Effects of enforcement of youth access laws on smoking prevalence.

Smoking is the primary preventable cause of death, and yet 3,000 adolescents become smokers each day. Most adult smokers begin this deadly habit when they are under the age of 18, which is the minimum legal age for the purchase of cigarettes. The majority of adolescent smokers are able to purchase cigarettes even though laws prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors. In the late 1980s, Woodridge, IL, became one of the first towns in the nation to demonstrate a significant reduction in the ability of youth to purchase cigarettes. Almost 2 years after passage of this legislation, the percentage of regular smokers among 7th- and 8th-grade students had been reduced from 16 to 5%. Seven-year follow-up data in a sample of high school youths indicate that youths living in communities with regular enforcement had significantly less smoking than those living in communities without regular enforcement. In particular, rates of regular smoking were 8.1% in communities with regular enforcement versus 15.5% in communities without regular enforcement. It is possible that adolescents who had restricted access to tobacco products were less likely to become regular smokers. These findings have important public health implications, particularly in light of recent federal legislation mandating that all states develop programs to reduce access of youth to tobacco products.

Long-term findings from Woodridge in reducing illegal cigarette sales to older minors.

The purpose of the present study is to assess the effectiveness of an enforcement program in reducing cigarette sales to older minors in a community that had been successful in reducing illegal sales of cigarettes to younger minors. Cigarette sales rates were monitored over a 3-year period with quarterly compliance testing in Woodridge, Illinois. Sales rates for older minors were found to be only slightly higher than those of younger minors with one exception. These findings suggest that the enforcement of cigarette control laws is an effective means by which access to cigarettes can be reduced for both younger and older minors.

Accuracy of dimensional and angular measurements from panoramic and lateral oblique radiographs.

OBJECTIVES: Dimensional and angular measurements from radiographs can be used in clinical dentistry to determine the inclination of impacted teeth, the relative position of roots and restorative abutments, and for implant site assessment. This study was carried out to assess the in-vitro accuracy of such measurements obtained from three rotational panoramic systems and two standardized lateral oblique projections (45 degrees and 60 degrees) using two cephalometric systems. METHODS: Acrylic test models with wires positioned to represent the position and angulations of the teeth were used. Ten images were taken with Oralix Pan DC/1, Panelipse and Orthophos panoramic machines. Fourteen lateral oblique radiographs were also taken using two cephalometric units: an Orthophos and a Quint Sectograph. The models were repositioned between each exposure. Horizontal, vertical and angular dimensions of every tooth position on each radiograph were measured by three evaluators and compared using ANOVA at an a priori significance level of alpha = 0.05. RESULTS: Assessment of vertical dimensions was consistently more accurate on lateral oblique projections than on the panoramic radiographs. In general, the most accurate horizontal measurements could also be made with the lateral oblique projections. No differences in angular measurement accuracy were found between any of the projections. The use of statistical means and standard deviations can be misleading in ranking accuracy where a consistent conversion factor can be applied. CONCLUSIONS: While panoramic radiography is convenient for dimensional and angular assessments, lateral oblique radiographs taken with a standard cephalometric apparatus are an alternative when greater clinical accuracy is needed.