摘要：The prevalence of tobacco use among urban African American persons aged 18 to 24 years not enrolled in college is alarmingly high and a challenge for smoking cessation initiatives. Recent data from inner-city neighborhoods in Baltimore, Md, indicate that more than 60% of young adults smoke cigarettes. We sought to describe community-level factors contributing to this problem. Data from focus groups and surveys indicate that the sale and acquisition of “loosies” are ubiquitous and normative and may contribute to the high usage and low cessation rates. Increasing rates of smoking and low rates of cessation in young adults (aged 18–24 years) have been identified as “growing health concerns.” 1 Of particular concern are those young adults who are not enrolled in college; who are unemployed, underemployed, or economically disadvantaged; and who are a target market of the tobacco industry. 2 , 3 The overall decline in smoking rates in most of the US population has been attributed to a comprehensive approach that includes environmental and policy approaches (e.g., cigarette taxes and smoking restrictions). 4 – 8 However, because these approaches have not been implemented equally across all communities and population subgroups, some groups are more vulnerable and less likely to want to quit smoking. 9 – 11 Currently, little is known about environmental factors in urban communities that either facilitate smoking or act as barriers to cessation. Access to cigarettes and sales of single cigarettes—“loosies”—may be 2 of these factors. 12 We examined the (1) availability of cigarettes, (2) sales of single cigarettes, and (3) positive social norms toward smoking. We have described these factors in African American young adults who were attending employment training and educational programs in inner-city Baltimore, Md.
