Feasibility of collecting biological samples from college students exiting bars
In campus communities, bar-sponsored “drink specials” and underage drinking in these establishments are almost ubiquitous. Yet, there exists virtually no research to inform the on-going public debate about the regulation of the serving practices of on-premise alcohol establishments, e.g., the Florida Legislature considers bills to regulate drink specials every year. In addition, previous research has not examined the possibility that bars represent environmental pathogens operating to facilitate the alcohol consumption of genetically vulnerable patrons. Objectives: This is a genetic-epidemiologic study of nighttime drinking in college bars.

A Multi-factorial Evaluation of Enforcement Strategies and Effects of an Outdoor Environmental Smoking Policy
Mounting evidence shows that environmental smoke-free policies have real health benefits. A recent but growing body of population-based studies demonstrates that heart attack hospital admission rates decline significantly in municipalities after public smoking bans are implemented. Moreover, these declines appear to be most pronounced among nonsmokers. Besides protecting nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, these policies reduce tobacco use by smokers and change public attitudes about smoking. There has been a large movement for municipalities, hospitals, and colleges to extend clean indoor polices by enacting a variety outdoor public smoke-free policies (ranging from bans on smoking near building entranceways, permitting smoking only in designated areas, to complete outdoor public smoking bans). Unfortunately, resources are being committed to this movement without empirical support for either compliance or impact of these outdoor policies. Evaluating enforcement strategies and the impact of various outdoor smoking bans could validate current efforts to develop and adopt the most effective smoke-free policies.

Feasibility of incorporating biological measures in distance-based smoking cessation interventions
The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of measuring salivary cotinine levels of smokers by sending self-test kits via the mail to participants recruited through the internet.  Cotinine is a byproduct of the body’s breakdown of nicotine, the active ingredient found in tobacco products and tobacco smoke.  Cotinine is a widely accepted indicator of recent tobacco product use and exposure, including secondhand smoke exposure.  An immuno-chromatographic test strip in “dipstick” format (saliva NicAlert®) will be used to measure cotinine levels in saliva samples.  The sensitivity and specificity of the saliva NicAlert® method was previously validated by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) by an independent reference laboratory.  In addition, we will assess whether providing self-test kits to monitor one’s cotinine level will promote participation in a smoking cessation intervention as well as motivate participants to lower their cotinine level.  This will be among the first studies to incorporate objective biological measures in the evaluation of eHealth interventions.