BEHIND THE POINT OF SALE: A CASE STUDY OF CHICAGO’S MENTHOL CIGARETTE SALES BAN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE RETAIL STORE

BACKGROUND Menthol cigarette use in the United States has remained stable or increased across demographic groups. Menthol cigarettes are associated with greater likelihood of initiation and decreased likelihood of cessation. In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act banned the sale of cigarettes with a characterizing flavor but excluded menthol. Without national regulation, local retail policies have become a pathway to regulate access and reduce associated health disparities. Chicago, IL was the first major American city to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes as part of its partial ban on flavored tobacco sales in stores within 500 feet of high schools. This dissertation explored compliance with Chicago’s ban on menthol cigarette sales and explored the implementation experience from the point of view of retailers, including how this key group of implementation actors navigated the implementation process and framed the purpose and intended effect of Chicago’s partial ban. METHODS This dissertation used a multi-method approach. First, a quantitative study was conducted to assess compliance with Chicago’s ban on menthol cigarette sales within a sample of 100 of 154 stores within 500 feet of a high school. Compliance was determined by whether a menthol cigarette pack was purchased and multivariable logistic regression modeled compliance by store type, school, and neighborhood-level factors. Next, semi-structured interviews were conducted with retailers in 31 stores not included in the compliance assessment. An inductive approach to disassembling and reassembling the data was used to develop the codebook and code data. Coded transcripts were compared to identify patterns and major themes. RESULTS: Overall, the rate of compliance with Chicago’s partial menthol cigarette sales ban was 57% (weighted, n=53). Gas stations had 81% lower odds (OR=0.19, 95%CI:0.06-0.58) of complying with the menthol cigarette ban compared to larger/chain stores (e.g. liquor stores, grocery stores). Interviews found that retailers in smaller convenience stores and gas stations were concerned over perceived profit losses and the loss of their “one stop shop” appeal. Stores managed these concerns by changing products offered, appealing whether the ban affected their store, or not complying with the ban on menthol cigarette sales. Generally, retailers saw the government as their main source of information about the ban and the threat of a fine was a motivating factor to comply. However, many felt that enforcement visits were invasive and a mechanism to make money for the city. Many also felt that the government’s communication about the ban and existing guidelines on what was considered a flavored tobacco product was one-sided and ambiguous, sometime leading to non-compliance. Finally, retailers largely framed Chicago’s partial ban as an effort to protect kids but felt it was redundant with the existing minimum age of sale rule. Many challenged whether the 500 feet buffer zone changed access to menthol cigarettes and suggested that there were more equitable approaches to prevent access, such as a comprehensive, city-wide ban. DISCUSSION: Results from the compliance assessment and interview studies suggest that a partial ban on menthol cigarette sales is a less preferred policy option for local jurisdiction. The compliance rate with a partial menthol cigarette sales ban was poor and interviews with retailers suggest that a partial ban may disproportionately impact the financial viability of affected retail stores while making limited gains in reducing access to menthol cigarettes, which were still widely available in affected stores and unaffected stores beyond 500 feet of high schools. Findings from this study suggest that local policymakers should actively engage retailers in the design and implementation of menthol cigarette bans and other tobacco control regulatory efforts. This active partnership can incorporate the unique perspective of retailers as implementation actors into the design of ordinances, capitalize on their potential support for comprehensive efforts, and enhance compliance by addressing retailers’ implementation needs

Enhancement of bulk second-harmonic generation from silicon nitride films by material composition

We present a comprehensive tensorial characterization of second-harmonic generation from silicon nitride films with varying composition. The samples were fabricated using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and the material composition was varied by the reactive gas mixture in the process. We found a six-fold enhancement between the lowest and highest second-order susceptibility, with the highest value of approximately 5 pm/V from the most silicon-rich sample. Moreover, the optical losses were found to be sufficiently small (below 6 dB/cm) for applications. The tensorial results show that all samples retain in-plane isotropy independent of silicon content, highlighting the controllability of the fabrication process.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables; Re-submitted to Optics Letter

Third order NLO properties of TTF-based self assembled molecular corners and polygons (poster presentation)

International audienc

Physical origin of third order NLO properties of TTF –based self assembled molecular corners and polygons

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Prevalence of Chlamydia abortus in Belgian ruminants

Chlamydia (C.) abortus enzootic abortion still remains the most common cause of reproductive failure in sheep-breeding countries all over the world. Chlamydia abortus in cattle is predominantly associated with genital tract disease and mastitis. In this study, Belgian sheep (n=958), goats (n=48) and cattle (n=1849) were examined, using the ID Screen (TM) Chlamydia abortus indirect multi-species antibody ELISA. In the sheep, the highest prevalence rate was found in Limburg (4.05%). The animals of Antwerp, Brabant and Liege tested negative. The prevalence in the remaining five regions was low (0.24% to 2.74%). Of the nine goat herds, only one herd in Luxembourg was seropositive. In cattle, the highest prevalence rate was found in Walloon Brabant (4.23%). The animals of Limburg and Namur tested negative. The prevalence rate in the remaining seven regions ranged between 0.39% and 4.02%

Third order nonlinearities of TTF-based self-assembled molecular corners (oral presentation)

Date du colloque&nbsp;: 04/2010</p

Strategies and outcomes of HIV status disclosure in HIV-positive young women with abuse histories

Young women with HIV and histories of physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood may be vulnerable to difficulties with disclosure to sexual partners. Abuse in childhood is highly prevalent in HIV-positive women, and has been associated with poorer communication, low assertiveness, low self worth, and increased risk for sexual and other risk behaviors that increase the risk of secondary transmission of HIV. HIV disclosure may be an important link between abuse and sexual risk behaviors. Qualitative interviews with 40 HIV-positive young women with childhood physical and/or sexual abuse were conducted; some women had also experienced adult victimization. Results suggest that HIV-positive women with abuse histories use a host of strategies to deal with disclosure of HIV status, including delaying disclosure, assessing hypothetical responses of partners, and determining appropriate stages in a relationship to disclose. Stigma was an important theme related to disclosure. We discuss how these disclosure processes impact sexual behavior and relationships and discuss intervention opportunities based on our findings

Third order nonlinear optical response of self-assembled molecular corners

International audienc