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Trends in sources of cigarettes among adolescents were assessed using data from a teen cohort (2000-2006). Five sources--bought from store, got from other teen, stole from others, bought from others, and got from an adult--were measured over time by age. The most common source among all ages was other teens. Fewer teens bought cigarettes from stores, with a downward trend for all ages. Among all ages there was an upward trend in stealing, with younger teens more likely to steal cigarettes. In addition to targeting cigarette sales, interventions are needed to target other youth cigarette sources.

Describes Minnesota DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) PLUS, a randomized trial of 24 schools and communities. During 1999-2001, students in eight schools will receive the DARE curriculum in 7th grade. Eight other schools will receive the curriculum plus additional parent involvement, peer leadership, and community components in 7th and 8th grades. Eight other schools will be controls. (SM)

Study analyzed the relationship between alcohol use, psychological risk, and delinquent and violent behaviors using self-reported data from eighth and ninth grade students from a small, rural town population. Results suggest that alcohol use is an independent risk factor for delinquent and violent behaviors among young people (Author/JDM)

Objectives. This study tested the hypothesis that adaptation and implementation of local policies regarding youth access to tobacco can affect adolescent smoking. Methods. A randomized community trial was conducted in 14 Minnesota communities. Seven intervention communities participated in a 32-month community-organizing effort to mobilize citizens and activate the community. The goal was to change ordinances, merchant policies and practices, and enforcement practices to reduce youth access to tobacco. Outcome measures were derived from surveys of students before and after the intervention and from tobacco purchase attempts in all retail outlets in the communities. Data analyses used mixed-model regression to account for the clustering within communities and to adjust for covariates. Results. Each intervention community passed a comprehensive youth access ordinance. Intervention communities showed less pronounced increases in adolescent daily smoking relative to control communities. Tobacco purchase success declined somewhat more in intervention that control communities during the study period, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions. This study provides compelling evidence that policies designed to reduce youth access to tobacco can have a significant effect on adolescent smoking rates. (Am J Public Health. 1998;88:1193-1198)

Objective: Social settings and situations of underage drinking were described for students from 15 communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Reports of their last drinking event, including setting, number of persons drinking with them, number of those persons under age 21, and whom they were with, were examined. The role of these variables in the prediction of having five or more drinks on one occasion was assessed. Method: Ninth graders (n = 2,269) and 12th graders (n = 2,377) who reported using alcohol in the last 30 days were included in the sample from a nested cross-sectional survey design. Bivariate analyses were performed between the situational variables and gender, number of older siblings and drinking behavior. Chi-square statistics were divided by an estimate of the design effect and multivariate analyses used mixed-model regression to correct for the nesting of individuals within communities. Results: Situations and settings of drinking differed according to age and drinking behavior. Twelfth graders were less likely to drink with parents or other adults than 9th graders and more likely to drink in someone else's home, and in large groups where nearly everyone was underage. Persons reporting having five or more drinks on one occasion in the last 2 weeks were more likely to report drinking with peers, in large groups of underage persons and away from home. Conclusions: Interventions to reduce use of alcohol by youth must focus on the context in which the drinking is taking place in addition to other factors. Policy or educational interventions that seek to alter the situations and settings of underage drinking may be effective in reducing consumption of alcohol in adolescents. (J. Stud. Alcohol 59: 207-215, 1998), A study of underage drinking showed that 12th graders consumed greater amounts of alcohol when they were away from home, with their peers and in large groups of underage drinkers. Ninth grade students consumed alcohol with parents or other adults. Programs in alcohol education need to examine situations and settings when planning intervention programs., The influence of the situational context of drinking on the amount of alcohol consumed at any given drinking occasion and on the consequences of the drinking has been well demonstrated [...]

The frequency of alcohol sales to underage persons may be reduced by following certain policies. The policies of 100 bars and stores selling liquor were obtained by telephone interview. Youthful-appearing persons then attempted three times to purchase alcohol at each of these establishments. Bar policies associated with increased surveillance of youthful-appearing customers included formal alcohol sales' training and having a manager present. Bars were less likely to sell to youthful-appearing customers than stores. None of the practices used at stores effectively reduced the number of sales to youthful-appearing customers.

Measures of perceived alcohol and tobacco availability to underage middle and high school students have high internal consistency. However, the test-retest correlations of these measures, and single-item measures of reported buying attempts and sources of tobacco and alcohol are low to moderate. There are insignificant differences in the variables of tobacco and alcohol use and availability, and demographics across administrations at different times. Development of measures for assessing availability of tobacco and alcohol to underage population is recommended.

Objectives. A randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a work-site health promotion program in reducing obesity and the prevalence of cigarette smoking. Methods. Thirty-two work sites were randomized to treatment or no treatment for 2 years. Treatment consisted of health education classes combined with a payroll-based incentive system. Evaluation was based on cohort and cross-sectional surveys. Results. Of 10 000 total employees in treatment work sites, 2041 and 270 participated in weight control and smoking cessation programs, respectively. Weight losses averaged 4.8 lbs, and 43% of smoking participants quit. Net 2-year reductions in smoking prevalence in treatment vs control work sites were 4.0% and 2.1% in cross-sectional and cohort surveys, respectively. No treatment effect was found for weight. Treatment effects for smoking prevalence and weight were both positively correlated with participation rates in the intervention programs (r = .45 for smoking and r = .55 for weight). Conclusions. This work-site health promotion program was effective in reducing smoking prevalence at a cost that is believed to make the investment worthwhile. (Am J Public Health. 1993;83:395-401), Work-site health promotion programs may increase the number of employees who quit smoking at a reasonable cost. Among 10,000 employees who worked at an organization with a work-site health promotion program, 2,041 participated in a weight control program and 270 participated in a smoking cessation program over a two-year period. Participants in the weight loss program lost an average of five pounds, and 43% of the participants in the smoking cessation program quit smoking. Four percent of the employees who worked at a job with a work-site health program program quit smoking over a two-year period, compared with 2% of employees who worked at a job where there was no health promotion program. No significant difference in weight loss was found between individuals who worked where an on-site health promotion program existed and those who worked where there was no such program.

Abstract Background Despite declines over recent years, youth tobacco and other substance use rates remain high. Latino youth are at equal or increased risk for lifetime tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drug use compared with their white peers. Family plays an important and influential role in the lives of youth, and longitudinal research suggests that improving parenting skills may reduce youth substance use. However, few interventions are oriented towards immigrant Latino families, and none have been developed and evaluated using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process that may increase the effectiveness and sustainability of such projects. Therefore, using CBPR principles, we developed a randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a family-skills training intervention to prevent tobacco and other substance use intentions in Latino youth. Methods/Design In collaboration with seven Latino community-serving agencies, we will recruit and randomize 336 immigrant families, into intervention or delayed treatment conditions. The primary outcome is youth intention to smoke 6 months post intervention. The intervention consists of eight parent and four youth sessions targeting parenting skills and parent–youth relational factors associated with lower smoking and other substance use in youth. Discussion We present the study protocol for a family intervention using a CBPR randomized clinical trial to prevent smoking among Latino youth. The results of this trial will contribute to the limited information on effective and sustainable primary prevention programs for tobacco and other substance use directed at the growing US Latino communities. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01442753