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n August 2000, Surgeon General David Facts About Minority Teens and Smoking Satcher announced that smoking rates 

among teens and adults could be cut in • The decline of smoking among African American young people during the 1970s and 

half within the decade if the nation would 1980s was widely viewed as a great public health success. Unfortunately, recent nafully implement anti-smoking programs us­ tional surveys have shown that smoking rates among African American high school 

ing effective approaches that are already avail­ students are starting to increase, although those rates are still lower than those of other 

able. students. 

Dr. Satcher released the Surgeon • Research shows an association between cigarette smoking and acculturation among 

General’s report on “Reducing Tobacco Use.” Asian American and Pacific Islander adults from Southeast Asia. Those who had a 

It is the first-ever report to provide an in- higher English-language proficiency and those living in the United Stated longer were 

depth analysis of the effectiveness of various less likely to be smokers. 

methods to reduce tobacco use—educational, • Studies have found a higher density of tobacco billboards in racial/ethnic minority 

clinical, regulatory, economic, and social. communities. For example, a 1993 study in San Diego, California found the highest 

During the past four decades we have proportion of tobacco billboards were posted in Asian American communities and the 

made unprecedented gains in preventing and lowest proportion were in white communities. 

controlling tobacco use,” Dr. Satcher said. Source: Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups: “However, the sobering reality is that smok­ A Report of the Surgeon General. (July 2000). ing remains the leading cause of preventable 

death and disease in our nation, and those 

who suffer the most are poor Americans, mi­ vice to quit smoking can double or triple • 	Changing many facets of the social envinority populations, and young people. Al­ normal quit rates, while a combination of ronment to reduce the broad cultural acthough our knowledge remains imperfect, behavioral counseling and pharmacologi­ ceptability of tobacco use. The report conwe know more than enough to address the cal treatment can boost success up to 10 cludes that comprehensive approaches 

tobacco control challenges of the 21st cen­ times. combining community interventions, mass 

tury,” he said. • Passing and enforcing strong clean indoor media campaigns, and program policy and 

Health and Human Services Secretary air regulations, which contribute to chang­ regulation are most effective in changing 

Donna E. Shalala noted, “This report offers a ing social norms and may decrease tobacco social norms and reducing tobacco use. 

science-based blueprint for achieving our consumption among smokers and increase “Failure to effectively use every interHealthy People 2010 objectives to reduce smoking cessation. The report calls on states vention strategy at our disposal could mean 

tobacco use and its health impact in this coun­ to pass laws that will not restrict local gov­ turning back the clock on the efforts we’ve 

try.” ernments from passing even stronger mea­ made since the 1960s to reduce cigarette 

Key actions that Dr. Satcher outlined to sures to protect their citizens from second­ smoking, one of the most notable public 

reduce tobacco use, supported by evidence hand smoke. health accomplishments of this century,” Dr. 

in the report, include: • 	Improving tobacco warning labels in the Satcher said. “We must respond aggressively 

• Implementing effective school-based pro­ U.S., which are weaker and less prominent to the serious challenges we still face: most 

grams, combined with community and than those required in other countries such importantly, the tobacco industry’s continumedia-based activities, which can prevent as Canada and Australia. The report shows ing campaign to advertise and promote toor postpone smoking onset in 20 to 40 that consumers receive very little informa­ bacco products. We need fair but aggressive 

percent of U.S. adolescents. Unfortunately, tion regarding the ingredients, additives, measures to regulate these marketing activifewer than 5 percent of schools nation­ and potential toxicity of tobacco products. ties, especially those that influence young 

wide are implementing the major compo­ • Increasing tobacco prices and excise taxes. people.” He noted that the industry spent 

nents of school guidelines recommended Evidence presented in the report suggests $6.7 billion in 1998 or more than $18 milby the federal Centers for Disease Control that a 10 percent increase in price will re­ lion a day to market cigarettes, despite the 

New Surgeon General’s Report Provides Strategies 

for Halving U.S. Smoking Rates by Year 2010 

Closing the Gap, Adolescence • November/December 2000 

and Prevention (CDC). duce overall cigarette consumption by 3 overwhelming evidence of the harm they 

• Changing physician behavior, medical sys­ to 5 percent. However, both the average cause. 

tem procedures, and insurance coverage to price of cigarettes and the average ciga­ A detailed summary of the Surgeon 

encourage widespread use of rette excise tax in the United States are General’s report, “Reducing Tobacco 

state-of-the-art treatment of well below those in most other industrial­ Use,” is available on the CDC’s

nicotine addiction. The report ized countries. web site: http://www.cdc.gov/toshows that brief physician ad- bacco/sgr_tobacco_use.htm.

Office of Minority Health Resource Center	 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services