Youth Prevention

Research

Waterpipe smoking among U.S. university students
New research has found that after cigarettes, waterpipes are the most common form of tobacco used among U.S. university students. Approximately 105,000 students from 152 U.S. universities that participated in the National College Health Assessment from 2008-2009 were assessed to identify associations between individual and institutional characteristics and waterpipe tobacco use. The data suggest that waterpipe use was most strongly associated with younger age, male gender, white race, fraternity/sorority membership, and nonreligious institutions in the western U.S. Waterpipe tobacco is used by various types of people and institutions, and should be included in future tobacco interventions and surveillance. Click here to read the study abstract published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

On-screen smoking may turn teens on to cigarettes
Teen smoking behavior is associated with watching movies depicting characters as cigarette smokers, regardless of rating (R or PG-13), reports a study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science. The number of times a character was seen smoking was counted in over 500 popular movies, and 6,500 youth ages 10-14 were then asked which movies they had seen out of a randomly selected list of 50 (out of the 500). The same youth were asked periodically about their smoking behaviors, and the researchers found that those who had viewed smoking-heavy movies were 33% to 49% more likely to smoke over the next two years. Movie rating was also considered, and no difference in smoking content was found between R and PG-13 rated movies. Researchers suggest that movies containing smoking should be R-rated, as R-rated movies are typically less commonly viewed by teens compared to PG-13 movies. Changes to smoking content in PG-13 movies could lead to a reduction in teen exposure to smoking in movies. Click here to read more about this study, or click here for a statement from Legacy about the findings. Click here for the study abstract.

Childhood trauma linked to adult smoking for girls
A potential link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and smoking has been found in women. The results of an ACE questionnaire given to 7,000 people were examined to determine if ACEs such as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect would lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking in adulthood. Over 60% of the participants reported at least one ACE. ACEs increased the risk of psychological distress for both men and women, which is in turn linked with smoking behavior. This study suggests that ACEs such as emotional/physical abuse or neglect increase the risk of smoking, specifically in women, as men tend to display coping mechanisms other than smoking. The researchers indicate that smoking cessation interventions involving women should consider the connection between childhood trauma, psychological distress, and smoking. To read more about this study published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, click here. Click here for the study abstract.

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Reports

Tobacco retailer underage sales training (KY)
State agencies in Kentucky have partnered to offer a training program that educates retailers about changes to federal tobacco laws regarding sales to underage consumers. The training is free and is being offered at several local health departments, prevention centers, and online at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s website. This is the first training of this kind offered in Kentucky, and was created in response to the recent changes in federal laws, as well as to address Kentucky’s high youth smoking rate. Click here to read more about this program, or click here to visit the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Tobacco Retailer Underage Sales Training (TRUST) website.

N.J. high schoolers are drinking, smoking less, but also skipping breakfast, survey shows (NJ)
The New Jersey Department of Education has released results from the 2011 New Jersey Student Health Survey. The survey is conducted biannually, and in this sampling, 1,657 students from 31 high schools across the state were randomly selected and surveyed using questions drawn largely from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) about their perceptions of their health and behavior between the months of March and June 2011. Regarding cigarette use, 41% of the students reported having ever smoked a cigarette, compared to 43% in 2009. Click here to read more. Click here for the full report and summary.

Most teens start smoking in June and July
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that teenagers are at a greater risk of trying cigarettes or marijuana for the first time during the summer months of June and July, compared to the other months of the year. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that on average, about 5,000 youths smoked cigarettes for the first time each day during June or July, versus 3,000-4,000 new users per day in other months. Public health officials recommend that parents take every opportunity they can throughout the year to educate their kids about the dangers of substance abuse, and that law enforcement agencies redouble their efforts to prevent sales to minors of age-restricted products like cigarettes and alcohol. To read more about this study, click here. Click here for the full article, titled “Monthly Variation in Substance Use Initiation among Adolescents.”

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