Smoking and Lung Disease in Minority Groups

November 2003

Smoking is believed to cause 87 percent of all cases of lung cancer and is a contributing factor in as many as 30 percent of all cancer deaths. It is the main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease and stroke. It has been linked to an array of other disorders, ranging from slowed wound healing, impotence, infertility, and peptic ulcers to fragile bones in older women.

An estimated 440,000 Americans die each year from diseases caused by smoking. Smoking is responsible for an estimated one in five U.S. deaths.

Smoking also affects others besides the smoker. Smoking in pregnancy accounts for an estimated 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight babies, up to 14 percent of preterm deliveries, and some 10 percent of all infant deaths.

Smoking by parents has dire effects on their children, including exacerbation of asthma, increased frequency of colds and ear infections and, possibly, the tragedy of sudden infant death syndrome.

Secondhand, or passive smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is also lethal to adults; the Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a known human (Group A) carcinogen.

In addition, secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 35,000 heart disease deaths, and 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

The implications for minority groups are significant. Various minority populations are at increased risk for many lung conditions primarily caused by or worsened by tobacco smoke, including:

• Lung cancer.
  
  
• Tuberculosis.
  
  
• Premature childbirth.
  
  
• Acute infections.
  
  
• Asthma.
  
  
• AIDS-related lung diseases.
  
  
• Lung disease related to occupational and environmental hazards.
  

To the extent that minority groups are heavy smokers, these risks are significantly heightened.

According to the latest National Health Interview Survey, 22.8 percent of the general adult population smokes (25.2 percent of men and 20.7 percent of women).

Among white adults, 24 percent total smoke (25.4 percent of men and 22.8 percent of women). A total of 22.3 percent of black adults smoke (27.7 percent of men and 17.9 percent of women).

Note that while the overall level for black Americans is lower than that for whites, the level for African American men is much higher.

Among Hispanics, a total of 16.7 percent smoke (21.6 percent of men, and 11.9 percent of women).

While the figures for Hispanics is lower than the national average, this is due mainly to the extraordinarily small proportion of Hispanic women who report current smoking.

Among American Indians and Alaskan natives, 32.7 percent total smoke (33.5 percent of men and 31.7 percent of women).

However, these figures are not considered reliable due to a very small number of respondents.

Among Asians and Pacific Islanders, 12.4 percent total smoke (18.5 percent of men and 6.3 percent of women).

As smoking has declined among the white non-Hispanic population, cigarette makers have increasingly targeted African Americans and Hispanics for additional promotional efforts via niche magazine advertising, strategically located billboards, and sponsorship of civic groups and athletic, cultural, and entertainment events.