Sweet Smoker's Zone opens new stores, raises concerns

Last November, the American tobacco chain Sweet Smoker's Zone opened its doors at 100 E. State St. in Johnstown. This summer, plans are in place to launch two more stores in Gloversville, with owner Ibraheem Aljamal hinting that the concept may spread eastward to the capital region.

Some are concerned that a tobacco shop looking to expand into Gloversville may attract those under the legal age of 21. The family behind the nearby Sweet Smokers Zone in Johnstown says they are taking measures to prevent underage tobacco use.

Aljamal plans to open two new stores at 6 Washington St. and 99 Spring St. in Gloversville. Many parents of students in the area have expressed concern because the stores will be along the route to school and will advertise tobacco products.

According to Grace Dawson, coordinator of the Smoke-free Community Engagement in Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties, there is evidence that tobacco retail marketing increases the likelihood of young people starting to smoke, especially when tobacco retailers are located near schools. "Product displays impact adolescents' perceptions of cigarette availability and brand recall - factors associated with tobacco use initiation," said Dawson.

Dawson stated that her objective is to educate and mobilize community members around the topic of tobacco retail and its potential impact on children. This includes advocating through letter-writing campaigns to officials and editors to express their views on the matter. She also noted that the proposed Spring Street location is situated in an area with high student foot traffic.

Our goal is not to prevent stores from opening," Dawson said. "Sometimes they don't understand that their advertising or their actions in the store can attract young people and normalize tobacco and e-cigarette use in the community. The company's Johnstown store currently has a large number of e-cigarette products advertised in conjunction with candy and marketed as both a candy store and a tobacco shop. These practices have been shown to normalize tobacco use and make e-cigarette use more commonplace among youth. When this kind of thing becomes normalized for them, they are more likely to overestimate the number of their peers who smoke." she said.

Thongtip stated that they are currently redesigning all their advertisements and placing all tobacco products (excluding smoking pipes and related paraphernalia) behind glass to prevent easy access by children. The store manager also mentioned that their shop primarily sells groceries and convenience items such as snacks and beverages, which they believe is what children are truly interested in when they come in.

Changing external marketing and keeping certain products behind glass is a good first step, but there are still concerning areas when it comes to normalizing tobacco products for young people. In the past, other store owners have limited youth access by blacking out the sides of glass cabinets, so only adults who look down at the products can see them. They also strive to completely separate convenience store items from tobacco products to eliminate associations made when young people reach for candy or food near tobacco products," said Dawson.

This store will be the topic of discussion at the Gloverville planning committee meeting on September 6th.

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