Hypothetical e-liquid flavor ban and opinions among vape shop retailers in the Greater Los Angeles Area

INTRODUCTION

Evaluating anticipated responses to flavor bans in the context of vape shops is needed to inform legislation and enforcement. This cross-sectional study examined vape shop retailers' opinions about the potential impacts of an e-liquid flavor ban on shop sales and customer behavior-change intentions.

METHODS

From December 2019 to October 2020 we conducted structured interviews over the phone with 46 brick-and-mortar vape shop retailers in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

RESULTS

Most participants were managers (43.5%), followed by owners (26.1%) and clerks (26.1%). More than half (52.2%) reported that sales would drop a lot if flavored e-liquids were banned in all vape shops. Controlling for store position, multivariable linear regression showed that opposition to a hypothetical ban on non-tobacco flavored e-liquids was associated with participants' opinions that customers would likely not purchase tobacco flavored e-liquids (b= -0.44, p<0.01), and would likely use combustible tobacco products (b=0.47, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In this cross-sectional study, vape shop retailers in the Greater Los Angeles Area reported that if a ban on non-tobacco e-liquid flavors occurred, they would oppose strongly, and that a ban would have a negative impact on their shop (e.g. loss in sales) and customer behavior (e.g. would replace vaping with smoking combustible tobacco products). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

What's Age Got to Do With It? A Comparison of Bariatric Surgical Outcomes Among Young, Midlife, Older and Oldest Adults

Bariatric surgery has become an accepted method to treat obesity and its related diseases in adults; nevertheless, few bariatric surgery follow-up studies compare changes in body mass index (BMI), disease outcomes, and side effects among age groups. This study compares bariatric surgery outcomes across four adult age groups by comparing changes in milestone BMIs such as highest and lowest BMI, perceived existing disease outcomes, and symptoms related to those diseases. Data were obtained using a 40-item questionnaire that was mailed to 2,520 patients of a Midwestern weight management center who were at least 18 months post-bariatric surgical procedure. The 534 respondents were divided into four age groups in years: 18 to 49 (n = 171), 50-59 (n = 148), 60-69 (n = 138), and ≥ 70 (n = 77). There were no differences among the age groups for lowest (p = .93) and current BMI (p = .51). Significant improvement in eight chronic diseases occurred across all age groups. There were no differences between age groups in reported occurrence of incontinence (p = .65), diarrhea (p = .22), flatulence (p = .46), heartburn (p = .73), and indigestion (p = .22). Constipation rarely occurred among the oldest adults (p < .001). Bariatric surgery should be considered an option for weight loss and disease management for older adults as much as it is for younger adults.

The High Price of Obesity in Nursing Homes

This article provides a commentary on the costs of obese nursing home patients. We conducted a comprehensive literature search, which found 46 relevant articles on obesity in older adults and effects on nursing home facilities. This review indicated obesity is increasing globally for all age groups and older adults are facing increased challenges with chronic diseases associated with obesity more than ever before. With medical advances comes greater life expectancy, but obese adults often experience more disabilities, which require nursing home care. In the United States, the prevalence of obesity in adults aged 60 years and older increased from 9.9 million (23.6%) to 22.2 million (37.0%) in 2010. Obese older adults are twice as likely to be admitted to a nursing home. Many obese adults have comorbidities such as Type 2 diabetes; patients with diabetes incurred 1 in every 4 nursing home days. Besides the costs of early entrance into nursing facilities, caring for obese residents is different than caring for nonobese residents. Obese residents have more care needs for additional equipment, supplies, and staff costs. Unlike emergency rooms and hospitals, nursing homes do not have federal requirements that require them to serve all patients. Currently, some nursing homes are not prepared to deal with very obese patients. This is a public health concern because there are more obese people than ever in history before and the future appears to have even a heavier generation moving forward. Policymakers need to become aware of this serious gap in nursing home care.

Older adults fighting obesity with bariatric surgery: Benefits, side effects, and outcomes

The aging population is growing exponentially worldwide. Associated with this greater life expectancy is the increased burden of chronic health conditions, many of which are exacerbated by the continued rise in obesity. In the US, the prevalence of obesity in adults aged 60 years and older increased from 23.6% to 37% in 2010.

New experimental constraints on non-Newtonian forces below 100 microm

We have searched for large deviations from Newtonian gravity by means of a finite-frequency microcantilever-based experiment. Our data eliminate from consideration mechanisms of deviation that posit strengths approximately 10(4) times Newtonian gravity at length scales of 20 microm. This measurement is 3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than others that provide constraints at similar length scales.