The National Tobacco Report 2021

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Effects of lockdown on tobacco products and electronic cigarette

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Pathways connecting socioeconomic variables, substance abuse and gambling behaviour: a cross-sectional study on a sample of Italian high-school students

open11OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to elucidate the pathway of associations linking gambling, alcohol intake, smoking habit, cannabis consumption between each other and with demographic and socioeconomic variables. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A survey was conducted in 2017 on a representative sample of 15 602 Italian 14-year-olds to 17-year-olds attending 201 secondary schools. OUTCOME MEASURES: Structural Equation Models analysis was used to assess the pathway between gambling, alcohol intake, smoking, cannabis consumption, demographics and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: Irrespective of socioeconomic or demographic variables, gambling is positively associated with alcohol and cannabis consumption, while cannabis consumption is predicted by smoking and by alcohol intake, smoking is predicted by alcohol intake. Adolescents with a higher weekly income are more at risk of gambling, drinking alcohol and smoking, while the degree of economic dissatisfaction was positively associated with alcohol intake, cannabis consumption and smoking. Maternal employment appeared to be positively associated with adolescents' smoking, alcohol intake and cannabis consumption. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies to shed light on the pathways of associations connecting various health-risk behaviours among adolescents with demographic and socioeconomic factors.openBuja, Alessandra; Mortali, Claudia; Mastrobattista, Luisa; Minutillo, Adele; Pichini, Simona; Genetti, Bruno; Vian, Paolo; Andreotti, Alessandra; Grotto, Giulia; Baldo, Vincenzo; Pacifici, RobertaBuja, Alessandra; Mortali, Claudia; Mastrobattista, Luisa; Minutillo, Adele; Pichini, Simona; Genetti, Bruno; Vian, Paolo; Andreotti, Alessandra; Grotto, Giulia; Baldo, Vincenzo; Pacifici, Robert

Emerging trends in consuming behaviours for non-controlled substances by Italian urban youth: a cross sectional study

Introduction. We investigated legal recreational substances use in a cross sectional study on urban Italian adolescents and young adults, the reasons for consumption and risk perception as function of age, the relation with lifestyles and finally risk factors associated. Methods. The survey methodology involved the administration of an anonymous questionnaire. It consisted of 68 questions, divided into five sections: personal details, socioeconomic characteristics, family and peer group, free time and lifestyles, and substances use. Results. A total of 2621 adolescents and young adults (14-35 years old) from seven different Italian cities. The substances examined were mainly used recreationally (alcohol, energy drinks and smart-drugs) or to improve physical and sexual performance (physical performance-enhancing drugs, anabolic steroids and male sexual enhancement). The knowledge of the health related harm arising from the use of these products was very high for alcohol (>90%), high for smart-drugs (>70%), but significantly lower for anabolic steroids, drugs for sexual enhancement (~60%), physical performance-enhancing drugs or energy drinks (~55%). The principal risks factors for consumption were: the influence of friends (OR:8.8), attending recreational places (OR:5.4) aged between 25-35 years (OR:3.0), be male (OR:2.5) and having a bad relationship with the mother (OR:2.1). Conclusions. These results have implication for prevention and early intervention programs of new legal recreational substance use, which similarly to what is frequently advised for classical illicit drugs should focus on information campaigns and awareness initiatives especially addressed to young male adults who go clubbing, live outside the family and showed closed links with peers.

Gender disparity in addiction: an Italian epidemiological sketch

Introduction. Gender disparity in different fields of addiction such as tobacco smoking, alcohol use, drugs of abuse consumption and doping practice has been investigated in Italian population. Methods. We used the surveys and studies carried out for the above reported issues in recent years as revised by the “National Observatory on Tobacco smoke, Drugs of abuse, Alcohol and Doping” at Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Results. Concerning tobacco habit, the trend of smoking women has been in constant decrease from a 19.7% in 2010 to a 16.9% in 2015, differently from men who passed from a 23.9% in 2010 to a 25.1% in 2015 with a slight increase in the habit. With respect to alcohol, in the last five years an increasing trend of consumption has been observed in 18-24 years old women, with 53% drinking women in the age range of 18-19 years overcoming the 50.4% general female population. Generally speaking, a one to four ratio can be underlined in the percentage of elderly women with a risky alcohol consumption with respect to men, while in case of adolescents and young adults gender disparity is not so pronounced. Drug abuse still remains a prevalent male phenomenon. However, an increase in cannabis users for both genders has been reported with a prevalence of “once in the life” around 20%, although more pronounced in females (+2.66 percentage points for females vs +0.93 percentage points in male). With respect to cocaine, the secondmost consumed drug, a reduction in consumption has been recently observed mainly in female population (-42.1%) than in men one (-27.5%). Finally, there are significant gender differences in doping attitude and/or in doping profiling. First of all, males seem to be more exposed to doping than females The prohibited substances most frequently used by females athletes are “Diuretics and Masking Agents” (38.3% positive female vs 14% males) compared to males athletes who use mostly anabolic agents (20.1% males vs 11.2% females). Conclusions. Results presented for the different fields of addiction show that a gender disparity is apparent and that females are less prone in having an addiction behaviour, although the young generation seems to increase that tendency

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Gambling Habit: A Cross-Sectional Study from Italy

Few preliminary studies have shown an impact of COVID-19 confinement on gambling habits. We aim to evaluate short-term effects of lockdown restrictions on gambling behaviors in Italy

A Helpline Telephone Service for Tobacco Related Issues: The Italian Experience

Antismoking helplines have become an integral part of tobacco control efforts in many countries, including Italy. The demonstrated efficacy and the convenience of telephone based counselling have led to the fast adoption of antismoking helplines. However, information on how these helplines operate in actual practice is not often readily available. This paper provides an overview of the Italian Antismoking Helpline, an increasingly popular telephone service for tobacco problems operating in Italy since 2000. As many states, regions and nations are contemplating various telephone programs as part of large scale anti-tobacco campaigns, this paper briefly discusses the reasons the helpline is well suited to lead the cessation component of a comprehensive tobacco control program, how it operates and how it can be used in conjunction with other tobacco control activities. The Italian Antismoking Helpline provides Italians with free services that include counselling, cessation related information, self help quit kits and current legislation information. The helpline is promoted statewide by media campaigns, health care providers, local tobacco control programs and public school system. The Helpline is centrally operated through the Istituto Superiore di Sanità and it has served over 17.000 tobacco users and others

Improvement of hair testing for ethylglucuronide by supported liquid extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

To improve the reproducibility, suitability and speed of hair testing for Ethylglucuronide (EtG), an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated together with a supported liquid extraction (SLE) EtG from the keratin matrix. EtG was analyzed using reversed phase chromatography with gradient elution and detection with tandem mass spectrometry operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode via negative electrospray ionization (ESI). The method showed good linearity from limit of quantification (LOQ) to 100 pg/mg hair (r2 0.996 ± 0.004). Recovery of the analyte was always higher than 80%, whereas intra- and inter-assay precision were always better than 15%. The developed method was applied to the analysis of more than 200 samples with medico-legal and epidemiological purposes ranging from non-detection of the analyte to 88.1 pg/mg and its robustness was proved by reanalysis of six different proficiency testing samples from the Society of hair testing obtaining a Z-score always less than 2

Determination of different recreational drugs in sweat by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME GC/MS): application to drugged drivers

A procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been developed for the determination of most commonly used drugs of abuse in sweat of drivers stopped during roadside controls. DrugWipe 5A sweat screening device was used to collect sweat by a specific pad rubbed gently over forehead skin surface. The procedure involved an acid hydrolysis, a HS-SPME extraction for drugs of abuse but Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which was directly extracted in alkaline medium HS-SPME conditions, a GC separation of analytes by a capillary column and MS detection by electron impact ionisation. The method was linear from the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 50 ng drug per pad (r2 ≥ 0.99), with an intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy always less than 15% and an analytical recovery between 95.1% and 102.8%, depending on the considered analyte. Using the validated method, sweat from 60 apparently intoxicated drivers were found positive to one or more drugs of abuse, showing sweat patches testing as a viable economic and simple alternative to conventional (blood and/or urine) and non conventional (oral fluid) testing of drugs of abuse in drugged drivers