title: Perceptions of harm to health from cigarettes, blunts, and marijuana among young adult African American men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess perceptions and knowledge of health effects of smoking tobacco, blunts, and marijuana among adult African American (AA) men aged 19-30 in five Black Belt counties of rural Alabama.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study using interviewer-administered oral surveys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and fifteen participants completed surveys. Cigarettes were the most common initial and current product used (40%) and there were more current than initial users of marijuana and blunts. Significantly more cigarette users (80%) felt that smoking cigarettes was harmful to health compared with marijuana (33%) and blunt (53%) users (p < .001). Many marijuana smokers (71%) and blunt smokers (48%) believed smoking their product was safer than cigarettes for reasons including more natural and less addictive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When compared with cigarettes, knowledge of the health-related effects of smoking marijuana-containing products among young African American men is poor. Intervention strategies focusing on the adverse health effects of smoking marijuana are needed.
authors: Catherine F
authors: CF
authors: Sinclair
authors: Herman R
authors: HR
authors: Foushee
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Scarinci
authors: William R
authors: WR
authors: Carroll
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000407:Alabama; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000208:ethnology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult