Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118004

Tracy Durrah, DrPH, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 600 West 168th Street, Room 409, New York, NY 10032, (212) 305-7373, tld5@columbia.edu

Objectives: To determine correlates of daily smoking among recently arrested women in the Drug Use Forecasting Program (DUF), many of whom are heavy drug users. Smoking rates among DUF women were compared with rates among women in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a population based survey. Methods: Daily smoking, drug use and selected demographic characteristics were compared in two DUF cities, New York City (NYC), which had the highest rate of smoking among 1997 DUF cities and Los Angeles (LA), which had the lowest. DUF and BRFSS daily smoking rates were also compared. Results: While NYC and LA had similar rates of drug use, 69.7% and 61.8% respectively, daily smoking was higher in NYC (90.9% vs. 41.7%). DUF smoking rates were higher than BRFSS. Tobacco control policies contribute to these differences. Conclusions: Drug use does not account for high rates of daily smoking. Effective tobacco control policies decreased daily smoking in all segments of the population in California. Future cessation efforts in NYC and elsewhere should collaborate with criminal justice transitional health programs and continue efforts to shape tobacco-related public health policy.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify segment of the community (i.e. drug using women in criminal justice system)at high risk of for increased mortality and morbidity associated with tobacco use.
• Determine the correlates of daily smoking among women who are heavy drug users.
• Understand and discuss the impact of divergent tobacco control policies on daily smoking of drug using women.

Keywords: Criminal Justice, Tobacco Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.