CDC Smoking Report Reveals Deep Health Care Disparities

Even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that smoking rates continue to decline, problems remain. “In general, smoking is getting more and more concentrated among disadvantaged groups. And it's poor people, ethnic minorities, people with mental illness,” says researcher Stanton Glantz.

Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults continues to slide among almost all racial and ethnic groups, but big disparities remain, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among whites and blacks, a quarter still light up. By contrast, barely one in 10 Asians uses cigarettes, while nearly four in 10 Native Americans and Alaska Natives do so. (Kelly, 8/5)

Smoking in the U.S. is down, both overall and in nearly every ethnic group, but a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control points out big disparities within those groups.The report looks at survey respondents identifying as Hispanic and Asian who smoked in the past month. Cigarette use dropped between the three-year periods of 2002 to 2005 and 2010 to 2013, but the latest data showed Puerto Ricans smoked far more than other Hispanics. (Wagner, 8/5)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

�鶹Ů��

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics