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Preventing Chronic Disease May 2024To reduce youth access to tobacco products, the California Tobacco Prevention Program funded local tobacco prevention programs from July 2017 through December 2021 to...
Facilitators and Barriers to Passing Local Policies That Prohibit the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products: Qualitative Analysis of Strategies Implemented by 36 Communities in California, 2017-2021.
To reduce youth access to tobacco products, the California Tobacco Prevention Program funded local tobacco prevention programs from July 2017 through December 2021 to address its Communities of Excellence Indicator 3.2.9: "the number of jurisdictions with a policy eliminating or restricting the sale and/or distribution of any mentholated cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products, and paraphernalia." We examined the strategies by which community coalitions attempted to limit the number of stores selling flavored tobacco across California. Thirty-six final evaluation reports (FERs) were used for our analysis. We examined certain elements or factors as primary areas of interest because of their apparent link to successful outcomes in analyses of FERs in the past. Over half (19 of 36) of FERs reported successfully passing at least 1 policy to regulate the sale of flavored tobacco products. Urban communities passed more policies (16 of 18) compared with rural communities (3 of 18). Successful campaigns tended to involve youth, demonstrate illegal sales to minors and public support for a ban, and identify a champion. Barriers included the COVID-19 pandemic, California wildfires, staffing shortages, and conservative political climates. This evaluation offers insights into the successes and challenges faced by local coalitions seeking policy changes for tobacco use prevention, which can be different for urban and rural communities. The evaluation also indicates the necessity of adopting flexible tactical plans for overcoming environmental factors that affected intervention and evaluation activities.
Topics: California; Humans; Tobacco Products; Commerce; Flavoring Agents; Smoking Prevention; COVID-19; Public Policy
PubMed: 38815050
DOI: 10.5888/pcd21.230283 -
Preventing Chronic Disease May 2024Menthol cigarettes have been associated with increased smoking initiation. Although numerous studies have focused on correlates of menthol cigarette smoking among...
INTRODUCTION
Menthol cigarettes have been associated with increased smoking initiation. Although numerous studies have focused on correlates of menthol cigarette smoking among youths, fewer studies have assessed the prevalence and correlates of overall menthol-flavored tobacco product use among middle and high school students.
METHODS
We analyzed 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey data to estimate the prevalence of menthol-flavored tobacco product use among US middle and high school students who used tobacco products within the past 30 days. Characteristics associated with menthol-flavored tobacco product use were also examined.
RESULTS
Use of menthol-flavored tobacco products was reported by 23.8% of students who currently used any tobacco product and by 39.5% of students who currently used any flavored tobacco product. Among students who reported past 30-day use of a flavored tobacco product, characteristics associated with a higher prevalence of menthol-flavored tobacco product use included non-Hispanic White race and ethnicity, frequent tobacco product use, use of multiple tobacco products, wanting to use a tobacco product within the first 30 minutes of awakening, and craving tobacco products within the past 30 days.
CONCLUSION
Unlike results of prior research focused on cigarette smoking among young people, prevalence of use of any menthol-flavored tobacco product was highest among non-Hispanic White youths. Any use of menthol-flavored tobacco products of any type (alone or in combination with other flavors) among young people may be associated with continued product use and symptoms of dependence.
Topics: Humans; Menthol; Adolescent; Male; Female; Tobacco Products; United States; Flavoring Agents; Students; Prevalence; Child; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38815049
DOI: 10.5888/pcd21.230305 -
Preventing Chronic Disease May 2024
Topics: Humans; Menthol; Tobacco Products; United States; Chronic Disease; Flavoring Agents
PubMed: 38815047
DOI: 10.5888/pcd21.240143 -
BMC Medicine May 2024Prevalence of youth nicotine vaping has increased, heightening concerns around negative health effects. This study aimed to compare self-reported respiratory symptoms...
BACKGROUND
Prevalence of youth nicotine vaping has increased, heightening concerns around negative health effects. This study aimed to compare self-reported respiratory symptoms among youth by vaping behaviours.
METHODS
Participants (n = 39,214) aged 16-19 from the 2020 and 2021 International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC) Youth Tobacco and Vaping Surveys (Canada, England, US). Weighted multivariable logistic regression assessed associations between reporting any of five respiratory symptoms in the past week (shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, phlegm, cough) and: past 30-day smoking and/or vaping; lifetime/current vaping. Among past-30-day vapers (n = 4644), we assessed associations between symptoms and vaping frequency, use of nicotine salts, usual flavour and device type(s).
RESULTS
Overall, 27.8% reported experiencing any of the five respiratory symptoms. Compared with youth who had only vaped, those who had only smoked had similar odds of symptoms [adjusted odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI): 0.97 (0.85-1.10)], those who both smoked and vaped had higher odds [1.26 (1.12-1.42)], and those who had done neither, lower odds [0.67 (0.61-0.72)]. Compared with those who had never vaped, past use, experimentation and current regular or occasional use were all associated with higher odds. Reporting usually using nicotine salts was associated with higher odds of symptoms [1.43 (1.22-1.68)] than non-salt but was often uncertain. Compared with tobacco flavour (including with menthol), menthol/mint and sweets flavours were associated with similar odds; fruit [1.44 (1.07-1.93)], multiple [1.76 (1.30-2.39)] and 'other' [2.14 (1.45-3.16)] flavours with higher odds. All device types were associated with similar odds.
CONCLUSIONS
Among youth, vaping was associated with increased reporting of past-week respiratory symptoms. Among those who vaped, some flavour types and potentially nicotine salts were associated with respiratory symptoms.
Topics: Humans; Vaping; Adolescent; Male; Female; Canada; England; Young Adult; Self Report; United States; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Prevalence; Respiratory Tract Diseases
PubMed: 38807205
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03428-6 -
Online Journal of Public Health... May 2024Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration implemented enforcement priorities against all flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes other than menthol and tobacco... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration implemented enforcement priorities against all flavored, cartridge-based e-cigarettes other than menthol and tobacco flavors. This ban undermined the products' appeal to vapers, so e-cigarette manufacturers added flavorants of other attractive flavors into tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and reestablished appeal.
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to analyze the impact of the addition of other flavorants in tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes on both human and public health issues and to propose further research as well as potential interventions.
METHODS
Searches for relevant literature published between 2018 and 2023 were performed. Cited articles about the toxicity of e-cigarette chemicals included those published before 2018, and governmental websites and documents were also included for crucial information.
RESULTS
Both the sales of e-cigarettes and posts on social media suggested that the manufacturers' strategy was successful. The reestablished appeal causes not only a public health issue but also threats to the health of individual vapers. Research has shown an increase in toxicity associated with the flavorants commonly used in flavored e-cigarettes, which are likely added to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes based on tobacco-derived and synthetic tobacco-free nicotine, and these other flavors are associated with higher clinical symptoms not often induced solely by natural, traditional tobacco flavors.
CONCLUSIONS
The additional health risks posed by the flavorants are pronounced even without considering the toxicological interactions of the different tobacco flavorants, and more research should be done to understand the health risks thoroughly and to take proper actions accordingly for the regulation of these emerging products.
PubMed: 38801769
DOI: 10.2196/51991 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Microglia are key players in the brain's innate immune response, contributing to homeostatic and reparative functions but also to inflammatory and underlying mechanisms... (Review)
Review
Microglia are key players in the brain's innate immune response, contributing to homeostatic and reparative functions but also to inflammatory and underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Targeting microglia and modulating their function may have therapeutic potential for mitigating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The anti-inflammatory properties of essential oils suggest that some of their components may be useful in regulating microglial function and microglial-associated neuroinflammation. This study, starting from the ethnopharmacological premises of the therapeutic benefits of aromatic plants, assessed the evidence for the essential oil modulation of microglia, investigating their potential pharmacological mechanisms. Current knowledge of the phytoconstituents, safety of essential oil components, and anti-inflammatory and potential neuroprotective effects were reviewed. This review encompasses essential oils of spp., spp., , , spp., and others as well as some of their components including 1,8-cineole, -caryophyllene, -patchoulene, carvacrol, -ionone, eugenol, geraniol, menthol, linalool, thymol, -asarone, and -thujone. Essential oils that target PPAR/PI3K-Akt/MAPK signalling pathways could supplement other approaches to modulate microglial-associated inflammation to treat neurodegenerative diseases, particularly in cases where reactive microglia play a part in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.
Topics: Oils, Volatile; Microglia; Neuroprotective Agents; Humans; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Animals
PubMed: 38791205
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105168 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024spp. are normal intestinal tract microflorae found in poultry. However, the last decades have shown that several species, e.g., , have become emerging pathogens in...
spp. are normal intestinal tract microflorae found in poultry. However, the last decades have shown that several species, e.g., , have become emerging pathogens in broilers and may cause numerous losses in flocks. In this study, two combinations (H1 and H2) of menthol, 1,8-cineol, linalool, methyl salicylate, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, -anethole, terpinen-4-ol and thymol were used in an in vitro model, analyzing its effectiveness against the strains , , , and isolated from broiler chickens from industrial farms. To identify the isolated strains classical microbiological methods and VITEK 2 GP cards were used. Moreover for a PCR test was used.. Antibiotic sensitivity (MIC) tests were performed for all the strains. For the composition H1, the effective dilution for and strains was 1:512, and for , and , 1:1024. The second mixture (H2) showed very similar results with an effectiveness at 1:512 for and and 1:1024 for , and . The presented results suggest that the proposed composition is effective against selected strains of in an in vitro model, and its effect is comparable to classical antibiotics used to treat this pathogen in poultry. This may suggest that this product may also be effective in vivo and provide effective support in the management of enterococcosis in broiler chickens.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Enterococcus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Poultry Diseases; Probiotics; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections
PubMed: 38732016
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094797 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Solvents prepared from natural terpenes (menthol and thymol), as H-bond acceptors, and a series of organic acids (chain lengths of 8, 10, and 14 C atoms), as H-bond...
Solvents prepared from natural terpenes (menthol and thymol), as H-bond acceptors, and a series of organic acids (chain lengths of 8, 10, and 14 C atoms), as H-bond donors, were characterized and tested as reaction media for liquid-liquid extraction purposes. Due to their high hydrophobicity, they seem to be promising alternatives to conventional (nonpolar and toxic) solvents, since they possess relatively less toxic, less volatile, and consequently, more environmentally friendly characteristics. Assuming that the equilibrium is established between solvent and analyte during a ligandless procedure, it can be concluded that those nonpolar solvents can efficiently extract nonpolar analytes from the aqueous environment. Previous investigations showed a wide range of applications, including their use as solvents in extractions of metal cations, small molecules, and bioactive compounds for food and pharmaceutical applications. In this work, hydrophobic solvents based on natural terpenes, which showed chemical stability and desirable physicochemical and thermal properties, were chosen as potential reaction media in the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. Low viscosities and high hydrophobicities of prepared solvents were confirmed as desirable properties for their application. Extraction parameters were optimized, and chosen solvents were applied. The results showed satisfactory extraction efficiencies in simple and fast procedures, followed by low solvent consumption. The best results (98%) were obtained by the thymol-based solvent, thymol-decanoic acid (Thy-DecA) 1:1, followed by L-menthol-based solvents: menthol-octanoic acid (Men-OctA) 1:1 with 97% and menthol-decanoic acid (Men-DecA) 1:1 with 94.3% efficiency.
PubMed: 38731611
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29092122 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024This present study aims to characterize the essential oil compositions of the aerial parts of L. and endemic ssp. (Heinr. Braun) Harley by using GC-FID and GC/MS...
This present study aims to characterize the essential oil compositions of the aerial parts of L. and endemic ssp. (Heinr. Braun) Harley by using GC-FID and GC/MS analyses simultaneously. In addition, it aims to perform multivariate statistical analysis by comparing with the existing literature, emphasizing the literature published within the last two decades, conducted on both species growing within the Mediterranean Basin. The major essential oil components of were determined as carvone (67.8%) and limonene (10.6%), while the major compounds of ssp. essential oil were pulegone (64.8%) and 1,8-cineole (10.0%). As a result of statistical analysis, three clades were determined for : a carvone-rich chemotype, a carvone/-carveol chemotype, and a pulegone/menthone chemotype, with the present study result belonging to the carvone-rich chemotype. Carvone was a primary determinant of chemotype, along with menthone, pulegone, and -carveol. In , the primary determinants of chemotype were identified as pulegone and menthone, with three chemotype clades being pulegone-rich, combined menthone/pulegone, and combined menthone/pulegone with caryophyllene enrichment. The primary determinants of chemotype were menthone, pulegone, and caryophyllene. The present study result belongs to pulegone-rich chemotype.
Topics: Oils, Volatile; Mentha; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Mentha spicata; Multivariate Analysis; Mediterranean Region; Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; Monoterpenes; Limonene; Terpenes; Menthol
PubMed: 38731461
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29091970