Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2022
Correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypothetical flavored cigar sales restriction among U.S. adult flavored cigar smokers.
Flavored cigar sales restrictions (FCSRs) may reduce cigar smoking and protect public health. This study examined the correlates of behavior change intents in response to a hypothetical FCSR. Data were from a nationally representative sample of adult flavored cigar smokers (ages ≥21; n = 343) collected through an online survey in 2021. ⋯ Results suggest that FCSRs may reduce cigar smoking among a portion of U. S. flavored cigar smokers while leaving more continuing to smoke plain cigars or transitioning to use other flavored tobacco products or cannabis. Implementing FCSRs should be accompanied by comprehensive flavored tobacco sales restrictions, cessation programs, and educational messages aimed at reducing the use of cigars and other substances.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2022
Voluntary, temporary out-of-home firearm storage: A survey of firearm retailers and ranges in two states.
Out-of-home storage of personal firearms is one recommended option for individuals at risk of suicide, and statewide online maps of storage locations have been created in multiple states, including Colorado and Washington. We sought to examine both the extent to which firearm retailers and ranges offer temporary, voluntary firearm storage and the perceived barriers to providing this service. We invited all firearm retailers and ranges in Colorado and Washington to complete an online or mailed survey; eligible sites had to have a physical location where they could provide storage. ⋯ The majority (68.6%) of participants had not heard of the Colorado/Washington gun storage maps and 82.5% did not believe they were currently listed on the maps. Respondents indicated liability waivers would most influence their decision about whether to start or continue providing temporary, voluntary storage of firearms. Understanding current practices, barriers, and concerns about providing out-of-home storage by retailers and ranges may support development of more feasible approaches for out-of-home firearm storage during times of suicide risk.
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States with more gun laws have fewer gun assaults, and associations are strongest for background check laws. However, sales between private buyers and sellers (i.e., gun shows) are exempt from some background check requirements according to federal and most state laws. The aim of this study was to determine whether gun shows are more likely to take place in counties that are near states with universal background check laws. ⋯ Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson models estimated associations between neighboring-state universal background check law and the presence of a gun show in each county while accounting for spatial dependencies and nesting of counties within states. Of the 1869 identified gun shows, nine of the states in which they occurred had a universal background check law. The presence of excess gun shows in counties near states with universal background check laws is consistent with the hypothesis that gun shows service demand from people seeking to circumvent prohibitions against gun purchases.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2022
How Americans encounter guns: Mixed methods content analysis of YouTube and internet search data.
Firearm-related injury and death is a serious public health issue in the U. S. As more Americans consume news and media online, there is growing interest in using these channels to prevent firearm-related harms. ⋯ The vast majority of searches were related to mass shootings or police-involved shootings (e.g., "active shooter"), and virtually none were about more common firearm harm such as suicide. Searches for firearm safety information were most common among panelists affiliated with the "Hunting & Fishing" and "Guns & Gear" ecosystems, which were watched primarily by older, white men. These findings identify an opportunity for analyzing firearm-related narratives and tailoring firearm safety messaging for users affiliated with specific online content ecosystems.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2022
EditorialBehavior Change, Health, and Health Disparities 2022: Innovations in Tobacco Control and Regulatory Science to Decrease Cigarette Smoking.
This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 9th in a series on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This topic is critically important to improving population health. Unhealthy lifestyles including substance misuse, unhealthy food choices, physical inactivity, and non-adherence with medical regimens are important preventable causes of chronic disease and premature death. ⋯ We discuss important innovations in tobacco control (e.g., digital text-based interventions, ENDS-assisted cessation, financial incentives) and regulatory science (e.g., nicotine reduction in cigarettes, flavor bans). Throughout, attention is given to the important topic of disparities in terms of understanding the uneven adverse impacts of cigarette smoking and efforts to eliminate it, and the critical importance of researching vulnerable populations. Across these topics we have recruited contributions from accomplished investigators, clinicians, and policymakers to acquaint readers with recent advances while also noting knowledge gaps and unresolved challenges.