Youth and Young Adult Awareness of and Perceptions About Tobacco Marketing as a Social Justice Issue.

Introduction: Systemic racism and tobacco-industry targeting contribute to disparities in communities of color. However, understanding tobacco as a social justice issue and the industry's role in perpetuating inequities remains limited. This study explored youth and young adult awareness of tobacco marketing and perceptions of tobacco marketing as a social justice issue.

Youth Perspectives on Menthol Sales Restrictions in Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota.

Although menthol cigarettes are a starter product for youth, menthol was exempted from the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which banned all other characterizing flavors. Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota, implemented menthol tobacco sales restrictions in 2018 to advance health equity for youth, African American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ), and other communities adversely affected by menthol. This evaluation assesses the policy impact on youth access to menthol tobacco, exposure to menthol advertising, and tobacco use.

Expanding local sales restrictions on flavoured tobacco products to include menthol: retail sales changes in two Minnesota cities.

Background: In 2018, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, expanded existing local sales restrictions on flavoured (non-menthol/mint/wintergreen) tobacco products ('flavour policies') to include menthol/mint/wintergreen-flavoured tobacco products ('menthol policies'). All policies included exemptions for certain store types.

Examining Use and Dual Use of Tobacco Products and Marijuana among Minnesota Adults.

Background: An increasing number of states are legalizing the medicinal and/or recreational use of marijuana. Adult perceptions of harm have decreased and marijuana use has increased. This is in contrast to declining cigarette smoking.

Restricting Sales of Menthol Tobacco Products: Lessons Learned from Policy Passage and Implementation in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth, Minnesota.

Commercial tobacco products have historically been target marketed to African American, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) communities, as well as to youth. Menthol cigarettes increase smoking initiation and decrease smoking cessation, particularly among African Americans who smoke menthol cigarettes at higher rates than their white peers. Due to disproportionate tobacco-related health consequences for members of these communities, effective tobacco control policies that restrict availability of menthol products by focusing on retail sales are an important element of addressing health disparities, and require policy efforts informed by leadership and the voice of communities most impacted.

Utilizing Reach Ratios to Assess Menthol Cigarette Smoker Enrollment in Quitline Services.

Introduction: Increasing the reach of evidence-based cessation services is a longstanding public health priority, especially for subgroups who may be most at risk. Little research has examined whether quitlines are reaching menthol cigarette smokers who may have increased difficulty quitting compared with nonmenthol cigarette smokers. This study aims to understand whether quitline services are reaching menthol cigarette smokers.

Perceived harm of menthol cigarettes and quitting behaviors among menthol smokers in Minnesota.

Although overall smoking prevalence in Minnesota has declined, the proportion of current smokers who smoke menthol cigarettes has increased. While studies have examined associations between smokers' perceived risks of smoking and quitting, similar studies on menthol smoking are lacking. This study examined whether perceived harm of menthol cigarettes was associated with menthol smokers' quitting behaviors.

"Because There's Just Something About That Menthol": Exploring African American Smokers' Perspectives on Menthol Smoking and Local Menthol Sales Restrictions.

Introduction: Local governments are pursuing policies to limit the availability of menthol cigarettes at the point-of-sale. Although African Americans are disproportionately impacted by menthol cigarettes, little is known about African American smokers' perspectives on emerging menthol policy. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature by exploring African American adult (25+) smoker perspectives on menthol and a local menthol sales restriction.

Local sales restrictions significantly reduce the availability of menthol tobacco: findings from four Minnesota cities.

Background: In 2017 and 2018, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Falcon Heights, Minnesota were among the first US cities to restrict the sale of menthol tobacco to adult-only stores. The study examined changes in the availability and marketing of these products following policy implementation.

Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes and Reasons for Unsuccessful Quits in an African American Community Sample.

This study aimed to better understand African Americans' perceptions of menthol tobacco and reasons for unsuccessful quit attempts among menthol smokers. A cross-sectional survey of 407 U.S.

Changing patterns in E-cigarette use among Minnesota adults between 2014 and 2018.

Minnesota has observed declining combustible tobacco use and a large increase in e-cigarette use among youth and young adults. Less is known about adult e-cigarette users' frequency of use, smoking status, use of flavors, and demographic differences. The Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) is a cross-sectional, random digit-dial telephone survey representative of Minnesotans aged 18 and over.

Menthol Smoking Patterns and Smoking Perceptions Among Youth: Findings From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

Introduction: Youth may be attracted to menthol cigarettes because they are perceived as less harmful and harsh to smoke relative to non-menthol cigarettes. This study examined demographic factors and menthol cigarette smoking patterns as correlates of youth harm perceptions of cigarette smoking and ease of smoking menthol versus non-menthol cigarettes.

Methods: Data were from the Wave 1 (2013-2014) youth sample of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

Marijuana risk perceptions are associated with past-month marijuana use among Black first-year college students at a historically Black university.

To examine the relationship between marijuana risk perceptions and marijuana use, and assess the potential moderating role of stress among Black students from a historically Black university, a convenience sample of students ( = 213) was surveyed. The majority (87.9%) of the sample was Black and 52% were female.

A tale of two cities: exploring the retail impact of flavoured tobacco restrictions in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Background: Flavoured tobacco is increasingly popular with youth. The twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota restricted the sale of flavoured tobacco to adult-only tobacco shops in an effort to reduce youth access and exposure to these products. This observational study explores the impact of these policies on the retail environment.

Tobacco industry misappropriation of American Indian culture and traditional tobacco.

Objective: Describe the extent to which tobacco industry marketing tactics incorporated American Indian culture and traditional tobacco.

Methods: A keyword search of industry documents was conducted using document archives from the Truth Tobacco Documents Library. Tobacco industry documents (n=76) were analysed for themes.

Perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, marketing, and substance use among young adults.

Perceived experiences of discrimination have been linked to negative health behaviors including tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use across various racial/ethnic groups. Tobacco and alcohol marketing exposure have also been linked with substance use. This study examined the independent and interacting effects of perceived experiences of discrimination and exposure to alcohol and tobacco marketing, and receptivity to marijuana marketing on substance use in an online survey of a multiethnic sample of young adults in 6 metropolitan areas ( = 505).

Differences in Subjective Experiences to First Use of Menthol and Nonmenthol Cigarettes in a National Sample of Young Adult Cigarette Smokers.

Purpose: Menthol has been hypothesized to ease the harshness of cigarette smoke. Thus, sensory experiences at first cigarette use may be one mechanism by which menthol facilitates progression to regular smoking. This study examined differences in subjective experiences to the first use of a menthol versus nonmenthol cigarette among new young adult smokers.

Linking smokers to a quitline: randomized controlled effectiveness trial of a support person intervention that targets non-smokers.

Evidence-based treatments (e.g. quitlines) are greatly underutilized by smokers limiting their public health impact.

Disparities in cigarette smoking and use of other tobacco products in Minnesota, 2003-14.

Background: Despite efforts to reduce disadvantages across society, widening health disparities have been observed in Minnesota. This research examined whether observed declines in state-wide smoking prevalence were experienced equally by all adults with varying educational attainment.

Methods: Serial cross-sectional data from the 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2014 Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS) were analyzed.

The Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy Initiative: Findings From a Collaborative, Participatory Evaluation.

While the reduction in the overall U.S. smoking prevalence has been declared one of the top 10 public health achievements of the past century, the growing disparity in smoking between American Indians and the general population is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.

Cigarette Smoking Among Urban American Indian Adults - Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota, 2011.

In 2013, it was estimated that the prevalence of cigarette smoking among American Indians was 36.5%, the highest of all racial/ethnic groups in the continental United States (1). Among American Indians, considerable cultural and geographic variation in cigarette smoking exists.

Slowing Menthol's Progress: Differential Impact of a Tobacco Tax Increase on Cigarette Sales.

Objectives: The proportion of smokers who use menthol cigarettes has increased nationally since 2004, while use of non-menthol cigarettes is declining, suggesting that menthol may be undermining the effectiveness of population level tobacco control efforts. In 2013 Minnesota passed a $1.75 cigarette tax increase.

The Wiidookowishin program: results from a qualitative process evaluation of a culturally tailored commercial tobacco cessation program.

Commercial tobacco use rates remain disproportionately high among American Indians (AIs). Tailored cessation programs such as the Wiidookowishin (Help Me) program implemented at the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota have demonstrated that such programs can be successful and achieve quit rates similar to mainstream programs. This paper presents findings from a qualitative process evaluation of the Wiidookowishin program and discusses elements that underlie its success at recruiting and enrolling participants, including individualization, flexibility, accessibility, ongoing outreach, and inclusion of traditional tobacco teachings.