Mahamed Dinki
Pronouns: He/Him/His
UROP Fellowship: Community College Summer Fellowship Program
Lansing Community College
Research Mentor(s): Sydni Warner, BS, MS Candidate; David Córdova, PhD
School of Public Health
Presentation Date: Thursday, July 30, 2020 | Session 3 | Presenter: 2
Authors: Mahamed Dinki, Sydni C. Warner, Jaime Munoz-Velazquez, David Cordova
Abstract
Tobacco products and marijuana are two of the most commonly used substances among young people, especially among minority populations (Juergens, 2020). While tobacco use among young adults has been declining since the 1970s, a recent surge in e-cigarette use among high schoolers has caused a slight increase in tobacco product consumption (Center for Disease Control, 2019). Marijuana use however, has been steadily increasing and has been exponentially rising after legalization. The purpose of this study is to determine if marijuana use has become more common among youth than tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, etc).
Methods:
100 at-risk youth aged between 14 and 21 were recruited from the Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti to participate in a survey to determine what risk behaviors they participated in. Participants were asked about tobacco use and attitudes, and other recreational drug use behaviors. Responses were then analyzed via Excel using descriptive statistics to determine proportions of tobacco and drug use.
Results:
Of 100 participants surveyed, 60.0% reported using some form of tobacco in their lifetimes, with 10.0% reporting that they will probably or definitely use tobacco products within the next 90 days. Of the same 100 participants, 67.0% reported using marijuana in their lifetimes, with 59.0% reporting that they will either probably or definitely use marijuana within the next 90 days. 65 of the 100 surveyed were women, 17 were men, and the remaining 18 participants were either trans male, trans female, or non-binary. Whites and African Americans made up the majority of those surveyed, at 44.0% and 39.0%, respectively.
Conclusion:
Evidence from this study would suggest that marijuana use is more common among young people than tobacco use. While tobacco products are proven to be harmful, the harmful effects of marijuana are far less studied, potentially leading young people to believe it is a safer alternative. Future studies should further examine the trend within a population of predominantly minority youth.
Google Slide Presentation
Presentation Script
Research Disciplines
Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary, Public Health, Social Sciences
