Recent years have seen the rise of a new substance, the use of which has yet-unknown long-term consequences. Known colloquially as e-cigarettes, e-cigs, or vaping devices, usage rates have grown exponentially throughout the country over the past decade with increases seen across every demographic group. National Monitoring the Future data from 2019 shows that 25% of 12 th graders report having vaped nicotine in the past month, an increase from 11% in 2017, 1 and the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey estimates that over five million youth are currently using e-cigarettes. 2 Vaping takes a number of forms and vaping equipment can be purchased under a number of different names. Some may know vaping devices as e-cigarettes, while others know them as mods; yet others may know them only under a particular brand name such as the extremely popular JUUL. The core of vaping is this: a heating element heats a liquid, turning it into aerosol, which is then inhaled. These liquids can contain a variety of ingredients. Many -but not allvaping liquids double as tobacco products because they contain nicotine, a tobacco derivative. Other vaping liquids are marijuana-based products; they contain Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A common ingredient in vaping liquids is flavoring. 3 Hundreds of other flavors are available through third party brands and vape shops can also prepare customized blends of liquid nicotine, flavors, and other liquids for consumers. 4 Because vaping devices and products (flavors, liquids, etc.) are not held to the same advertising restrictions as tobacco, vaping is promoted through all traditional advertising mediums including television, print, and web ads. These ads often feature celebrities and are designed to make vaping appear safe yet "cool." JUUL, which had, until recently, marketed a number of flavors such as Mango and Mint, became the fastest company ever to exceed $10 billion valuation in 2018, largely due to its appeal to youth. 5 A Surgeon General's report suggests that advertising for vaping devices will follow a trend similar to that of cigarettes, leading young people to believe that vaping is normal and acceptable. 6 Researchers from the Stanford University Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising (SRITA) group found that, despite the company's claims that they targeted their products to adult smokers, JUUL's initial marketing campaigns were "patently youth oriented," employing social media influencers and other figures popular with youth to post about JUUL online. 7 Even after the company halted its official social media advertising in late 2018, the product and cult following had become so popular that young users themselves continued to promote JUUL products on social media at an even higher rate than before. 8 Although it is marketed as a safe alternative to smoking, or a strategy to quit smoking, there is limited research to support this claim. Nicotine, in particular, is unsafe to anyone under the age of 25 due to the harm it causes to the developing brain. 6 Vaping nicotine is also ...
Objective To determine the prevalence of clients experiencing homelessness in publicly funded substance use and mental health services in Delaware and uncover basic patterns in the demographics and service access of said clients. Methods We analyzed Consumer Reporting Form data for clients admitted to publicly funded substance use and mental health treatment. All clients who were admitted to services from a publicly-funded provider and completed the CRF between 2019 and 2021 were included in this analysis (n=29,495). Results 5,717 clients (19%) reported experiencing homelessness. 20% of men reported homelessness, compared to 18% of women, and 22% of Black clients reported homelessness, compared to 19% of White clients. 48% of admissions were to substance use treatment, 29% were to mental health treatment, and 23% were to treatment for both. Conclusions Nearly one-fifth of clients who received publicly funded treatment between 2019 and 2021 reported experiencing homelessness, a vast overrepresentation when compared against the less than 1% of the population who was counted as homeless through the annual PIT count in Delaware. Policy Implications Homelessness can be experienced across the lifespan and impacts individuals and families of all demographic makeups. Individuals are often unable to access primary care, insurance supported services, and chronic disease management teams resulting in a disproportionately high use of emergency services and departments for acute needs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.