Research News Roundup: March 13, 2025

Journal: Tobacco Control, 2025, doi: 10.1136/tc-2024-058895

Authors: Travis R. Whitacre, Alyssa Crippen, Mayah Monthrope, Tanisha Narine, Alex C. Liber, & Abigail S. Friedman

Abstract:

Objectives: Characterise US residents’ exposure to restrictions on sales of flavoured electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), cigars and menthol cigarettes across states and time, and assess correlations between these policies.

Methods: From 2022 to 2024, we compiled flavour policy locations from advocacy groups and online searches, located corresponding legal texts and reviewed these to identify policy details, including effective dates. Using census data, we calculated the proportion of state residents covered by each policy quarterly from 2009 to 2024 and estimated correlations between them and cigarette taxes.

Results: By January 2024, menthol cigarettes, flavoured cigars and flavoured ENDS sales restrictions covered 17.6%, 18.1% and 28.1% of US residents. About 1 in 10 US residents is subject to flavoured ENDS restrictions without concurrent restrictions on flavoured cigar and menthol cigarette sales. Strong correlations between flavour policy coverage and cigarette tax rates indicate a need to adjust for exposure to a range of tobacco control policies in analyses evaluating any one of these regulations’ effects.

Conclusions: While state and local adoption of restrictions on flavoured tobacco product sales has proliferated, flavour policy coverage for combustible tobacco products lags well behind that for ENDS. If this leads some people who vape flavoured ENDS to substitute towards flavoured cigars and/or menthol cigarettes, this policy combination could harm population health.

Policy implications: Rapid implementation of proposed US Food and Drug Administration rules barring flavoured cigar and menthol cigarette sales is needed to ensure that regulation of more lethal, combustible tobacco products is not more lenient than restrictions on less harmful nicotine products.

To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.

Journal: Substance Use & Misuse, 2025, doi: 10.1080/10826084 .2024.2445854

Authors: Yusuke Hayashi, Nicole M. Fisher, Donald A. Hantula, & Yukiko Washio

Abstract:

Recognizing the severe consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), the present study explored the role of drinking attitudes, trait impulsivity, and decision-making toward instant gratification in alcohol craving and consumption during pregnancy among mothers of reproductive age.

Utilizing participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 141), we first categorized mothers into three groups: those who neither craved nor consumed alcohol during their last pregnancy, those who craved but did not consume, and those who craved and consumed alcohol. Using binomial logistic regression, we then examined what factors, if any, could differentiate between (a) mothers who craved alcohol during pregnancy and those who did not and (b) mothers who resisted alcohol cravings and those who yielded to them.

The findings indicated that drinking attitudes significantly predicted alcohol craving during pregnancy. However, trait impulsivity emerged as a significant predictor of alcohol consumption among those who experienced cravings.

The present study contributes to a better understanding of psychological mechanisms underlying alcohol craving and consumption during pregnancy, which in turn may contribute to the development of targeted interventions for this problem.

To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.

Journal: Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 2025, doi: 10.1080/15504263. 2024.2434434

Authors: Justin Huft, Timothy Fong, Elizabeth Hall, Farrah K. Khaleghi Aizenman, & Tal Leshem

Abstract:

Objective: Early leaving in substance use disorder treatment may be the single largest variable undermining treatment success. Existing work on early leaving tends to explore either client factors, which include age, race, gender, and diagnoses, or treatment factors, which include the type of treatment activities offered, treatment experiences of clients and staff, treatment amenities, and environmental factors in the residential treatment program. However, existing work on both client factors and treatment factors provides mixed results on what contributes to early leaving. Further, there has been very little research in the private residential treatment setting. This study aims to explore the factors influencing early leaving in a private residential treatment setting.

Methods: The study analyzed admission and treatment records from 247 consecutive clients at a private treatment facility in Southern California to identify factors related to shorter retention. The program employs a biopsychosocial approach and evidence-based practices to assist clients in recovery from substance use disorders and mental health conditions. We utilize a battery of client measures, including the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, Trauma History Questionnaire, as well as demographic and psychiatric variables in our analyses.

Results: Findings challenge previous research by showing that age and gender do not predict shorter retention, contrary to findings in the extant literature on public treatment centers. Instead, clients with higher symptoms of distress stay longer, as indicated by scores on the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2. Additionally, we find the majority of the cohort stayed in residential treatment for more than 30 days, with the average length of stay being 47.92 days, indicating that treatment completion of clients with severe symptomatology for an extended time in treatment (30 days or more) is achievable.

Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of considering client symptomologies and severities in understanding and improving retention in substance use disorder treatment programs. This study highlights the potential impact of treatment services offered in private settings on client retention.

To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.

Journal: Respiratory Research, 2025, doi: 10.1186/s12931-025-03147-3

Authors: Dante E. Rojas, Mitchell M. McCartney, Eva Borras, Tristan L. Hicks, Tiffany T. Lam, Nicholas J. Kenyon, & Cristina E. Davis

Abstract:

Across the United States, there is increased use of cannabis products and electronic delivery systems for cannabis products and nicotine, yet little is known about their impacts on lung health. We analyzed exhaled breath condensate of 254 participants who were non-users and users who used cannabis and tobacco products. The 132 participants reported using a product (“users”) were distributed into cohorts of tobacco products and cannabis products, with some participants following into multiple cohorts. Targeted analysis of inflammatory oxylipins found up-regulation among persons using tobacco products, while cannabis users had concentrations closer to nonusers, and often down-regulated. Untargeted screening of 403 significant metabolites found tobacco users had similar breath profiles, and that cannabis users had a similar profile that was closer to the profile of nonusers. Metabolites were significantly higher in breath of people using combustion products (tobacco and cannabis) relative to nonusers, and significantly lower in e-device users (nicotine and THC). Our work demonstrates the relative impact of e-delivery systems and cannabis products compared to traditional cigarette smoking on lung metabolic profiles.

To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.