By Christopher R. Harper, Jingjing Li ; Kameron Sheats 

Community violence, including homicides involving firearms, is a significant public health concern. From 2019 to 2020, firearmrelated homicides increased by 39% for youths and young adults aged 10–24 years, and rates of suicide by firearm increased by approximately 15% among the same age group. Findings from the nationally representative 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used to analyze disparities and correlates of witnessing community violence and gun carrying among a nationally representative sample of high school students. Chi-square tests and logistic regression accounting for the complex sampling of the survey were used to assess demographic differences by student sex, race and ethnicity, age, and sexual identity in ever witnessing community violence, gun carrying in the past 12 months, and their associations with substance use and suicide risk. Measures of substance use included current binge drinking and marijuana use and lifetime prescription opioid misuse and illicit drug use. Suicide risk included seriously considered attempting suicide and attempted suicide in the past 12 months. Overall, approximately 20% of students witnessed community violence and 3.5% of students carried a gun. American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic students were more likely to witness community violence and to report carrying a gun than their White peers. Males were more likely to witness community violence and carry a gun than females. Lesbian, gay, or bisexual students were more likely to witness community violence than their heterosexual peers. Also, witnessing community violence consistently was associated with increased odds of gun carrying, substance use, and suicide risk for both males and females and when comparing Black, White, and Hispanic students. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive violence prevention strategies that incorporate health equity to mitigate the effects of violence exposure on substance use and suicide risk among youths. 

  MMWR / April 28, 2023 / Vol. 72 / No. 1  

By Kei Sakata, Rebecca Jenkinson, Brian Vandenberg

This summary explores a study of the social contexts, harms and predictors of co-consumption of gambling and alcohol in youths and young adults (aged 16–35 years) living in Australia.

Findings

• Around half of survey participants said they ‘often’, ‘very often/almost always’ or ‘always’ consumed alcohol when gambling.

• Licensed venues create an environment where gambling and alcohol are co-consumed.

• Socialising with friends or with a spouse/partner and other family member was often the motivation for the co-consumption of gambling and alcohol among youths and young adults.

• Initiation to gambling and alcohol use at the age of 18, or before reaching the age of 18, was often seen as a rite of passage for young people in Australia.

• Underage gambling and/or alcohol use was associated with greater gambling and/or alcohol related harms in the participant’s adult life.

• Despite the majority of the sample being at risk of gambling harm, most respondents did not seek help because they did not believe they needed help.

• For the small proportion who wanted to seek help but did not, the most common reason was embarrassment.

Recommendations

• Tougher compliance with laws around underage drinking and gambling in land-based facilities with improved identification processes prior to venue entry.

• Promoting awareness and education on the co-consumption of gambling and alcohol and possible related harms, which may be protective for young people, particularly as they approach the legal age in Australia.

• Gender-responsive gambling prevention and treatment approaches (e.g. messaging and taglines).

• Approaches aimed at de-stigmatising public discourse and awareness on harmful gambling to promote help-seeking behaviour by young people

Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2024.