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Reid JL, Burkhalter R, Kasza K, Seo YS, East K, Hyland A, Hammond D. Minimum legal age laws and perceived access to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other substances among youth in Canada, England, and the United States: 2017-2021. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 115:104003. [PMID: 36965305 PMCID: PMC10370475 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Minimum legal age (MLA) restrictions are a core policy to reduce youth use of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other substances. We examined trends in perceived ease of access to tobacco and other substances across three countries with differing MLA policies, including the United States (US), which increased the federal MLA for tobacco products from 18 to 21 in 2019. METHODS Repeat cross-sectional data were analyzed from seven waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Youth Tobacco and Vaping Survey conducted between 2017 and 2021. Online surveys were conducted with non-probability samples of 91,647 youth aged 16-19 in Canada, England, and the US. Regression models were used to examine differences in perceived ease of accessing each of 7 substances (analyzed as "very easy" or "fairly easy" versus else), and differences between countries and over time (including before and after any MLA changes) for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol; additional models examined sub-national variation in MLA. RESULTS Perceived access varied by substance and across countries: in August/September 2021, perceived ease of accessing cigarettes and e-cigarettes was greater in Canada where MLA was 18-19 (61.7% cigarettes, 66.4% e-cigarettes) and England where MLA was 18 (66.9%, 69.6%), compared to the US where MLA was 21 (48.0%, 60.9%; p < 0.001 for all). Perceived ease of accessing cannabis was greatest in Canada (53.3%), followed by the US (44.1%) and England (34.0%; p < 0.001 for all). Following the federal MLA increase for tobacco products in the US, perceived ease of access decreased significantly for cigarettes (65.1% in 2019Aug to 59.7% in 2020Feb; aOR=0.80 (95%CI=0.71-0.89)) and e-cigarettes (72.4% in 2019Aug to 69.4% in 2020Feb; aOR=0.87 (95%CI=0.77-0.98)). CONCLUSIONS Higher MLA was strongly associated with fewer youth perceiving easy access to substances: perceived access varied between countries with differing MLA, as well as within-country before and after changes to MLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Reid
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
| | - Robin Burkhalter
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
| | - Karin Kasza
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Young Sik Seo
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Katherine East
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1; National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Addictions Sciences Building, 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8BB, UK
| | - Andrew Hyland
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - David Hammond
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1.
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Callaghan RC, Sanches M, Vander Heiden J, Kish SJ. Impact of Canada's cannabis legalisation on youth emergency department visits for cannabis-related disorders and poisoning in Ontario and Alberta, 2015-2019. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023. [PMID: 36908258 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although there is momentum towards legalising adult recreational cannabis use worldwide, the extent of youth cannabis-related harm associated with legalisation is still uncertain. The current study aimed to assess whether the initial implementation of Canada's cannabis legalisation (via the Cannabis Act) on 17 October 2018 might be associated with youth harm, as assessed by emergency department visits for cannabis-related disorders/poisoning. METHODS We used Ontario and Alberta, Canada emergency department data from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2019. We identified all cannabis-related disorders/poisoning (ICD-10 CA: F12.X, T40.7) emergency department visits of youth (n = 13,615), defined as patients younger than the minimum legal cannabis sales age (18 years, Alberta; 19 years, Ontario). Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models were employed to assess the impact of legalisation on weekly counts of cannabis-related harms. RESULTS The final SARIMA intervention (step) parameter indicated a post-legalisation increase of 14.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.0; 24.3, p < 0.01) weekly youth cannabis-related disorder/poisoning presentations to Ontario/Alberta emergency department settings, equivalent to an increase of 20.0% (95% CI 6.2%; 33.9%). There was no evidence of associations between cannabis legalisation and comparison series of youth alcohol, opioid or appendicitis emergency department episodes. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Our findings require replication and extension but are consistent with the possibility that the implementation of the Cannabis Act was associated with an increase in youth cannabis-related presentations to Ontario/Alberta emergency departments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell C Callaghan
- University of Northern British Columbia, Northern Medical Program, Prince George, Canada.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Human Brain Laboratory, Toronto, Canada.,University of Victoria, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria, Canada
| | - Marcos Sanches
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Biostatistics Core, Toronto, Canada
| | - Julia Vander Heiden
- University of Northern British Columbia, Northern Medical Program, Prince George, Canada.,University of Victoria, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria, Canada
| | - Stephen J Kish
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Human Brain Laboratory, Toronto, Canada
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Black B, Ravi K, Hoefer R. Determining the Existence and Strength of Teen Dating Violence Policy: Testing a Comparative State Internal Determinants Model. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:2165-2189. [PMID: 32639869 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520935529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Research demonstrates that Teen Dating Violence (TDV) programs impact TDV knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, decreasing the odds of TDV victimization and perpetration. Studies indicate that students who do not complete a TDV intervention have significantly higher odds of physical and emotional TDV victimization and emotional TDV perpetration. This study uses multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regression to examine predictors of the presence and the strength of state legislation addressing TDV education and school policies. Results indicate some success in predicting the existence of TDV laws but less support for forecasting the strength of the policies passed. Dominant political party and state median income were found to be potentially important determinants of TDV state school policies. A state's political culture influenced the strength of states' TDV policies. Showing that policy existence and strength are related to different processes is important for advocates to understand. Future research should look at additional variables and explore legislative histories.
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Tobacco Endgame Simulation Modelling: Assessing the Impact of Policy Changes on Smoking Prevalence in 2035. FORECASTING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/forecast3020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Smoking causes substantial amount of mortality and morbidity. This article presents the findings from simulation models that projected the impact of five potential Tobacco Endgame strategies on smoking prevalence in Ontario by 2035 and expected impact of smoking prevalence “less than 5 by 35” on tax revenue. We used Ontario SimSmoke simulation for modelling the expected impact of four strategies: plain packaging, free cessation services, decreasing the number of tobacco outlets, and increasing tobacco taxes. Separate models were used to project the impact of increasing the minimum age to legally purchase tobacco to 21 years on smoking prevalence and impact of price and tax increase to achieve “less than 5 by 35” on taxation revenue. The combined effect of four strategies in Ontario SimSmoke Model are expected to reduce smoking prevalence by 8.5% in 2035. Increasing tobacco taxes had the greatest independent predicted decrease in smoking prevalence (2.8%) followed by raised minimum age for legal purchase to 21 years (2.4%), decreasing tobacco outlets (1.5%), free cessation services (0.7%), and plain packaging (0.6%). Increasing tobacco excise tax and prices are projected to have minimal impact on taxation revenue, with a decrease from 1.5 billion to 1.2 billion annual tax receipts.
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The association between reinforcement sensitivity and substance use is mediated by individual differences in dispositional affectivity in adolescents. Addict Behav 2021; 114:106719. [PMID: 33160749 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence marks the onset of substance use experimentation and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to certain negative effects of substances. Some evidence indicates reinforcement sensitivity is associated with substance use, though little is known about mechanisms underlying such association. AIMS in the current study were to examine, (1) associations between behavioral activation (BAS) and behavioral inhibition (BIS) system sensitivity, positive (PA) and negative affectivity (NA), and alcohol use and alcohol problems as well as tobacco, and marijuana use, and whether (2) associations are mediated by PA or NA. METHODS Participants were a community sample of N = 125 adolescents (Mage = 15.67 years; SD = 0.93; 52% boys) who completed self-report measures. RESULTS evinced associations, generally as expected, across variables (all ps < 0.05). In mediation analyses, an association emerged between BIS sensitivity and alcohol use, mediated by NA (95%CIs [0.034; 0.390]); greater BIS sensitivity was associated with greater NA and greater NA was associated with greater alcohol use. These findings were replicated with alcohol problems. An association also emerged between BAS sensitivity and marijuana use, mediated by PA (95%CIs [-0.296; -0.027]); greater BAS sensitivity was associated with greater PA and greater PA was associated with lower marijuana use. Finally, BIS sensitivity was associated with tobacco use through NA (95%CIs [0.023; 0.325]) and PA (95%CIs [0.004; 0.116]), with NA linked to greater, but PA linked to lower tobacco use. BAS sensitivity was also associated with tobacco use through PA (95%CIs [-0.395; -0.049]), with PA linked again to lower tobacco use. CONCLUSIONS There are unique and shared effects of domains of reinforcement sensitivity on adolescent substance use and these vary with index of dispositional affectivity and type of substance considered.
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Hawkins SS, Chung-Hall J, Craig L, Fong GT, Borland R, Cummings KM, Levy D, Hitchman SC. Support for Minimum Legal Sales Age Laws Set to Age 21 Across Australia, Canada, England, and United States: Findings From the 2018 ITC Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey. Nicotine Tob Res 2021; 22:2266-2270. [PMID: 32609835 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaa119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although the United States has seen a rapid increase in tobacco minimum legal sales age (MLSA) laws set to age 21, there is wide variation across high-income countries and less is known about policy support outside of the United States. We examined the prevalence of support for tobacco MLSA 21 laws as well as associations by sociodemographic, smoking, and household characteristics among current and former adult smokers. METHODS In this cross-sectional analysis, we used the 2018 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Survey to examine support for MLSA 21 laws among 12 904 respondents from Australia, Canada, England, and United States. RESULTS Support for raising the legal age of purchasing cigarettes/tobacco to 21 ranged from 62.2% in the United States to 70.8% in Canada. Endorsement also varied by age, such that 40.6% of 18-20 years old supported the policy compared with 69.3% of those aged ≥60 years. In the adjusted regression model, there was also higher support among respondents who were female than male, non-white than white, those who did not allow smoking in the household than those that did, and those who had children in the household than those that did not. There were no differences by household income, education, or smoking status. CONCLUSIONS Most current and former smokers, including a sizable minority of those aged ≤20 years, support raising the legal age of purchasing cigarettes/tobacco to 21. IMPLICATIONS There was strong support for MLSA 21 laws among smokers and former smokers across Australia, Canada, England, and the United States, providing evidence for the increasing public support of the passage of these laws beyond the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summer Sherburne Hawkins
- Boston College, School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA.,Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Janet Chung-Hall
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Lorraine Craig
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Geoffrey T Fong
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ron Borland
- Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - K Michael Cummings
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - David Levy
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Georgetown, Washington, DC
| | - Sara C Hitchman
- Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Nottingham, UK
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Beard E, Brown J, Jackson S, West R, Anderson W, Arnott D, Shahab L. Long-term evaluation of the rise in legal age-of-sale of cigarettes from 16 to 18 in England: a trend analysis. BMC Med 2020; 18:85. [PMID: 32264873 PMCID: PMC7140583 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01541-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the long-term impact of the increase in age-of-sale of cigarettes from 16 to 18 in England in October 2007. METHODS Data were collected between November 2006 and September 2018 on 252,601 participants taking part in a nationally representative survey of adults aged 16+ in England, the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS). We assessed the impact of the introduction of the increase in age-of-sale on prevalence of ever smoking, current smoking, and quit attempts, among 16-17 year olds compared with 18-24 year olds. RESULTS Following the increase in age-of-sale, there was a declining trend in ever smoking that was greater among 16-17 year olds than 18-24 year olds (OR 0.990 versus OR 0.993; p = 0.019). Data on current smoking were insensitive to detect a difference between the age groups in a step-level change or change in trend following the increase in age-of-sale (Bayes factors (BFs) 0.75 and 2.10). Data on quit attempts were also insensitive to detect a change in trend (BF 0.71), and despite a greater step-level decline among those aged 16-17 (OR 0.311 versus OR 0.547, p = 0.025), quit attempts remained higher among those aged 16-17. Secondary analysis indicated that post-policy change, trends in current and ever smoking were linear for 16-17 year olds but quadratic for 18-24 year olds (slowing decline). CONCLUSION There is some evidence from an assessment of long-term trends in the Smoking Toolkit Study that the increase in legal age-of-sale of cigarettes in England was associated with a greater long-term decline in ever smoking among those aged 16-17 compared with those aged 18-24.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Beard
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK
| | - Jamie Brown
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK
| | - Sarah Jackson
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK
| | - Robert West
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK
| | | | | | - Lion Shahab
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK
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