photo by: Submitted

Samuel Beecher

Lawrence has long been a community that values health, well-being and equity. As chair of the Tobacco Free Living workgroup, part of LiveWell Douglas County, I am raising my voice today out of urgency and concern.

Three alarming trends put our community values at risk and demand immediate attention from community members and local leadership: accelerated growth of tobacco retailers in our community, the lack of compliance among tobacco retailers with recently passed regulations, and the alarming rise of vaping among young people in our community.

Building on progress

The Lawrence City Commission took an important and commendable step by empowering Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health to regulate the sale of nicotine products locally. This policy was designed to reduce harmful exposures, improve oversight, and protect residents — particularly youth — from the well-documented dangers of tobacco use.

We continue to hear concerns from community members and partners about retailers not fully complying with these regulations. These concerns are valid: data from the tobacco retail licensing programs shows that 14 unique retailers illegally sold to an underage buyer in 2025, and 42% of these sales were near a school.

Based on anecdotal evidence, tobacco retailers have found a loophole to the existing policy, which offers multiple levels of enforcement. After making multiple illegal sales and having their license suspended, they have “opened under new ownership” — essentially bypassing the suspension. When retailers find loopholes to regulations, it erodes public trust and increases harm to already vulnerable populations in our community. Strong enforcement is not about punishment — it is about ensuring that policy goals translate into real-world protections for our community.

The rise of a ‘tobacco swamp’

Compounding this issue is the growing concentration of tobacco retailers across Lawrence. Public health experts use the term “tobacco swamp” to describe neighborhoods with a high density of retailers (more than one tobacco retailer per 1,000 people) selling tobacco products, often clustered where they most affect vulnerable populations.

In Lawrence, this density means that many residents — especially youth — are repeatedly exposed to advertising, product displays and marketing messages in their daily routines. In Lawrence, 20% of schools have 10 or more retailers within walking distance. Research shows higher retailer density increases nicotine product initiation, particularly among youth.

With 87 licensed retailers in Lawrence, nicotine products are highly visible and easily accessible, decreasing the impact of prevention efforts. This is not just a theoretical concern–it is a lived reality for families, educators, students and healthcare providers across our community.

A new generation at risk

Perhaps the most urgent concern is the dramatic rise in vaping among young people. What was marketed as an alternative for adult smokers has rapidly evolved into a youth-driven public health challenge.

Flavored products, discreet designs, and aggressive marketing have made vaping especially appealing to adolescents. Many youth do not recognize the risks associated with nicotine addiction, and parents and educators often struggle to keep up with the pace of product innovation. For example, researchers found that between 2022 and 2025 youth and young adults increased their use of nicotine pouches by 300%. Data shows that youth vaping habits are a gateway to cigarette use and to a higher prevalence of lifelong addiction.

The result is a new generation at risk of long-term health consequences.

What success looks like

Lawrence has the opportunity to act decisively like other communities facing the same issue.

Considering new policy solutions that prevent further growth in the number and density of tobacco retailers is an important next step. This has worked in other communities, such as Iowa City, Iowa, a college town similar in size to Lawrence that passed a moratorium which prevented the expansion of tobacco retailers for two years. As of 2026, Iowa City has 30 fewer tobacco retailers than Lawrence.

Closer to home, Shawnee and Mission implemented tobacco density policies in 2019 and 2023. Limiting new licenses and reducing overconcentration — especially near schools and youth-centered spaces — is a proven strategy to decrease exposure, reduce access, and prevent youth initiation. Without addressing retailer density, other prevention efforts will continue to be undermined.

We also encourage the Lawrence City Commission to review and evaluate additional policy solutions to support compliance and accountability related to illegal sales at an upcoming meeting. Our community has already demonstrated leadership — now is the time to build on that progress with decisive, evidence-based action that strengthens protections.

Lawrence is increasingly being defined as a tobacco swamp. Let’s change that and return to what defines us: coming together, responding to challenges, and protecting our community’s health.

— Samuel Beecher is the chair of the Tobacco-Free Living Work Group with LiveWell Douglas County. He holds a master’s of arts in community development policy and practice from the University Of New Hampshire and is a certified tobacco treatment specialist.