Tobacco-Related Disparities in Specific Populations

Research

Female lifespan is going down in some parts of the U.S.
A new study has concluded that the U.S. life expectancy among women under the age of 75 is decreasing. This phenomenon was found to more evident among low-income white women, and is attributed to increased smoking rates and obesity. The mortality rates in 3,141 counties across the U.S. were analyzed over a ten-year time frame. The data show that there has been an increase in mortality rates among women in 42.8% of the counties assessed. This number was much higher compared to the increase in mortality rates among men in only 3.4% of the counties assessed in the study. These findings suggest that increased attention to environmental and social determinants of health is needed to reverse this trend. Click here to read more about this study published in Health Affairs. Click here to access the study abstract.

Tobacco use among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and mixed-race individuals: 2002-2010
A recent study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence reports tobacco use patterns among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHs/PIs) and mixed-race individuals. This study examined the prevalence of four types of tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco) among Non-Hispanic Asian Americans, NHs/PIs, and mixed-race individuals using data from the 2002-2010 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Between 2002 and 2010, a decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking was reported among whites and Asian Americans overall. Additionally, mixed-race individuals were more likely to use four tobacco products compared to Asian Americans, and NHs/PIs were more likely to use cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco compared to Asian Americans. These data provide evidence that future research and surveillance efforts, as well as tobacco cessation and prevention programs need to focus on these populations. Click here to read more.

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Reports

CDC releases new smoking and disability resources
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities released new resources with national and state-level data on cigarette smoking among people with disabilities. A recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that 19.0% of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in 2011 and that cigarette use was significantly higher among those who reported having any disability (25.4%) compared to those who reported having no disability (17.3%). The materials that help highlight these disparities include a new webpage with data on smoking prevalence among people with disabilities; a factsheet with state-level data; and interactive data and mapping tools that allow users to create state profiles, including display of tobacco use indicators, and compare states with each other.

Adults with mental illness or substance use disorder account for 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new report that states that adults 18 years of age and older who have experienced any mental illness or had a substance use disorder in the past year are more likely to smoke and to heavily smoke than other American adults. Data from SAMHSA’s 2009-2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to determine that adults experiencing mental illness or a substance use disorder comprise about 24.8% of the population, but composed almost 40% of all the cigarettes smoked by adults in the U.S. Additionally, 38.3% of adults experiencing mental illness or a substance use disorder currently smoked compared to 19.7% of adults without these conditions. This report states that adults experiencing these conditions are not only about 94% more likely to smoke compared to adults without mental illness or substance use disorders, but are also less likely to quit. Continued efforts are needed to address smoking cessation and prevention among these groups. To read more, click here, or click here for the full report.

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