The association between severity of sanction imposed for violation of tobacco policy and high school dropout rates

Health risk behavior of youth in foster care

PROBLEM

Many adolescent health problems are predominantly caused by risk behavior. Foster adolescents have disproportionately poor health; therefore, identification of risk behavior is critical.

METHOD

Data from a larger study were analyzed to investigate the health risk behavior of 56 youth in foster care using the Child Health and Illness Profile-Adolescent Edition.

FINDINGS

Data indicated that youth in foster care had some increased risk behavior when compared with a normative adolescent population. Younger adolescents and those in relative placement had less risky behavior. Risk behavior was increased for youth in foster care when they were in group homes, had experienced a parental death, or had a history of physical or emotional abuse or attempted suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

These results point to areas of strength and vulnerability for youth in foster care and suggest areas for clinicians and caregivers of these adolescents to focus interventions towards harm reduction and enhancement of resiliency.

Passage of 100% tobacco-free school policies in 14 North Carolina school districts

Though comprehensive tobacco-free school policies constitute an important component of state tobacco control efforts, little research exists about their adoption process. In the past two years, efforts occurred in North Carolina to increase the number of school districts adopting 100% tobacco-free school policies. As part of the North Carolina Youth Empowerment Study (NC-YES), researchers developed a school tobacco policy interview guide to conduct interviews with 40 key people (e.g., school board member, principal, etc.) in each of 14 school districts that adopted a 100% tobacco-free school policy by the end of 2001. Results showed seven districts adopted their school policy in the past two years. Seven themes emerged: 1) Catalysts: Local adult and youth "champions" facilitated policy change; 2) Process of Adoption: Most school policies were adopted with an administrator or other adult initiating the change, but youth involvement increased in recent years; 3) Methods of Adoption: Advocates personalized health concerns by focusing on children and role modeling by adults; 4) Political Leadership: Governors of North Carolina, through letters to school districts and a policy summit, played an important role in stimulating policy change; 5) Barriers to Adoption: Concerns expressed before policy adoption, about teacher attrition or inability to enforce the policy, did not occur as feared; 6) Enforcement Issues: A key to policy enforcement involved being consistent, supportive, and firm; and 7) Economics of Tobacco Farming/Manufacturing: Though a local tobacco economy did little to influence policy adoption, districts that adopted policies were not located in counties with heavy tobacco production. Public health advocates may use this information to encourage school districts to adopt 100% tobacco-free school policies.

Symptoms of nicotine dependence and other predictors of student smoking at school: implications for school smoking policy

Students who violate school smoking policies present a difficult health and disciplinary issue for school officials. Professionals know little about the characteristics of students who smoke at school. In a prospective study of 679 students in two cities in central Massachusetts, researchers examined how nicotine dependence contributes to the problem of smoking at school. After three years of follow up, smoking at school was reported by 10.3% of students. Among subjects who admitted to smoking at school, 63% reported that symptoms of nicotine dependence preceded their smoking at school. After adjusting for other variables, student smokers with symptoms of nicotine dependence were nine times more likely to report smoking in school (OR 9.1, 95% CI 2.9-28.5) than were student smokers without symptoms. Smoking at school was more common among daily smokers and those who paid for their own cigarettes. Age, gender, race, and parental smoking status were not significantly associated with students' reports of smoking at school. These data suggest nicotine dependence as an important contributor to the problem of smoking at school, but not the only reason why students violate school smoking policies. Disciplinary action against students caught violating school smoking policies should be supplemented with an offer of treatment for nicotine dependence.