Categorizing Vaping Intensity Among Youth.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing electronic cigarette use among youth has led to a need for a novel intensity measure of e-cigarette use and its association with nicotine addiction variables. AIMS AND METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study of the 2018-2019 PATH Wave 5 Youth survey, a new intensity metric of e-cigarette use, the average number of puffs per month as a function of frequency (days of use per month), number of uses per day and number of puffs per use, was developed for adolescent e-cigarette users. Using logistic regression, standard addiction measures were tested for association with higher quartile (Q) of e-cigarette intensity: Q1 (1-5 puffs), Q2 (6-50 puffs), Q3 (51-528 puffs), and Q4 (529 + puffs). RESULTS: Among 1051 current youth e-cigarette users, cravings were associated with greater intensity of use (Q2: aOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 0.94-3.87; Q3: aOR = 6.91, 95% CI: 3.25-14.69; and Q4: aOR = 21.48, 95% CI: 10.03-45.97). Craving associations exceeded the corresponding aORs for the identical regression using the frequency of use. Higher intensity was significantly associated with being an older adolescent (aOR = 1.85), best friend use (aOR: 3.35), not thinking about quitting (aOR: 2.51), and lower perceived addiction (aOR: 1.95). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that an intensity metric (puffs per month) was strongly associated with cravings, best friend use, harm perception, and lack of intention to quit. This metric provides a more accurate picture of the intensity of youth e-cigarette use than other commonly used measures and may be important for understanding the current and future impact of the youth e-cigarette epidemic. IMPLICATIONS: Adolescent addiction to e-cigarettes affects learning, memory, and attention. However, it is unknown whether the intensity of use, puffs per month, differs from frequency, days of use per month, and in relation to addiction measures. This study provides evidence that high-intensity use characterized by puffs per month has a stronger association with cravings compared to frequency, which suggests puffs per month may be a better measure of nicotine exposure. This new intensity metric may give insights into youth e-cigarette use patterns, addiction, and appropriate treatment of intense but intermittent users.

Dual-Vaping of Nicotine and Cannabis among Adults who Currently Use Tobacco Products in Five New England States.

INTRODUCTION: Current measures of vaping behaviors do not distinguish what substances participants are vaping and to what extent they are dual-vaping nicotine and cannabis. This study describes the use of new survey questions that more specifically ask whether participants who vape are vaping nicotine, cannabis, CBD, or another substance. METHODS: Adults, who reported any past-30-day tobacco use, from five New England states participated in an online survey from April 2021 to July 2022. Participants who vaped were asked, "Have you used any of the following vape substances in the past 30 days?" with the possible responses of nicotine, cannabis, CBD, other, and "don't know." Dual-use of both nicotine and cannabis was defined as the vaping of both nicotine and cannabis and/or CBD in the past-30-days, operationalized as a dichotomous outcome. Data were collected in monthly, repeated cross-sectional waves. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine correlates of dual-vaping. RESULTS: The analytic sample included 1547 adults who reported past-30-day tobacco use (mean age 42.9 years, 62.8% female, 85.4% White, 48.5% income of less than $50,000). Over one-quarter (26.1%) reported dual-vaping in the past-30-days. Identifying as male (p=0.002) and self-rated anxiety (p=0.043) were associated with a higher odds of dual-vaping. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that a sizable proportion of a sample of New England adults who have used tobacco in the past-30-days are dual-vaping nicotine and cannabis. Adequate survey measures for assessing the vaping of multiple substances can help in better screening and characterization of health behaviors around dual-use. IMPLICATIONS: This study addresses a key gap in adequate survey measures for assessing vaping of multiple substances. We found that among adults with past 30-day tobacco use, dual-vaping was prevalent and associated with different correlates, such as self-reported anxiety and education level, compared to sole-vaping of nicotine or cannabis. Our findings may help in characterizing and targeting future population-level surveillance and intervention efforts for multiple substance use behaviors.

Key Informants' Perceptions of Health Equity and Racial Justice Impacts of the 2019 Massachusetts An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control.

INTRODUCTION: The Massachusetts legislature passed An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control in November 2019 to restrict retail sales of flavored commercially manufactured tobacco products including menthol products, increase penalties for violating the law's provisions, and provide health insurance coverage for tobacco treatment. AIMS AND METHODS: This study explores key informants' perceptions of intended and unintended impacts of implementation of the 2019 Massachusetts statewide law through a health equity and racial justice lens. We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 key informants from three key informant groups (public health officials and advocates, clinicians, and school staff) between March 2021 and April 2022. Using deductive codes on unintended impacts of the implementation of the law's policies, we conducted a focused analysis to identify impacts that were perceived and observed by informants from different key informant groups. RESULTS: Perceived or observed impacts of the law were identified across multiple levels by key informants and included concerns related to three broad themes: 1) intended impacts on health equity and racial justice, 2) ongoing availability of restricted products undermining the intended impact of the law, and 3) inequitable targeting by the policies and enforcement among communities of color. CONCLUSIONS: Future evaluation is needed to assess the intended and unintended impacts of implementation of the Massachusetts law to maximize the potential of the policies to reduce tobacco-related health disparities. We discuss implications and recommendations for achieving a national policy and equitable enforcement of flavored tobacco sales restrictions. IMPLICATIONS: This qualitative study among 25 key informants including public health and tobacco control advocates, clinicians, and school staff obtained perspectives of intended and unintended health equity and racial justice impacts of the 2019 Massachusetts An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control. Findings and recommendations from this study can inform monitoring efforts to assess the law's impacts in Massachusetts and the adoption of similar flavored tobacco sales restrictions and other tobacco control policies in other states to maximize the health equity benefits and minimize unintended impacts.

Reasons for E-cigarette Use, Vaping Patterns, and Cessation Behaviors Among US Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: This study sought to examine reasons for youth e-cigarette use in association with vaping patterns and cessation behaviors. AIMS AND METHODS: A national representative sample of current (past 30-day) e-cigarette users in grades 6-12 was analyzed using the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), conducted from January to March 2020. An exploratory oblique factor analysis using a rotated pattern matrix to select salient variable-factor relationships yielded four subscales related to reasons for youth e-cigarette use. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess the associations of each subscale with vaping patterns (frequent e-cigarette use, dual use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products) and vaping cessation behaviors (intention to quit vaping and past-year quit attempts). RESULTS: The 2020 NYTS sampled 180 schools with 1769 current e-cigarette users. Four main reasons for vaping were identified through factor analysis, including (1) replacing cigarettes, (2) product characteristics [eg, flavors, concealability, and vape tricks], (3) family/friend use, and (4) curiosity. Curiosity was associated with lower odds of frequent e-cigarette use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.5, p < .0001) and dual use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products (AOR = 0.6, p = .01) but higher odds of intention to quit (AOR = 1.2, p = .26) and past year quit attempts (AOR =1.5, p = .01). Vaping due to product characteristics was associated with higher odds of frequent e-cigarette use (AOR = 1.7, p < .0001) and lower odds of intention to quit (AOR = 0.3, p < .0001) and past year quit attempts (AOR = 0.9, p = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents vape for various reasons that follow distinct patterns and user characteristics. Overall, interventions tailored to address heterogeneous reasons for vaping may help optimize the reduction in youth e-cigarette use. IMPLICATIONS: E-cigarettes have surpassed cigarettes and become the most commonly used tobacco product by US youths. Adolescents choose to vape for different reasons. This study examined reasons for youth e-cigarette use and their associations with vaping patterns and cessation behaviors. The product characteristics factor (eg, flavors, concealability, and vape tricks) was associated with more frequent e-cigarette use and lower odds of cessation behaviors, suggesting a need for flavor bans and product design regulation.

Youth tobacco use before and after flavoured tobacco sales restrictions in Oakland, California and San Francisco, California.

The tobacco industry has used recent findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey (YRBSS) to claim that a sales restriction on flavoured tobacco products might increase youth combustible cigarette use. In this special communication, we examined YRBSS data and reached the opposite conclusion. We observed the patterns in youth cigarette smoking in Oakland, California following its 2017 convenience store flavoured tobacco sales restriction. We also found that 2019 YRBSS data from San Francisco, California cannot be used to evaluate the effect of the sales restriction on all flavoured tobacco products in San Francisco as the YRBSS data for this city were collected prior to enforcement of the sales restriction. For future studies, we suggest triangulating with corroborating sales, behavioural and qualitative data over time to assess the effects of tobacco control policies on youth tobacco use. We recommend that policy enactment and enforcement dates, as well as the exact data collection periods for population health surveys, be published to facilitate more rigorous policy evaluation.

Home smoking and vaping policies among US adults: results from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, wave 3.

We examined the prevalence of home smoking and vaping restrictions among US adults, and compared home policy differences for smoking and vaping among vapers, smokers, and dual users. Secondary data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 3 (2015-2016) with 28,148 adults were analyzed using weighted multivariable logistic regression models that account for complex sampling design to compare differences in home policies among non-users, vapers only, smokers only, and dual users. Compared to never-users, current vapers who were ex-smokers and dual users were more likely to allow home vaping (aOR = 11.06, 95% CI: 8.04-15.21; aOR = 6.44, 95% CI: 5.01-8.28) and smoking (aOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19-2.22; aOR = 3.58, 95% CI: 2.88-4.45). Current smokers were more likely to allow vaping (aOR = 3.53, 95% CI: 3.06-4.06) and smoking (aOR = 4.27, 95% CI: 3.73-4.89) inside the home than never-users. Current vapers who never smoked were more likely to allow vaping inside the home than never-users (aOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.53-3.93). Vapers reported much lower rates of vape-free home policies relative to both their smoke-free home policies and to vape-free home policies among smokers. Vapers may be using e-cigarettes in hopes of harm reduction, but interpreting "harm reduction" as safe, thus exposing non-users in their homes to second- and thirdhand aerosols. This underscores the need to healthcare providers to extend intervention with vapers to include implementing vape-free home policies.

Parents' Self-efficacy for Tobacco Exposure Protection and Smoking Abstinence Mediate Treatment Effects on Child Cotinine at 12-Month Follow-up: Mediation Results from the Kids Safe and Smokefree Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Compared with the general smoking population, low-income smokers face elevated challenges to success in evidence-based smoking cessation treatment. Moreover, their children bear increased disease burden. Understanding behavioral mechanisms related to successful reduction of child tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) could inform future smoking interventions in vulnerable, underserved populations. METHODS: Smoking parents were recruited from pediatric clinics in low-income communities and randomized into a multilevel intervention including a pediatric clinic intervention framed in best clinical practice guidelines ("Ask, Advise, Refer" [AAR]) plus individualized telephone counseling (AAR + counseling), or AAR + control. Mediation analysis included treatment condition (independent variable), 12-month child cotinine (TSE biomarker, criterion), and four mediators: 3-month end-of-treatment self-efficacy to protect children from TSE and smoking urge coping skills, and 12-month perceived program (intra-treatment) support and bioverified smoking abstinence. Analyses controlled for baseline nicotine dependence, depressive symptoms, child age, and presence of other residential smokers. RESULTS: Participants (n = 327) included 83% women and 83% African Americans. Multilevel AAR + counseling was associated with significantly higher levels of all four mediators (ps < .05). Baseline nicotine dependence (p < .05), 3-month self-efficacy (p < .05) and 12-month bioverified smoking abstinence (p < .001) related significantly to 12-month child cotinine outcome. The indirect effects of AAR + counseling intervention on cotinine via self-efficacy for child TSE protection and smoking abstinence (ps < .05) suggested mediation through these pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with AAR + control, multilevel AAR + counseling improved all putative mediators. Findings suggest that fostering TSE protection self-efficacy during intervention and encouraging parental smoking abstinence may be key to promoting long-term child TSE-reduction in populations of smokers with elevated challenges to quitting smoking. IMPLICATIONS: Pediatric harm reduction interventions to protect children of smokers from tobacco smoke have emerged to address tobacco-related health disparities in underserved populations. Low-income smokers experience greater tobacco-related disease burden and more difficulty with smoking behavior change in standard evidence-based interventions than the general population of smokers. Therefore, improving knowledge about putative behavioral mechanisms of smoking behavior change that results in lower child exposure risk could inform future intervention improvements.

Pediatric Office Delivery of Smoking Cessation Assistance for Breast-Feeding Mothers.

INTRODUCTION: National and international organizations have done an excellent job of advocating and promoting breast feeding for all mothers. This study assessed to what extent an intervention increased delivery of cessation assistance to breast-feeding mothers who smoke. METHODS: Data were collected between April and October 2015 in five US states as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial in 10 pediatric practices. Practices were randomized to the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) intervention or usual care control arms. Mothers were asked about their smoking status and breast-feeding history during a screening interview upon exiting the practice and eligible mothers who agreed to participate in an enrollment interview were asked if they received smoking cessation assistance during their child's visit. Mothers with a child 1 year old and younger were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Current breast feeding was associated with a reduced likelihood of current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.38, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.25 to 0.57) and a greater likelihood of quitting smoking (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.29 to 4.21) after controlling for known confounders. Mothers who concurrently smoked and breast-fed were more likely to be asked about smoking (66.7% vs. 28.6%, p = .01), advised to quit (61.1% vs. 21.4%, p < .01), prescribed nicotine replacement therapy (50.0% vs. 0%, p < .001), and enrolled into the quitline (27.8% vs. 0%, p < .01) at CEASE practices compared to control practices. CONCLUSION: Breast-feeding mothers were less likely to be current smokers and more likely to have recently quit smoking. Among mothers who continue to smoke and breast feed, the CEASE intervention enhances delivery of smoking cessation assistance. IMPLICATIONS: Breast feeding and eliminating infants' exposure to tobacco smoke are important protective factors for serious pediatric health risks including sudden infant death. This study shows that breast feeding was positively associated with desirable tobacco control outcomes, specifically that breast feeding was associated with a lower likelihood of smoking among ever smokers and a greater likelihood of recently quitting smoking. This is also the first study to look specifically at delivery of smoking cessation assistance to breast-feeding mothers seen at pediatric offices and demonstrates the effectiveness of delivering evidence-based smoking cessation assistance to them in this context. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT01882348).

Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation and Use in Offspring.

OBJECTIVES: To assess, before legalization in Canada, whether parental cannabis use is associated with initiation of use in adolescent offspring or with use in young-adult offspring. STUDY DESIGN: Data were available in 2 longitudinal studies in Montréal, Canada. In AdoQuest, 1048 parents with children in grade 6 reported past-year cannabis use. Cannabis initiation among offspring was measured in grade 7, 9, and/or 11. In the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study, cannabis use data were available for 584 participants (mean age 24 years) and their parents (ie, 542 offspring-mother pairs, 438 offspring-father pairs). The association between parental and offspring cannabis use was estimated using multivariable logistic regression in both studies. RESULTS: In AdoQuest, grade 6 never-users were 1.8 times more likely to initiate cannabis during high school if their parents reported past-year use. In the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study, the aORs (95% CI) for past-year cannabis use among adult offspring were not different for "mother uses cannabis" (2.8 [1.4-5.8]) or "father uses cannabis" (2.1 [1.2-3.8]). Participants with 1 or 2 cannabis-using parents were 1.7 and 7.1 times more likely to use cannabis, respectively, than participants with non-using parents. CONCLUSIONS: To enable informed decision-making about their own cannabis use, parents need to be aware that children of cannabis users are more likely to use cannabis in adolescence and young adulthood.

The Emergence of the Tobacco 21 Movement From Needham, Massachusetts, to Throughout the United States (2003-2019).

In February 2003, Needham, Massachusetts, became the first town in the nation to raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and nicotine products to 21 years (Tobacco 21). This legislation marked a dramatic departure from existing state and federal laws, which generally set the minimum sales age at 18 years. The Needham law significantly preceded and ultimately heralded the emergence of a nationwide movement to raise such sales age. As of May 2019, 14 states and more than 450 cities and counties have passed legislation raising the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and nicotine products to 21 years, covering more than 30% of the United States' population. The National Academy of Medicine projects that this policy will lower tobacco use rates, particularly among adolescents, and save a substantial number of lives. This narration of the process that led to Needham's passing of Tobacco 21 legislation and to the growth and spread of the Tobacco 21 movement highlights the significant role of public health advocacy and policy in the control of tobacco, the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. (Am J Public Health. 2019;109:1540-1547. doi: 10.2105/AJPH. 2019.305209).

Guidance for the Clinical Management of Thirdhand Smoke Exposure in the Child Health Care Setting.

OBJECTIVE: To explain the concept of thirdhand smoke and how it can be used to protect the health of children and improve delivery of tobacco control interventions for parents in the child health care setting. METHODS: Review of the literature and descriptive report. RESULTS: The thirdhand smoke concept has been used in the CEASE intervention to improve the delivery of tobacco control counseling and services to parents. Materials and techniques have been developed for the child health care setting that use the concept of thirdhand smoke. Scientific findings demonstrate that thirdhand smoke exposure is harmful and establishes the need for clinicians to communicate the cessation imperative: the only way to protect non-smoking household members from thirdhand smoke is for all household smokers to quit smoking completely. As the scientific knowledge of thirdhand smoke increases, advocates will likely rely on it to encourage completely smoke-free places. CONCLUSION: Recent scientific studies on thirdhand smoke are impelling further research on the topic, spurring the creation of tobacco control policies to protect people from thirdhand smoke and stimulating improvements to the delivery of tobacco control counseling and services to parents in child health care settings.

Assessment of Residents' Attitudes and Satisfaction Before and After Implementation of a Smoke-Free Policy in Boston Multiunit Housing.

INTRODUCTION: In 2012, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) in Massachusetts implemented a smoke-free policy prohibiting smoking within its residences. We sought to characterize BHA resident experiences before and after the smoke-free policy implementation, and compare them to that of nearby residents of the Cambridge Housing Authority, which had no such policy. METHODS: We recruited a convenience sample of nonsmoking residents from the BHA and Cambridge Housing Authority. We measured residents' awareness and support of their local smoking policies before and 9-12 months after the BHA's policy implementation, as well as BHA respondents' attitudes towards the smoke-free policy. We assessed tobacco smoke exposure via saliva cotinine, airborne apartment nicotine, and self-reported number of days smelling smoke in the home. We evaluated predictors of general satisfaction at follow-up using linear regression. RESULTS: At follow-up, 91% of BHA respondents knew that smoking was not allowed in apartments and 82% were supportive of such a policy in their building. BHA residents believed enforcement of the smoke-free policy was low. Fifty-one percent of BHA respondents indicated that other residents "never" or "rarely" followed the new smoke-free rule and 41% of respondents were dissatisfied with policy enforcement. Dissatisfaction with enforcement was the strongest predictor of general housing satisfaction, while objective and self-reported measures of tobacco smoke exposure were not predictive of satisfaction. At follow-up, 24% of BHA participants had complained to someone in charge about policy violations. CONCLUSIONS: Resident support for smoke-free policies is high. However, lack of enforcement of smoke-free policies may cause frustration and resentment among residents, potentially leading to a decrease in housing satisfaction. IMPLICATIONS: Smoke-free housing laws are becoming increasingly prevalent, yet little is known about satisfaction and compliance with such policies post-implementation. We evaluated nonsmoking residents' attitudes about smoke-free rules and their satisfaction with enforcement 1 year after the BHA implemented its comprehensive smoke-free policy. We found that while residents were supportive of the policy, they believed enforcement was low, a perception that was associated with a drop in housing satisfaction. Our findings point to a desire for smoke-free housing among public housing residents, and the importance of establishing systems and guidelines to help landlords monitor and enforce these policies effectively.

Public support for raising the age of sale for tobacco to 21 in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The vast majority of tobacco users began before the age of 21. Raising the tobacco sales age to 21 has the potential to reduce tobacco use initiation and progression to regular smoking. Our objective was to assess the level of public support nationally for 'Tobacco 21' initiatives in the USA. METHODS: The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control, a cross-sectional dual-frame survey representing national probability samples of adults was administered in 2013. Respondents were asked to state their agreement level with, 'The age to buy tobacco should be raised to 21.' RESULTS: Of 3245 respondents, 70.5% support raising the age to buy tobacco to 21. The majority of adults in every demographic and smoking status category supported raising the tobacco sales age to 21. In multivariable analyses, support was highest among never smokers, females, African-Americans and older adults. CONCLUSIONS: This national study demonstrates broad public support for raising the sales age of tobacco to 21 and will help facilitate wide dissemination of initiatives to increase the legal purchase age at national, state and local levels. Increasing public awareness about the susceptibility and rapid addiction of youth to nicotine may further increase public support for raising the tobacco sale age to 21.

Community reductions in youth smoking after raising the minimum tobacco sales age to 21.

OBJECTIVE: Raising the tobacco sales age to 21 has gained support as a promising strategy to reduce youth cigarette access, but there is little direct evidence of its impact on adolescent smoking. Using regional youth survey data, we compared youth smoking trends in Needham, Massachusetts--which raised the minimum purchase age in 2005--with those of 16 surrounding communities. METHODS: The MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey is a biennial census survey of high school youth in communities west of Boston; over 16,000 students participated at each of four time points from 2006 to 2012. Using these pooled cross-section data, we used generalised estimating equation models to compare trends in current cigarette smoking and cigarette purchases in Needham relative to 16 comparison communities without similar ordinances. To determine whether trends were specific to tobacco, we also examined trends in youth alcohol use over the same time period. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2010, the decrease in 30-day smoking in Needham (from 13% to 7%) was significantly greater than in the comparison communities (from 15% to 12%; p<.001). This larger decline was consistent for both genders, Caucasian and non-Caucasian youth, and grades 10, 11 and 12. Cigarette purchases among current smokers also declined significantly more in Needham than in the comparison communities during this time. In contrast, there were no comparable differences for current alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that raising the minimum sales age to 21 for tobacco contributes to a greater decline in youth smoking relative to communities that did not pass this ordinance. These findings support local community-level action to raise the tobacco sales age to 21.

Proactive enrollment of parents to tobacco quitlines in pediatric practices is associated with greater quitline use: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Every U.S. state has a free telephone quitline that tobacco users can access to receive cessation assistance, yet referral rates for parents in the pediatric setting remain low. This study evaluates, within pediatric offices, the impact of proactive enrollment of parents to quitlines compared to provider suggestion to use the quitline and identifies other factors associated with parental quitline use. METHODS: As part of a cluster randomized controlled trial (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure), research assistants completed post-visit exit interviews with parents in 20 practices in 16 states. Parents' quitline use was assessed at a 12-month follow-up interview. A multivariable analysis was conducted for quitline use at 12 months using a logistic regression model with generalized estimating equations to account for provider clustering. Self-reported cessation rates were also compared among quitline users based on the type of referral they received at their child's doctor's office. RESULTS: Of the 1980 parents enrolled in the study, 1355 (68 %) completed a 12-month telephone interview and of those 139 (10 %) reported talking with a quitline (15 % intervention versus 6 % control; p < .0001). Parents who were Hispanic (aOR 2.12 (1.22, 3.70)), black (aOR 1.57 (1.14, 2.16)), planned to quit smoking in the next 30 days (aOR 2.32 (1.47, 3.64)), and had attended an intervention practice (aOR 2.37 (1.31, 4.29)) were more likely to have talked with a quitline. Parents who only received a suggestion from a healthcare provider to use the quitline (aOR 0.45 (0.23, 0.90)) and those who were not enrolled and did not receive a suggestion (aOR 0.33 (0.17, 0.64)) were less likely to talk with a quitline than those who were enrolled in the quitline during the baseline visit. Self-reported cessation rates among quitline users were similar regardless of being proactively enrolled (19 %), receiving only a suggestion (25 %), or receiving neither a suggestion nor an enrollment (17 %) during a visit (p = 0.47). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the enhanced clinical effectiveness of not just recommending the quitline to parents but also offering them enrollment in the quitline at the time of their child's visit to the pediatric office. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT00664261.

Are Chinese pediatricians missing the opportunity to help parents quit smoking?

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure of children due to parental tobacco use is a particularly prevalent health issue and is associated with adverse health outcomes. Following the US Clinical Practice guidelines, pediatricians in the United States deliver 5A's (ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange) counseling to smoking parents which has proven to be effective. We examined Chinese pediatricians' adherence to the clinical practice guidelines for smoking cessation (i.e. 5A's counseling practices) with smoking parents, and identified factors associated with these practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil survey of pediatricians was conducted in twelve conveniently selected southern Chinese hospitals. Factors associated with any of the 5A's smoking cessation counseling practices were identified by logistic regression. RESULTS: Of respondents (504/550), only 26 % routinely provided 5A's smoking cessation counseling to smoking parents. More than 80 % of pediatricians didn't receive formal training in smoking cessation and had not read China smoking cessation guidelines; 24 % reported being "very confident" in discussing smoking or SHS reduction with parents. Pediatricians who had never smoked (OR: 2.29, CI:1.02-5.12), received training in smoking cessation (OR: 2.50, CI:1.40-4.48), had read China smoking cessation guidelines (OR: 2.17, CI:1.10-4.26), and felt very (OR: 7.12, CI:2.45-20.70) or somewhat (OR: 3.05, CI:1.11-8.37) confident in delivering cessation counseling were more likely to practice 5A's. Pediatricians who reported "it is hard to find a time to talk with parents" (OR: 0.32, CI: 0.11-0.92) or "lack of a standard of care requiring pediatricians to provide smoking cessation or SHS exposure reduction intervention" (OR: 0.45, CI: 0.21-0.98) as a barrier were less likely to follow the 5A's guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation counseling to address parental smoking is infrequent among Chinese pediatricians. There is a need to develop and test intervention strategies to improve the delivery of 5A's smoking cessation counseling to parental smokers.

Clinician Telephone Training to Reduce Family Tobacco Use: Analysis of Transcribed Recordings.

BACKGROUND: Family tobacco use and exposure are significant threats to the health of children and their families. However, few pediatric clinicians address family tobacco use and exposure in a routine and effective manner. The Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) intervention was developed to tackle this gap between clinical need and clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To review the main considerations and questions that clinicians and office staff expressed during telephone training to participate in CEASE. METHODS: This study was conducted in pediatric practices in 5 US states. Practices were recruited by the American Academy of Pediatrics (10 intervention, 10 control). Ten training calls were recorded and transcribed. The data was then coded inductively based on themes found in the transcripts. RESULTS: The data revealed that clinicians and staff were concerned about prescribing, dosing, and insurance coverage of nicotine replacement therapy; motivation for and methods to help families become tobacco-free; and the impact of the intervention on practice operations. CONCLUSION: While the majority of clinicians and office staff were interested and enthusiastic about helping families become tobacco-free, they expressed concerns that could threaten implementation of family tobacco control strategies.

Overcoming challenges in the changing environment of practice-based research.

PURPOSE: Conducting studies in national practice-based research networks presents logistic and methodologic challenges. Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) has learned valuable lessons in implementing new strategies and adapting to challenges. We describe practical challenges and results of novel applied strategies in implementing and testing the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) intervention as part of a national-level cluster-randomized controlled trial. METHODS: In the trial, 20 PROS practices were randomized to either a CEASE intervention arm or a control arm. Parents of children seen in the office who indicated smoking in the past 7 days were asked to complete a postvisit enrollment interview and telephone interviews 3 and 12 months later. Identified challenges included (1) recruiting 20 practices serving a high percentage of parent smokers; (2) screening all parents bringing children for visits and enrolling eligible parents who smoked; and (3) achieving an acceptable 12-month telephone response rate. RESULTS: A total of 47 interested practices completed the Practice Population Survey, of which 20 practices in 16 states completed parent enrollment. Thirty-two research assistants screened 18,607 parents and enrolled 1,980 of them. The initial telephone interview response rate was 56% at 12 months, with incorrect and disconnected numbers accounting for nearly 60% of nonresponses. The response rate rose to 67% after practices supplied 532 new contact numbers and 754 text messages were sent, with 389 parents completing interviews. CONCLUSION: The strategies we used to overcome methodologic barriers in conducting a national intervention trial allowed data collection to be completed in the office setting and increased the telephone interview response rate.

Trends in Electronic Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults: Use is Increasing in Both Smokers and Nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed trends in use of electronic cigarettes among U.S. adults, demographic predictors of use, and smoking status of current electronic cigarette users. METHODS: Mixed-mode surveys were used to obtain representative, cross-sectional samples of U.S. adults in each of 4 years. RESULTS: Sample sizes for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 were 3,240, 3,097, 3,101, and 3,245, respectively. Ever use of electronic cigarettes increased from 1.8% (2010) to 13.0% (2013), while current use increased from 0.3% to 6.8%, p < .001. Prevalence of use increased significantly across all demographic groups. In 2013, current use among young adults 18-24 (14.2%) was higher than adults 25-44 (8.6%), 45-64 (5.5%), and 65+ (1.2%). Daily smokers (30.3%) and nondaily smokers (34.1%) were the most likely to currently use e-cigarettes, compared to former smokers (5.4%) and never-smokers (1.4%), p < .001. However, 32.5% of current electronic cigarette users are never- or former smokers. CONCLUSIONS: There has been rapid growth in ever and current electronic cigarette use over the past 4 years. Use is highest among young adults and current cigarette smokers. Although smokers are most likely to use these products, almost a third of current users are nonsmokers, suggesting that e-cigarettes contribute to primary nicotine addiction and to renormalization of tobacco use. Regulatory action is needed at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that these products do not contribute to preventable chronic disease.

A dual-frame sampling methodology to address landline replacement in tobacco control research.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the comparability of self-reported smoking prevalence estimates from a dual-frame survey with those from two large-scale, national surveys. METHODS: The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control (SCS-TC) obtained self-reported current smoking status via a dual-frame methodology in the fall of 2010. One frame used random digit dialling procedures and consisted of households with a landline telephone; the other frame consisted of a population-based probability-based online panel. Current smoking prevalence was compared with national estimates from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS: 18.3% (95% CI 17.0% to 19.6%) of SCS-TC respondents reported current smoking. NHIS and NHANES estimates found 19.4% (95% CI 18.8% to 20.1%) and 20.3% (95% CI 18.7% to 22.1%), respectively, reporting current smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence estimates for cigarette smoking obtained from the dual-frame SCS-TC are comparable to those from other national surveys. A mixed-mode approach may be a useful strategy to transition cross-sectional surveys with established trend data to newer dual-frame designs to maintain compatibility with surveys from previous years and to include the growing number of households that do not have landline telephones.