AimsMost research into reasons for smoking among adults with serious mental illness (SMI) has focused on reasons related to SMI symptoms. The current study reports reasons for smoking and barriers to cessation that are both related and unrelated to SMI symptoms among adults with SMI.MethodsFour focus groups were conducted among current smokers receiving outpatient care for a psychotic disorder in 2017 (N = 24). Participants were asked why they currently smoke and their barriers to quitting smoking.ResultsSmoking as a coping mechanism and to self‐medicate SMI symptoms were reasons for current smoking and barriers to cessation. Avoidance of other unhealthy behaviors, routine, and enjoyment emerged as reasons for smoking and barriers to cessation that were unrelated to mental illness.ConclusionConsideration of factors that are both related and unrelated to SMI symptoms in smoking cessation interventions and brief cessation counseling may improve cessation success in this population.

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Overall, participants preferred non-tobacco advertisements to tobacco advertisements, rural participants had less positive attitudes and participants who had peers who used tobacco had more positive attitudes. Social acceptance and entertainment themes increased the appeal of SLT advertisements, and sex appeal increased the appeal of e-cigarette advertisements. Conclusions/Importance: Findings suggest that advertisements that promote the social nature of use in SLT advertisements may be of particular concern for their influence on adolescent boys.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed almost every aspect of our lives. Young adults are vulnerable to pandemic-related adverse mental health outcomes, but little is known about the impact on adolescents. We examined factors associated with perceived changes in mood and anxiety among male youth in urban and Appalachian Ohio. Methods: In June 2020, participants in an ongoing male youth cohort study were invited to participate in an online survey that included questions about changes in mood, anxiety, closeness to friends and family, and the major impacts of the pandemic. Weighted log-binomial regression models were used to assess the risk of worsened mood and increased anxiety. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between perceived changes in mood and anxiety and perceived changes in closeness to friends and family and open-ended responses to a question about COVID-19's impact on participants. Results: Perceived worsened mood and increased anxiety during the pandemic were associated with higher household socioeconomic status, older age, feeling less close to friends and family, and reporting that COVID-19 negatively affected mental health. A perceived increase in anxiety was also associated with a history of symptoms of depression or anxiety. Conclusions: Specific subgroups of male youth may be at heightened risk of worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions should target vulnerable adolescents and seek to increase closeness to social contacts. Such efforts could involve novel programs that allow youth to stay connected to friends, which might mitigate the negative impact on mental health.

Introduction Tobacco 21 (T21), which sets the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to age 21, is now a national law in the U.S. Although T21 is expected to help curb youth tobacco use, its impact may be dampened due to poor retailer compliance. Even within environments where enforcement is strong (i.e., compliance checks are conducted with tough sanctions for violations), compliance might vary due to other factors. Methods Three studies were conducted in Columbus, OH, where T21 became strongly enforced in 2018. These studies examined how retailer compliance related to features of the neighborhood in which a retailer was located (Study 1), features of the retailer (Study 2), and features of the retail cashier (Study 3). Results Study 1 found that, after controlling for race- and age-based factors, retailers located in high (vs. low) poverty neighborhoods had a lower likelihood of conducting ID checks. Study 2 found that ID checks were related to whether retailers displayed signage about T21, as required by the city law. Study 3 found that, among cashiers, T21 awareness (which was high) and perceptions about T21 (which were moderate) were not generally related to their retailer’s compliance; having (vs. not having) scanners for ID checks was related to a higher likelihood of compliance. Conclusions These studies emphasize the many, multi-level factors influencing T21 outcomes. Findings also indicate the potential for T21 to widen disparities in tobacco use, indicating the need for strategies to equitably improve T21 compliance.

IMPORTANCE Use of e-cigarettes (ECs) among youths has increased in recent years. e-Cigarette aerosol contains chemical constituents, such as diacetyl or benzaldehyde, which are known to affect the respiratory system. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between EC use and self-reported wheezing in a cohort of US adolescents.

Overall, these findings signal the magnitude of tobacco marketing exposures and their pernicious impact on youth. Findings underscore the importance of federal, state, and local-level tobacco regulatory policies to protect youth from the marketing that puts them at risk for a lifetime of nicotine addiction and tobacco-related diseases.

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