Minority Teens Bucking Trend, Lighting Up More, Study Finds
The first surgeon general’s report to focus on the smoking habits of racial and ethnic groups shows that, while the overall use of tobacco is declining among adults, it has begun to rise among minority teenagers, creating a “time bomb” for minority populations.
Surgeon General David Satcher presented the report Monday to President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.
Public health advocates said the study clearly shows why Congress should pass comprehensive legislation to curb teen smoking. The report examined the smoking habits of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans/Alaska Natives. These groups account for 24% of the U.S. population, but by the middle of the next century their share of the nation’s population is expected to reach nearly 50%.
Although deaths from lung cancer are declining, it remains the leading cause of cancer death for all four racial and ethnic groups, with African American men having the highest lung cancer death rate. Rates of other tobacco-related cancers vary widely among the racial and ethnic groups but are highest among African American men.
However, the general trend toward fewer lung cancer deaths could change if minority teenagers’ smoking rates continue to rise.
In the past, minority teenagers were a success story for public health advocates because of their relatively low smoking rates. But now they are catching up with non-Latino white teenagers. Smoking rates are especially high among Latino high school students (overall, 34% smoke cigarettes, though among seniors the rate drops off to 26.8%), while almost 40% of non-Latino white teenagers smoke cigarettes.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Smoking Up for Teens
Smoking is on the rise for high school seniors of all races, according to a report issued Monday by the surgeon general.
% of high school seniors who consider themselves smokers:
Whites
Latinos
Blacks
*
Note: Figures for Asians and Native Americans compiled every four years, most recently in 1995, when 20.5% of Asians and 47.7% Native Americans smoked.
Source: surgeon general report (“Tobacco use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups”)
