Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine.

ABSTRACT: This technical report provides the evidence base for the accompanying tobacco clinical report and policy statement. It builds on, strengthens, and expands AAP recommendations from the previous version in 2015. Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death for adults in the United States. The tobacco epidemic takes a substantial toll on children's and adolescent's health, including harms because of prenatal exposure during pregnancy, secondhand and thirdhand exposure during infancy and childhood, and/or direct use during adolescence. Tobacco and nicotine use almost always starts in childhood or adolescence. Almost 40% of children aged 3 to 11 years are regularly exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke, and rates of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol have increased over the last decade.

Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine.

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death for adults in the United States. Significant strides have been made in reducing rates of cigarette smoking among adolescents in the United States. However, rates of e-cigarette and similar device use among youth are high, and rates of other tobacco product use, such as cigars and hookahs, have not declined. Public policy actions to protect children and adolescents from tobacco and nicotine use, as well as tobacco smoke and aerosol exposure, have proven effective in reducing harm. Effective public health approaches need to be both extended to include e-cigarettes, similar devices, and other and emerging tobacco products and expanded to reduce the toll that the tobacco epidemic takes on children and adolescents.

Protecting Children and Adolescents From Tobacco and Nicotine.

Significant strides have been made in reducing rates of cigarette smoking among adolescents in the United States. However, rates of e-cigarette and similar device use among youth are high, and rates of other tobacco product use, such as cigars and hookahs, have not declined. In addition, almost 40% of children 3 to 11 years of age are regularly exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke, and rates of secondhand exposure to e-cigarette aerosol have increased over the last decade. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to help children, adolescents, and their families live tobacco-free lives. Actions by pediatricians can help reduce children's risk of developing tobacco and nicotine use disorder and reduce children's tobacco smoke and/or aerosol exposure.

Tobacco Screening and Use in Hospitalized Adolescents at a Children's Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: With this study, we aim to evaluate inpatient adolescent screening for tobacco, as well as the relationship between tobacco and other substance use, tobacco types used, and cessation interventions. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of inpatient hospital admissions of adolescents aged ≥13 years to a tertiary care, freestanding, urban children's hospital in 2018 was performed. Tobacco use-related variables were entered into a multiple logistic regression model in which the adjusted odds ratios were determined. Variables found to be significant in bivariate analysis were included as covariates in the model by using SAS 9.4 software (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC). RESULTS: There were 4412 admissions of adolescents aged ≥13 years during the study period, of which 370 (8.4%) adolescents were screened for tobacco use by physicians. Significant factors associated with being screened included age 16 to 18 years, white race, and admission to the pediatric hospital medicine service. There were 93 (25.1%) tobacco users identified, of whom the majority reported concomitant caretaker use (78.6%), alcohol use (52.7%), and marijuana use (70.8%). The most commonly reported tobacco type used was cigarettes at 50.5%. Cessation intervention was documented in 8 tobacco users. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco use screening of hospitalized adolescents aged ≥13 years was performed infrequently and was not standardized among physicians. Tobacco use was identified in 25.1% of those screened, and cessation interventions were inconsistently performed. This study suggests a need for universal, standardized tobacco use screening in inpatient adolescents and identifies a missed opportunity for treatment of tobacco dependence.

School-based e-cigarette education in Alabama: Impact on knowledge of e-cigarettes, perceptions and intent to try.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Educational programs are needed to combat the sharp rise in adolescent e-cigarette use. We assessed adolescent knowledge about e-cigarettes, perceptions of harmfulness and addictiveness and intent to try e-cigarettes before and after an e-cigarette educational session. METHODS: We conducted a one-group pre- and post-test study among middle and high school students in Alabama in 2019. The intervention included a 30-minute educational session based on the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit on e-cigarette types, contents, marketing and advertising, health effects and nicotine addiction. McNemar tests of paired proportions and multi-level, mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to analyze intervention effects. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 2,889 middle and high school students. The intervention was associated with significantly increased knowledge about e-cigarettes and perceptions that e-cigarettes are harmful and addictive, and with significantly lower intent to try e-cigarettes. At pre-test, middle school students had lower knowledge, believed that e-cigarettes were not as addictive and showed higher intent to try both e-cigarettes and cigarettes compared to high school students. Groups that were associated with lower perceived harmfulness and addictiveness were: ever-users of e-cigarettes, ever-users of both e-cigarettes and cigarettes and prior users of mint/menthol flavored e-cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: A school-based educational session was significantly associated with improved adolescent knowledge about e-cigarettes, increased the perceived harmfulness and addictiveness of e-cigarettes, and reduced intent to try e-cigarettes. E-cigarette education should be prioritized for middle school students due to lower levels of knowledge and higher intent to try tobacco compared to high school students.

Tobacco smoke exposure in pediatric cystic fibrosis: A qualitative study of clinician and caregiver perspectives on smoking cessation.

OBJECTIVE: Tobacco smoke exposure has negative impacts on the lung health of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), yet evidence-based strategies for smoking cessation have not been tested with or tailored to CF caregivers. This qualitative study identified barriers and facilitators of smoking cessation in this population and outlined potential interventional approaches. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with CF familial caregivers who were current or former smokers, and with members of the CF care team. We asked about experiences, practices, and prerequisites for a successful program. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two investigators. Analysis used a thematic approach guided by the PRECEDE model, which identifies predisposing (intrapersonal), reinforcing (interpersonal), and enabling (structural) factors relevant to health behaviors and programs. RESULTS: Seventeen interviews were conducted-eight with familial caregivers and nine with CF team members. Whereas caregivers provided greater insight into internal difficulties and motivators to quit smoking, clinicians offered more extensive input on barriers and solutions related to the clinical environment. Based on study recommendations, a successful tobacco cessation program should include (a) family education about the harms of smoke exposure for children with CF; (b) screening for exposure, ideally with biochemical verification; (c) access to trained tobacco counselors; (d) affordable pharmacotherapy; and (e) outpatient follow-up of those undergoing tobacco treatment. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study revealed intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural barriers to eliminating tobacco smoke exposure in children with CF, outlined opportunities to address these barriers, and made recommendations for a comprehensive tobacco cessation strategy.

A Public Health Crisis: Electronic Cigarettes, Vape, and JUUL.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vape devices have rapidly become the most common tobacco products used by youth, driven in large part by marketing and advertising by e-cigarette companies. There is substantial evidence that adolescent e-cigarette use leads to use of combustible tobacco products. E-cigarette companies commonly advertise that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, flavoring chemicals, and humectants (propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin), but toxicants, ultrafine particles, and carcinogens have also been found in e-cigarette solutions and emissions, many of which are known to cause adverse health effects. Most major e-cigarette brands are owned by big tobacco companies that use similar marketing and advertising strategies to attract youth users as they did with traditional tobacco products. In this review, we provide an overview of e-cigarettes and vape devices with an emphasis on the impact for the pediatric population. We describe the vast array of e-cigarette devices and solutions, concern for nicotine addiction, and the scientific background on the known health harms. There are accompanying visual depictions to assist in identifying these products, including newer e-cigarette products and JUUL. Because current federal regulations are insufficient to protect youth from e-cigarette use, exposure, and nicotine addiction, there are recommendations for pediatricians and pediatric health care providers to counsel and advocate for a tobacco-free lifestyle for patients and families.

Quality Improvement Project to Improve Screening for Tobacco Use in Adolescent Inpatients at a Children's Hospital.

Tobacco use begins in adolescence for the majority of smokers. The purpose of this study was to increase screening and reporting of tobacco use in hospitalized adolescents at a tertiary care children's hospital. We completed a nursing focus group to understand challenges and completed four iterative Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, which included: (1) in-person nursing education regarding tobacco use screening, (2) addition of an e-cigarette-specific screening question, (3) the creation and dissemination of an educational video for nursing, and (4) adding the video as a mandatory component of nursing orientation. Run charts of the percentage of patients screened who reported tobacco use were created. Absolute counts of tobacco products used were also captured. From January 2016 to September 2018, 12,999 patients ≥13 years of age were admitted to the hospital. At baseline, 90.1% of patients were screened and 4.8% reported tobacco use. While the absolute number of adolescents reporting e-cigarette use increased from zero patients per month at baseline to five, the percentage of patients screened and reporting tobacco use was unchanged; the majority of e-cigarette users reported use of other tobacco products. This study demonstrates that adding e-cigarettes to screening increases reporting and suggests systems level changes are needed to improve tobacco use reporting.

E-Cigarettes and Similar Devices.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. The 2016 US Surgeon General's Report on e-cigarette use among youth and young adults concluded that e-cigarettes are unsafe for children and adolescents. Furthermore, strong and consistent evidence finds that children and adolescents who use e-cigarettes are significantly more likely to go on to use traditional cigarettes-a product that kills half its long-term users. E-cigarette manufacturers target children with enticing candy and fruit flavors and use marketing strategies that have been previously successful with traditional cigarettes to attract youth to these products. Numerous toxicants and carcinogens have been found in e-cigarette solutions. Nonusers are involuntarily exposed to the emissions of these devices with secondhand and thirdhand aerosol. To prevent children, adolescents, and young adults from transitioning from e-cigarettes to traditional cigarettes and minimize the potential public health harm from e-cigarette use, there is a critical need for e-cigarette regulation, legislative action, and counterpromotion to protect youth.

Implementing Parental Tobacco Dependence Treatment Within Bronchiolitis QI Collaboratives.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We sought to implement systematic tobacco dependence interventions for parents and/or caregivers as secondary aims within 2 multisite quality improvement (QI) collaboratives for bronchiolitis. We hypothesized that iterative improvements in tobacco dependence intervention strategies would result in improvement in outcomes between collaboratives. METHODS: This study involved 2 separate yearlong, multisite QI collaboratives that were focused on care provided to inpatients with a primary diagnosis of bronchiolitis. In each collaborative, we provided tools and training in tobacco dependence treatment and expert coaching on interventions for parents as a secondary aim. Data were collected by chart review and results analyzed by using analysis of means and statistical process control analysis. Outcomes between collaboratives were compared by using relative risks. RESULTS: Between both collaboratives, 56 hospitals participated and 6258 inpatient charts were reviewed. In the first collaborative, 22% of identified parents who smoke received tobacco dependence interventions at baseline. This rate increased to 51% during the postintervention period, with special cause revealed by analysis of means. In the second collaborative, 31% of parents who smoke received baseline interventions. This rate increased to 53% by the conclusion of the collaborative, with special cause revealed by statistical process control analysis. The relative risk for providing any cessation intervention in 1 collaborative versus the other was 0.9 (confidence interval 0.8-1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco dependence treatment of parents and/or caregivers can be integrated into bronchiolitis QI by using relatively low-resource strategies. Using a more intensive QI intervention did not alter the rates of screening or intervention for caregivers who smoke.

Multisite Emergency Department Inpatient Collaborative to Reduce Unnecessary Bronchiolitis Care.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is high variation in the care of acute viral bronchiolitis. We sought to promote collaboration between emergency department (ED) and inpatient (IP) units with the goal of reducing unnecessary testing and treatment. METHODS: Multisite collaborative with improvement teams co-led by ED and IP physicians and a 1-year period of active participation. The intervention consisted of a multicomponent change package, regular webinars, and optional coaching. Data were collected by chart review for December 2014 through March 2015 (baseline) and December 2015 to March 2016 (improvement period). Patients <24 months of age with a primary diagnosis of bronchiolitis and without ICU admission, prematurity, or chronic lung or heart disease were eligible for inclusion. Control charts were used to detect improvement. Achievable benchmarks of care were calculated for each measure. RESULTS: Thirty-five hospitals with 5078 ED patients and 4389 IPs participated. Use of bronchodilators demonstrated special cause for the ED (mean centerline shift: 37.1%-24.5%, benchmark 5.8%) and IP (28.4%-17.7%, benchmark 9.1%). Project mean ED viral testing decreased from 42.6% to 25.4% after revealing special cause with a 3.9% benchmark, whereas chest radiography (30.9%), antibiotic use (6.2%), and steroid use (7.6%) in the ED units did not change. IP steroid use decreased from 7.2% to 4.0% after special cause with 0.0% as the benchmark. Within-site ED and IP performance was modestly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration between ED and IP units was associated with a decreased use of unnecessary tests and therapies in bronchiolitis; top performers used few unnecessary tests or treatments.

A Multicenter Collaborative to Reduce Unnecessary Care in Inpatient Bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based Guidelines for acute viral bronchiolitis recommend primarily supportive care, but unnecessary care remains well documented. Published quality improvement work has been accomplished in children's hospitals, but little broad dissemination has been reported outside of those settings. We sought to use a voluntary collaborative strategy to disseminate best practices to reduce overuse of unnecessary care in children hospitalized for bronchiolitis in community settings. METHODS: This project was a quality improvement collaborative consisting of monthly interactive webinars with online data collection and feedback. Data were collected by chart review for 2 bronchiolitis seasons, defined as January, February, and March of 2013 and 2014. Patients aged <24 months hospitalized for bronchiolitis and without chronic illness, prematurity, or intensive care use were included. Results were analyzed using run charting, analysis of means, and nonparametric statistics. RESULTS: There were 21 participating hospitals contributing a total of 1869 chart reviews to the project, 995 preintervention and 874 postintervention. Mean use of any bronchodilator declined by 29% (P = .03) and doses per patient decreased 45% (P < .01). Mean use of any steroids declined by 68% (P < .01), and doses per patient decreased 35% (P = .04). Chest radiography use declined by 44% (P = .05). Length of stay decreased 5 hours (P < .01), and readmissions remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: A voluntary collaborative was effective in reducing unnecessary care among a cohort of primarily community hospitals. Such a strategy may be generalizable to the settings where the majority of children are hospitalized in the United States.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are rapidly growing in popularity among youth. ENDS are handheld devices that produce an aerosolized mixture from a solution typically containing concentrated nicotine, flavoring chemicals, and propylene glycol to be inhaled by the user. ENDS are marketed under a variety of names, most commonly electronic cigarettes and e-cigarettes. In 2014, more youth reported using ENDS than any other tobacco product. ENDS pose health risks to both users and nonusers. Nicotine, the major psychoactive ingredient in ENDS solutions, is both highly addictive and toxic. In addition to nicotine, other toxicants, carcinogens, and metal particles have been detected in solutions and aerosols of ENDS. Nonusers are involuntarily exposed to the emissions of these devices with secondhand and thirdhand aerosol. The concentrated and often flavored nicotine in ENDS solutions poses a poisoning risk for young children. Reports of acute nicotine toxicity from US poison control centers have been increasing, with at least 1 child death reported from unintentional exposure to a nicotine-containing ENDS solution. With flavors, design, and marketing that appeal to youth, ENDS threaten to renormalize and glamorize nicotine and tobacco product use. There is a critical need for ENDS regulation, legislative action, and counter promotion to protect youth. ENDS have the potential to addict a new generation of youth to nicotine and reverse more than 50 years of progress in tobacco control.

Public Policy to Protect Children From Tobacco, Nicotine, and Tobacco Smoke.

Tobacco use and tobacco smoke exposure are among the most important health threats to children, adolescents, and adults. There is no safe level of tobacco smoke exposure. The developing brains of children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the development of tobacco and nicotine dependence. Tobacco is unique among consumer products in that it causes disease and death when used exactly as intended. Tobacco continues to be heavily promoted to children and young adults. Flavored and alternative tobacco products, including little cigars, chewing tobacco, and electronic nicotine delivery systems are gaining popularity among youth. This statement describes important evidence-based public policy actions that, when implemented, will reduce tobacco product use and tobacco smoke exposure among youth and, by doing so, improve the health of children and young adults.

Clinical Practice Policy to Protect Children From Tobacco, Nicotine, and Tobacco Smoke.

Tobacco dependence starts in childhood. Tobacco exposure of children is common and causes illness and premature death in children and adults, with adverse effects starting in the womb. There is no safe level of tobacco smoke exposure. Pediatricians should screen for use of tobacco and other nicotine delivery devices and provide anticipatory guidance to prevent smoking initiation and reduce tobacco smoke exposure. Pediatricians need to be aware of the different nicotine delivery systems marketed and available.Parents and caregivers are important sources of children's tobacco smoke exposure. Because tobacco dependence is a severe addiction, to protect children's health, caregiver tobacco dependence treatment should be offered or referral for treatment should be provided (such as referral to the national smoker's quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW). If the source of tobacco exposure cannot be eliminated, counseling about reducing exposure to children should be provided.Health care delivery systems should facilitate the effective prevention, identification, and treatment of tobacco dependence in children and adolescents, their parents, and other caregivers. Health care facilities should protect children from tobacco smoke exposure and tobacco promotion. Tobacco dependence prevention and treatment should be part of medical education, with knowledge assessed as part of board certification examinations.