American journal of preventive medicine
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To address the ongoing opioid crisis, states use policy enactment to restrict prescribing by licensed healthcare providers and mandate the use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. There have been mixed results regarding the effectiveness of such state policies. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of Colorado Senate Bill 18-022, which limits opioid prescriptions to ≤7-day supply among patients without an opioid prescription in the previous year (i.e., are opioid naive). ⋯ Statutory limits on days' supply among opioid-naive patients had little impact on opioid prescribing in Colorado. Legislating limits on opioid prescribing should be evaluated using Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data and considered for deimplementation when not impactful.
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The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) improves nutrition and reduces food insecurity among young children by helping cover the food costs for child care providers and families. This nationwide study evaluated the extent and predictors of the CACFP's utilization among licensed child care centers to identify opportunities for expanding CACFP nutrition support. ⋯ Currently CACFP participation rates among licensed child care centers point to program underutilization and unequal access, particularly in some states and regions. Work at the federal and state levels is warranted to expand participation in the program, above all in low-income areas, so that more young children could eat healthfully with the CACFP.
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Binge drinking and sexual assault are serious inter-related public health problems faced by college students. State-level alcohol policy restrictiveness has been found to decrease binge drinking among college students and, therefore, may also reduce occurrences of alcohol-related criminal offenses. It was hypothesized that more restrictive state alcohol policy environments would be associated with fewer liquor law violations and sexual assault offenses on U.S. college campuses. ⋯ This cross-sectional study presents evidence that more restrictive state alcohol policies are associated with fewer alcohol-related arrests and disciplinary actions, and rape offenses on college campuses. Future research should identify the alcohol policy domains that are most protective against these outcomes.
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Coupons are an effective, frequently used tobacco marketing strategy. This study examined prospective associations between cumulative exposure to e-cigarette coupons and changes in e-cigarette use among U.S. adults. ⋯ E-cigarette coupons may encourage and sustain e-cigarette use. Policies restricting e-cigarette coupons may curb e-cigarette use.
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Although the relationship between smoking and depression has been well-established, little is known about the association between use of e-cigarette and depression, particularly among youth and young adults. This study proposes that e-cigarette dependence, rather than simply use, serves as a potential stressor and may interact with pre-existing vulnerabilities to contribute to depression in youth, consistent with the diathesis-stress theory. This study examines the longitudinal association of vaping dependence and vaping frequency on depression symptoms among youth and young adults who have never smoked cigarettes. ⋯ These results are consistent with the diathesis-stress model of the relationship between substance use and depression. Vaping dependence but not vaping frequency was associated with increased depressive symptoms among people who never smoked cigarettes.