Current Tobacco Use Trends and Harm Perceptions Among High School Students by Asthma Status and Sex, 2012-2018.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is known to worsen asthma management. No studies have investigated how trends in youth tobacco use and related harm perceptions vary by asthma status and sex. This study examined these trends among Florida high school students during 2012-2018. METHODS: Data from the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey were analyzed. Public high school students (grades 9-12) with known asthma status were included along with their current tobacco product use, tobacco product harm perceptions, and demographics. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to assess trends in tobacco product use and harm perceptions and test differences by asthma status and sex. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2018, high school students with asthma had the slowest decline in cigarette and cigar use prevalence (asthma status-time interaction p = .01) compared to those with no asthma. Cigarette and cigar smoking were perceived as less harmful over time, except among females with asthma who smoked cigarettes (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Those with asthma showed a slower decline and were more likely to smoke cigarettes. Results indicate that further public health efforts are needed to address tobacco use among high school students with asthma.

Media Reports as a Tool for Timely Monitoring of COVID-19-Related Deaths Among First Responders-United States, April 2020.

We aimed to describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths among first responders early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We used media reports to gather timely information about COVID-19-related deaths among first responders during March 30-April 30, 2020, and evaluated the sensitivity of media scanning compared with traditional surveillance. We abstracted information about demographic characteristics, occupation, underlying conditions, and exposure source. Twelve of 19 US public health jurisdictions with data on reported deaths provided verification, and 7 jurisdictions reported whether additional deaths had occurred; we calculated the sensitivity of media scanning among these 7 jurisdictions. We identified 97 COVID-19-related first-responder deaths during the study period through media and jurisdiction reports. Participating jurisdictions reported 5 deaths not reported by the media. Sixty-six decedents worked in law enforcement, and 31 decedents worked in fire/emergency medical services. Media reports rarely noted underlying conditions. The media scan sensitivity was 88% (95% CI, 73%-96%) in the subset of 7 jurisdictions. Media reports demonstrated high sensitivity in documenting COVID-19-related deaths among first responders; however, information on risk factors was scarce. Routine collection of data on industry and occupation could improve understanding of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among all workers.