Apparent increase in tobacco smoking in minority teens after college affirmative action bans

image: Self-reported rates of cigarette smoking increased in minority 11th and 12th graders after affirmative action bans were implemented in their state.

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rawpixel, Pixabay

Self-reported rates of cigarette smoking increased in minority 11th and 12th graders after affirmative action bans were implemented in their state, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Atheendar Venkataramani of the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues.

Between 1996 and 2013, nine US states banned race-based affirmative action in college admissions. In the new study, researchers used data from the 1991-2015 US National Youth Risk Behavior Survey to investigate health behaviors, comparing changes in self-reported cigarette and alcohol use among students residing in states implementing such bans and those residing in states without bans. The dataset included information on more than 35,000 high school students.

Rates of cigarette smoking in the 30 days prior to the survey apparently increased by 3.8 percentage points in under-represented minority students after affirmative action bans were enacted (95% CI 2.0-5.7; p

"Our study suggests that ongoing efforts to ban affirmative action programs in college admissions may have unanticipated adverse effects on health risk behaviors and health status within under-represented minority populations," the authors say. "In doing so, they may exacerbate short- and long-run disparities in health outcomes." The authors also note that their results, more generally, illustrate the importance of policies that shift socioeconomic opportunities as a key determinant of health.

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PLOS