income neighborhoods has affected health disparities during a seminar Thursday, April 4, at the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health at UW-Milwaukee.

Giovenco is coming to Milwaukee to observe the tobacco retail environment in the city and participate in the Public Health Research Seminar Series at the Zilber School during National Public Health Week April 1-7.

Linnea Laestadius and Paul L. Auer, faculty at the Zilber School of Public Health, have been studying similar issues, partnering over the past few years with several local tobacco prevention groups including the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention & Poverty Network to examine the tobacco retail environment in Milwaukee. Their findings include:

  • Tobacco retailers were more than three times more likely to be located within 500 feet of a school in African American ZIP codes studied compared to the suburban ZIP codes examined. Predominantly Hispanic communities also had a much higher rate of tobacco retailers located within 500 feet of schools than suburbs.
  • Predominately African American ZIP code areas studied had twice as many tobacco retailers per person and were much more likely to have outdoor ads or price promotions for menthol cigarettes, compared to suburban communities of Milwaukee.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Giovenco to UWM to share his research with us,” said Ron Perez, dean of the UW-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health. “And I’m proud of the great research and collaboration that is happening with our faculty, the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network, and Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention & Poverty Network to examine and address tobacco related health disparities in Wisconsin.”

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Public Health Research Seminar: Different Smokes for Different Folks – Health Disparities in a New Tobacco Landscape

Date: Thursday, April 4
Time: Noon–1 p.m.
Location: UW-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health, Room 590, 1240 N. 10th St., Milwaukee, WI 53205

Free and open to the public.

Presented by Daniel Giovenco, PhD, MPH
Assistant professor, Department of Socio-Medical Sciences
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

The tobacco marketplace in the United States is increasingly diverse. This presentation will: 1) Highlight epidemiological and community mapping studies in New York City that examined how the promotion of tobacco products with varying levels of risk differs across neighborhoods, and 2) Estimate the potential impact on health disparities.

This seminar is offered in partnership with the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network and the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network.