Pharmaceutical sales of pseudoephedrine: the impact of electronic tracking systems on methamphetamine crime incidents.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Electronic tracking systems (ETS) are used extensively in pharmacies across the United States and Australia to control suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine. This study measures the impact of one ETS-Project STOP-on the capacity of police to reduce production, supply and possession of methamphetamine. DESIGN: Using official police data of incidents of production, supply and possession from January 1996 to December 2011 (n = 192 data points/months over 16 years), we used a quasi-experimental, time-series approach. SETTING: The State of Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: No individual participants are included in the study. The unit of analysis is reported police incidents. MEASUREMENTS: The study examines the impact of the ETS on production (n = 5938 incidents), drug supply and trafficking (n = 20 094 incidents) and drug possession or use (n = 118 926) of methamphetamine. FINDINGS: Introduction of the ETS in November 2005 was associated with an insignificant decrease (P = 0.15) in the production of methamphetamine. The intervention was associated with a statistically significant increase in supply incidents (P = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant effect on the incidence of possession (P = 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Electronic tracking systems can reduce the capacity of people to produce methamphetamine domestically, but seem unlikely to affect other aspects of the methamphetamine problem such as possession, distribution and importation.

Social determinants of smoking among parents with infants.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the smoking prevalence among parents of infants and examine these parents' socio-demographic characteristics. METHOD: The sample of all parents of infants (669 mother-father pairs, 90 single parents) was derived from the 1995 Australian Health Survey. Data were collected by face-to-face interview in the respondent's home. Socio-demographic measures include parent's age, family structure, age-left-school, highest post-school qualification, occupation, and family income. RESULTS: The overall rate of smoking among parents was 28.9% (mothers 24.7%, fathers 33.7%). The lowest rate was observed among mothers with a post-school tertiary qualification (7.6%) and the highest among fathers aged 18-24 (49.0%). In 15.4% of two-parent families both parents smoked, but this rate differed markedly by family income (9.9% vs. 29.7% for high and low-income families respectively). Multiple logistic regression showed that parents who smoked were more likely to be young, minimally educated, employed in blue-collar occupations, and resident in low-income families. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Infants in this sample who were exposed to parental smoking were likely to be at increased risk of experiencing higher mortality and morbidity for childhood conditions related to passive smoking; more likely to experience adverse health consequences in adulthood; and may themselves take up smoking in later life. The study results pose serious challenges to our tobacco control efforts and health interventions more generally. No single policy or strategy can adequately address the problem of parental smoking. We need macro/upstream approaches that deal with the degree of social and economic inequality in society, as well as more intermediate approaches that intervene at the level of communities, families and individuals.