Introduction Tobacco contributes to multiple cancers, and it is largely preventable. As overall smoking prevalence in California declines, smoking has become concentrated among high-risk groups. Targeting social/cultural groups (i.e., “peer crowds”) that share common values, aspirations, and activities in social venues like bars and nightclubs may reach high-risk young adult smokers. Lack of population data on young adult peer crowds limits the ability to assess the potential reach of such interventions. Methods This multimodal population-based household survey included young adults residing in San Francisco and Alameda counties. Data were collected in 2014 and analyzed in 2016. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed smoking by sociodemographic factors, attitudes, self-rated health, peer crowd affiliation, and bar/nightclub attendance. Results Smoking prevalence was 15.1% overall; 35.3% of respondents sometimes or frequently attended bars. In controlled analyses, bar attendance (AOR=2.13, 95% CI=1.00, 4.53) and binge drinking (AOR=3.17, 95% CI=1.59, 6.32) were associated with greater odds of smoking, as was affiliation with “Hip Hop” (AOR=4.32, 95% CI=1.48, 12.67) and “Country” (AOR=3.13, 95% CI=1.21, 8.09) peer crowds. Multivariable models controlling for demographics estimated a high probability of smoking among bar patrons affiliating with Hip Hop (47%) and Country (52%) peer crowds. Conclusions Bar attendance and affiliation with certain peer crowds confers significantly higher smoking risk. Interventions targeting Hip Hop and Country peer crowds could efficiently reach smokers, and peer crowd–tailored interventions have been associated with decreased smoking and binge drinking. Targeted interventions in bars and nightclubs may be an efficient way to address these cancer risks.

Our study highlights unique situational factors associated with smoking among sexual minority young adults and differences in these factors by sexual identity. Future interventions targeting sexual minorities should address bar attendance and specific triggers.

We estimate cross-sectional associations of neighborhood level disorder, socioeconomic characteristics and social capital with individual level systemic inflammation, measured as high C-reactive protein (CRP), using Boston Metropolitan Immigrant Health & Legal Status Survey (BM-IHLSS) data – a sample of relatively young, healthy foreign born Brazilian adults. Logistic regression analyses suggest high CRP is positively associated with neighborhood disorder and negatively related to neighborhood social capital. Although we find no significant associations between other neighborhood socioeconomic variables and high CRP; males, those who were born in an urban area and those who had been graduated from high school were less likely to have had high CRP. Unauthorized Brazilian adults, those who smoked cigarettes daily and those who had a higher body mass index were more likely to have had high CRP. Our findings suggest that investigating sociogeographic stressors and social support may be important for understanding physiological dysregulation even among relatively healthy U.S. sub populations.

Objective: This study examined differences in the availability and advertising of flavored tobacco products before and after flavored tobacco sales restrictions were enacted in Alameda and San Francisco Counties in California. Main outcome measures: Data were collected from a sample of tobacco retailers in Alameda and San Francisco Counties at two time points: 2015, before flavored tobacco policies were enacted, and in 2019–2020, after some cities had enacted policies. Retailers were separated by city into Category 1 (n = 442)—retailers in cities that enacted a flavored tobacco policy between the two data collection periods, and Category 2 (n = 89), those that had not. Means comparison tests were conducted to evaluate significant differences over time and by category. Results: There was significantly reduced availability of menthol cigarettes, flavored little cigars, smokeless tobacco, vape pens, and Blu brand menthol e-cigarettes between 2015 and 2020 in Category 1 retailers. Category 2 retailers had reduced availability only for Blu menthol e-cigarettes and demonstrated an increase in smokeless tobacco availability. Exterior store advertising for cigarettes, little cigars, cigars, and e-cigarettes also decreased significantly in Category 1 cities relative to Category 2 cities; 8.1% of Category 1 stores were advertising flavored tobacco products in 2019–2020 compared to 36.2% of Category 2 stores. There was also a 78% reduction in flavored ads between 2015–2019 in Category 1 cities compared to a 38% decrease in Category 2 cities. Tobacco advertising inside Category 2 stores increased. Finally, Category 2 cities had significantly greater availability of cigalikes, mod or tank vapes, flavored e-cigarettes, and e-liquids compared to Category 1 cities. Conclusions. Comprehensive flavored sales restriction policies reduce flavored tobacco availability and tobacco advertising, which may help prevent youth tobacco initiation and exposure.

Background California may vote on marijuana legalization in 2016. Young adults have the highest rates of marijuana use, but little is known about the correlates of use in this age group, including factors that may be affected by policy change. We investigated whether there are differences in marijuana use by sociodemographic characteristics, psychological distress, loneliness and social support, controlling for risk factors such as alcohol and cigarette use as well as perceived harm of marijuana. Methods Bivariate and multivariable analysis of past 30 day marijuana use using the 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Young Adult Health Survey, a probabilistic multi-mode survey of (N=1324) young adults (aged 18–26 years) residing in Alameda and San Francisco Counties, stratified by race/ethnicity. Results 291 (27%) sample participants reported current marijuana use. Compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (referent) Asian/Pacific Islander respondents were less likely to use marijuana (AOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22–0.80) while multiracial participants were twice as likely (AOR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.06–4.85). Psychological distress was not related to marijuana use, but social support (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.08–1.88) and loneliness (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09–1.86) were. Perceived harm of marijuana was inversely related to marijuana use (AOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.51-.70), while smoking cigarettes (AOR, 3.95; 95% CI, 2.28–6.84) and binge drinking (AOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03–1.24) were positively related. Conclusions Legalization policies should include public education campaigns addressing potential harms of marijuana use particularly targeting multiracial young adults who also engage in other risk behaviors, such as cigarette smoking and binge drinking.