ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING STATE AID TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN NEW YORK

This paper simulates alternative distributions of general purpose state aid to local governments under different combinations of criteria: tax capacity, effort, and revenue needs. Revenue needs are based on Tobit estimates of the costs of providing average levels of 16 categories of services. Segmenting the sample into high and low population jurisdictions provided a more realistic set of cost estimates. Available revenues or capacity are determined by multiplying each jurisdiction's tax bases by standard tax rates. A Need-Capacity gap, the difference between needed revenues and available revenues, is used as a needs-based distribution strategy for general purpose aid. Finally an effort gap, based on above average tax efforts was added to the Need-Capacity gap to define a Need-Capacity-Effort strategy.Public Economics,

WanderECHO : A Connectionist Simulation of Limited Coherence

The Theory of Explanatory Coherence, or TEC, (Ranney & Thagard, 1988; Thagard. 1989, 1992) and ECHO, a connectionist implementation of TEC, attempt to model human reasoning about evidence and hypotheses. The ECH O model is based on the simultaneous satisfaction of multiple constraints. This yields predicted activations ("believabilities") for propositions, which are based on the propositions' evidential status, their explanatory relationships, and their contradictory relationships. While ECH O has been demonstrated to usefully model human reasoning, it does not model processing limitations on the maintenance of coherence. WanderECHO is a variation on the ECH O model that attempts to simulate attentional and memorial limitations with a stochastic updating algorithm that is based on a traveling focus of attention. Several variants of the WanderECHO simulation were applied to Schank and Ranney's (1991) data, and were found to generally simulate subjects' mean believability ratings better than standard ECHO

Identifying Outcomes and Gaps Impacting Tobacco Control and Prevention in African American Communities

Great racial disparities exist in smoking and related health outcomes in the United States. African American (AA) smokers start smoking later and smoke less than white smokers but are less likely to quit. In 2008, the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health funded the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN) to focus tobacco control leadership, expertise and promotion in the AA community. In 2012, NAATPN sought to determine significant outcomes of tobacco control efforts impacting Black and AA communities by conducting a qualitative document search and series of interviews with experts in the field. Thirteen identified outcomes were categorized into five broad classifications: 1) Menthol: Emergence of menthol as a focus for advocacy, policy and research; 2) Policy and Legal: Public policy and legal action aimed at reducing tobacco usage and consumption; 3) Advocacy: Focus on national networking to facilitate growth of local, organic, and grassroots capacity in AA communities; 4) Diversity: Emergence of diversity and inclusivity as values and principles used in shaping/driving policy, advocacy, and outreach; and 5) Cessation: Creation of a cessation guide for the AA community. The identified outcomes can be used by public health practitioners in furthering their efforts to address and reduce tobacco use disparities in the AA community

Public attitudes toward larger cigarette pack warnings: Results from a nationally representative U.S. sample

A large body of evidence supports the effectiveness of larger health warnings on cigarette packages. However, there is limited research examining attitudes toward such warning labels, which has potential implications for implementation of larger warning labels. The purpose of the current study was to examine attitudes toward larger warning sizes on cigarette packages and examine variables associated with more favorable attitudes. In a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (N = 5,014), participants were randomized to different warning size conditions, assessing attitude toward “a health warning that covered (25, 50, 75) % of a cigarette pack.” SAS logistic regression survey procedures were used to account for the complex survey design and sampling weights. Across experimental groups, nearly three-quarters (72%) of adults had attitudes supportive of larger warning labels on cigarette packs. Among the full sample and smokers only (N = 1,511), most adults had favorable attitudes toward labels that covered 25% (78.2% and 75.2%, respectively), 50% (70% and 58.4%, respectively), and 75% (67.9% and 61%, respectively) of a cigarette pack. Young adults, females, racial/ethnic minorities, and non-smokers were more likely to have favorable attitudes toward larger warning sizes. Among smokers only, females and those with higher quit intentions held more favorable attitudes toward larger warning sizes. Widespread support exists for larger warning labels on cigarette packages among U.S. adults, including among smokers. Our findings support the implementation of larger health warnings on cigarette packs in the U.S. as required by the 2009 Tobacco Control Act

Single Cigarette Sales: State Differences in FDA Advertising and Labeling Violations, 2014, United States

Single cigarettes, which are sold without warning labels and often evade taxes, can serve as a gateway for youth smoking. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, including prohibiting the sale of single cigarettes. To enforce these regulations, the FDA conducted over 335 661 inspections between 2010 and September 30, 2014, and allocated over $115 million toward state inspections contracts

Believability of Cigar Warning Labels Among Adolescents

Despite high rates of cigar use among youth, little information exists about how cigar warnings are received by youth. We examined believability of different cigar warning messages with different sources among adolescents in a national phone survey

Impact of non-menthol flavours in tobacco products on perceptions and use among youth, young adults and adults: a systematic review

This systematic review examines the impact of non-menthol flavours in tobacco products on tobacco use perceptions and behaviours among youth, young adults and adults

Crowd-Sourced Focus Groups on Twitter: 140 Characters of Research Insight

Researchers have traditionally relied on in-person focus groups to test and obtain feedback regarding behavioral and technology-based interventions for specific disease processes. An increasing generation of engaged and connected patients turn to Twitter, a popular microblogging service, to discuss health related topics. Regularly scheduled Twitter-based chats (tweetchats) can potentially function as an additional source of input and information from a diverse, global group of engaged participants. We report the first use of a “tweetchat focus group” to explore data collection issues using this methodology. The speed at which tweetchat conversations occur, coupled with the ability to pursue multiple streams of conversation both in real time and in a delayed fashion, make tweetchat data collection particularly challenging. We discuss important considerations and preparation that should be undertaken by the researchers prior to initiating a tweetchat focus group, consider facilitation challenges and issues of confidentiality.

Impact of The Real Cost Campaign on Adolescents’ Recall, Attitudes, and Risk Perceptions about Tobacco Use: A National Study

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) The Real Cost campaign advertisements (ads) have targeted U.S. youth with messages designed to prevent and reduce tobacco use. This study examined exposure to The Real Cost campaign, including ad and slogan recall, and associations with attitudes and risk perceptions among U.S. adolescents. We analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years (n = 1125) surveyed by phone from October 2014 to June 2015. We assessed aided recall of and attitudes toward four campaign ads and the one slogan. Logistic regression models assessed whether aided recall of The Real Cost ads or slogan was associated with perceived likelihood of serious health consequences of cigarette smoking. Most (88%) adolescents reported seeing or hearing at least one of four ads for The Real Cost, and 54% recalled The Real Cost slogan. The majority of adolescents reported more negative attitudes toward tobacco products after seeing or hearing the ads. Recall of any The Real Cost ad was significantly associated with greater perceptions of serious health consequences of cigarette smoking (Adjusted Odd Ratios (AOR) = 5.58, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.20–25.90). The FDA’s The Real Cost campaign has achieved very high reach and is associated with more negative attitudes toward tobacco products and greater risk perceptions of cigarette smoking among U.S. adolescents

Raising the Legal Age of Tobacco Sales: Policy Support and Trust in Government, 2014–2015, U.S.

IOM has called for an increase in the minimum age of tobacco product sales. It is not clear what age increase would garner the greatest public support, or whether trust in the U.S. government predicts policy support