Surgeon general finds gaps in smoking rates based on race, gender: Report

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

CIGARETTE SMOKING RATES HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN TRENDING DOWN-WARD IN THE U.S.

BUT A NEW REPORT FROM THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL FINDS SMOKING RATES CAN VARY BY RACE, ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND MORE.

THE REPORT FOUND THAT PEOPLE IN POVERTY ARE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY TO SMOKE AS THOSE WITH INCOME ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE.

AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLE HAVE HIGHER RATES OF SMOKING THAN OTHER RACIAL ETHNIC GROUPS, WHILE AMERICANS IDENTIFYING AS LESBIAN, GAY OR BISEXUAL HAD HIGHER RATES OF SMOKING THAN HETERO-SEXUAL ADULTS.

SURGEON GENERAL VIVEK MURTHY SAID IN A STATEMENT ALONG WITH THE REPORT THAT “Tobacco use imposes a heavy toll on families across generations. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco.”

THE SURGEON GENERAL’S REPORT ALSO FOUND THAT 1 IN EVERY 5 DEATHS IN THE U.S. TIE TO CIGARETTE SMOKING AND EXPOSURE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE. THAT’S MORE THAN HALF A MILLION DEATHS PER YEAR.

THE REPORT SUGGESTED A SERIES OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING IMPROVING HEALTH CARE EQUITY ENACTING POLICIES TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM EXPOSURE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE, AND SETTING A LIMIT ON HOW MUCH NICOTINE CAN BE IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY TRIED TO FOLLOW THE REPORT’S RECOMMENDATION FOR A BAN ON MENTHOL CIGARETTES.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HELD OFF ON FINALIZING THE F-D-A RULE THAT WOULD BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES AFTER PRESSURE FROM THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY AND RELATED GROUPS.

IT TIES BACK TO AN ISSUE THE SURGEON GENERAL’S OFFICE REPORT MENTIONED – FOR EVERY ONE DOLLAR SPENT BY TOBACCO CONTROL GROUPS, THERE ARE MORE THAN 12 DOLLARS IN TOBACCO INDUSTRY MARKETING.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

AND FOR A LINK TO READ THE FULL REPORT AND FOR COVERAGE ON ALL THE LATEST STORIES, MAKE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.