Disparities

Research

Doctors should ask mentally ill to stop smoking, new report says
Two new studies in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry make the case for smoking addiction treatment to be included in the care plans for mentally ill patients with tobacco dependence. The first report reviews the treatment options for people with tobacco dependence and mental health and addictive (MHA) disorders, and offers recommendations on tobacco assessment and tailored treatment strategies. The second study examines the evidence of the biological, psychological, and environmental factors that may explain the association between MHA disorders and smoking, with the rationale that a better understanding of these determinants of tobacco use will lead to the development of more effective cessation therapies for smokers with MHA disorders. Click here to download a PDF of the study on tobacco dependence treatment. Click here to read an interview with the author of this study. Click here to download the study on the mechanisms that account for the co-occurrence of mental health and addiction.

Addressing smoking beliefs may help schizophrenia patients to quit
Previous studies have shown that expectancies about smoking affect a person’s intention to quit smoking; if a person expects positive outcomes related to smoking, they will be less likely to plan to quit. New research indicates that the same is true among smokers with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Among both schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic smokers, intention to quit was associated with concerns about the health effects and social consequences of smoking. To encourage schizophrenic smokers to quit, the researchers recommend motivational interviewing and other cognitive behavioral interventions that challenge smokers’ positive expectancies related to smoking and provide tailored information about the negative effects of smoking. Click here to read more. Click here to read the abstract of the study in Schizophrenia Research.

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Reports

Jobless found more likely to smoke
A new federal report on tobacco use from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that unemployed people are more likely than workers to smoke. The report found that 28.4% of workers ages 18 to 64 had smoked in the previous month, and among the unemployed, the rate was 45.4%. Categorized by occupation, the highest rate of smoking was in the food service and preparation industry at 44.7%, followed by the construction industry at 42.9%. Click here for more information, or click here to access the report, “Cigarette Use among Adults Employed Full Time, by Occupational Category,” from the SAMHSA website.

LGBTQ communities: Motivation to quit smoking
The National LGBT Tobacco Control Network has created a guide to motivate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community to quit smoking. The brochure describes tobacco industry targeting of LGBTQ individuals, and how tobacco use affects different groups within LGBTQ communities. The brochure, which is based on a statewide Minnesota brochure, contains local resources for Minnesotans and additional national resources to help LGBTQ people quit smoking, as well as personal quit stories and other helpful information. Click here for a PDF version of the brochure.

Tobacco Control in Rural America report
The American Legacy Foundation has released a new dissemination report entitled Tobacco Control in Rural America. This July 2009 publication highlights tobacco-related disparities facing rural areas and examines the unique challenges to tobacco control and prevention efforts in these areas. It also includes examples of promising interventions implemented by some of Legacy’s grantees to demonstrate how organizations are addressing the issue of tobacco use in rural communities. The report is available here for free.

Be Free Indeed! African American church toolkit and training
The Health Education Council (HEC) has a long history and established relationships with pastors and key leaders of the church who are willing and interested in addressing the asthma-related health disparities in the African American community. HEC developed a toolkit called “Be Free Indeed” to assist African American/Black churches in enacting and implementing tobacco-free policies. The toolkit is designed to educate the community on the history of African Americans and tobacco, tobacco advertising, health risks, secondhand smoke, and the benefits of quitting. Click here to learn more about the resources in the toolkit. Click here for more information about the Health Education Council.

Anti-smoking info campaign targets minorities (WI)
A new statewide media campaign in Wisconsin is educating minorities and those in poverty about the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke via radio spots and bus and billboard advertisements. The campaign is engaging minority spokespeople to help the minority target audience identify with the messages. The campaign is backed by the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, a coalition of community anti-smoking activists, and the state Department of Health Services. Read more here. Related: Smoking keeps its grip on urban poor Preliminary findings from the “ZIP Code project,” an ongoing study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggest that outreach to low-income smokers in Wisconsin is much needed. Forty two percent of people living in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods are smokers, and 58% of smokers are unaware of the state’s free quitline. Click here to read more about the “ZIP Code project.”

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