Abstract PL04-03: Controlling tobacco use in minorities and the underserved.
Authors: Baezconde-Garbanati Lourdes A. 
Published: August 2014

The control of tobacco use among minorities and the underserved, calls for addressing large tobacco-related disparities. The leading cause of death in minority communities is usually a tobacco-related illness such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. These often exceed deaths caused by AIDS, homicides, diabetes and accidents in the most vulnerable communities worldwide. U.S. Minorities, such as American Indians, Koreans, Vietnamese, those of low socioeconomic status, and Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals smoke at a higher rate than European Americans. They tend to suffer a higher burden of disease due to the use of tobacco. But even when minority groups, such as Hispanic/Latinos (H/L) smoke less than European Americans (EA); or as African Americans (AA), start smoking later in life; tobacco related morbidity and mortality rates are still significantly higher than for their EA counterpart. Unfortunately, even when minorities want to quit, they face many obstacles and barriers that make it particularly difficult. To control tobacco use in minority and underserved communities we need to address the disproportionate targeting by the tobacco industry, development, advertising and marketing of menthol and other cigarettes that appeal to ethnic minority markets, the prevalence of tobacco retailers in low income neighborhoods where many minorities live, lack of access to adequate health care, the effect of low educational attainment; and the need to close loopholes in existing tobacco control laws that are impacting minorities in particularly important ways. We must focus on examining what is happening among minority youth, as most smokers begin a trajectory of addiction at an early age. We face particular challenges in countering the influence of new tobacco products that are very attractive to the younger segments of minority populations. For example it is not uncommon that despite an FDA ban on flavored cigarettes youth and young adults in minority and underserved communities become hooked on flavored tobacco products. This includes young adult Hispanic/Latinos and LGBT among whom the prevalence of flavored cigar use is higher than across other population groups. Objective three of the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee (TEROC) of California calls for eliminating tobacco-related disparities among the underserved, and achieving equity in all aspects of tobacco control among California's diverse populations. To control tobacco use in these populations, equity and cultural competency standards need be incorporated in all aspects of tobacco control agencies, programs, processes, practices, and in the infrastructure. Strong prevention programs that delay or prevent initiation of tobacco use; increasing the numbers of minorities who quit using tobacco; and regulating through the new FDA Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act the tobacco industry's influence, are essential elements of a comprehensive tobacco control program that can make a difference in controlling tobacco use among minorities and the underserved.

Citation Format: Lourdes A. Baezconde-Garbanati. Controlling tobacco use in minorities and the underserved. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PL04-03.