Smoking Disparities Persist Despite Progress, Warns US Surgeon General

Smoking Disparities Persist Despite Progress, Warns US Surgeon General

The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has highlighted significant disparities in smoking rates, despite a decline in adult and youth smoking to record lows. With tobacco killing nearly half a million people in the US each year, Murthy has called for urgent action to address inequalities and reduce smoking-related deaths. “At stake are the lives of our children and adults across the nation,” Murthy emphasised, noting that “tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death.” He further urged action, saying, “Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco”. See more at: ABC News

The report reveals that smoking rates are notably higher among American Indian and Alaska Native groups, as well as those living in poverty, who are more than twice as likely to smoke compared to higher-income individuals. Black people, lower-income populations, and those with less education face greater exposure to secondhand smoke, exacerbating health risks.

Murthy’s findings advocate for stricter regulations, including reducing nicotine levels in tobacco products to non-addictive limits and banning menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars. Research predicts a menthol ban could prevent up to 654,000 deaths over the next 40 years. However, efforts to finalise such rules have stalled under the Biden administration, drawing criticism from public health advocates.

The report also underlines the role of the tobacco industry in perpetuating disparities through targeted marketing, particularly among Black and marginalised communities. Tobacco companies spend an estimated $8.5 billion annually on promotion, dwarfing the resources of anti-smoking campaigns.

To address these disparities, the report calls for measures such as increased tobacco prices, stricter smoke-free policies, improved public health education, and enhanced healthcare access. Services to support quitting smoking, such as helplines and online resources, remain a crucial part of reducing tobacco use nationwide.

Source: USA Today

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