21.

Approximately 31.3 million (11.2%) Americans are of Latin American or other Spanish descent. By 2005, Hispanics are expected to surpass African Americans as the nation's second largest racial/ethnic group, behind non-Hispanic whites.¹ Most Hispanic Americans are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or South/Central American ancestry. Although cultural differences exist among subgroups, most Hispanics speak Spanish and are Roman Catholic. Hispanic Americans have settled across the United States; however, 84% reside in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas.² Population survey data results vary, depending on the location and the language used in the surveys.

v Health Effects

Smoking is responsible for 87% of the lung cancer deaths in the United States. Overall, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanics.³ Lung cancer deaths are about three times higher for Hispanic men (23.1 per 100,000) than for Hispanic women (7.7 per 100,000). The rate of lung cancer deaths per 100,000 were higher among Cuban American men (33.7) than among Puerto Rican (28.3) and Mexican American (21.9) men.³

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for Hispanics living in the United States. Among Hispanic subgroups in 19921994, death rates for coronary heart disease were 82 per 100,000 for Mexican American men and 44.2 per 100,000 for Mexican American women, 118.6 per 100,000 for Puerto Rican men and 67.3 per 100,000 for Puerto Rican women, and 95.2 per 100,000 for Cuban men and 42.4 per 100,000 for Cuban women.³

v Cigarette Smoking Prevalence

• The 1997 National Health Interview Survey data show that overall current smoking
   prevalence among Hispanic adults was 20.4%, compared with 16.9% for Asian
   Americans and Pacific Islanders, 25.3% for whites, 26.7% for African Americans, 
   and 34.1% for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Aggregated National Health Interview Survey data from 1987 and 1991 show that more Cuban American men (2.5%) smoked cigars than Mexican American (1.5%) and Puerto Rican (1.3%) men.

The 1999 YRBS study found that 21.9% of Hispanic male high school students reported smoking a cigar on one or more days during the past month compared with about 28.3% of white male and 16.0% of African American male students.

The 1999 NYTS shows that among high school students, 13.4% of Hispanics, 14.8% of African Americans, and 16.0% of whites smoked cigars, and that among middle school students, 7.6% of Hispanics, 8.8% of African Americans, and 4.9% of whites smoked cigars in the past 30 days.

The 1999 NYTS found that smokeless tobacco use among middle and high school for white male students was 3.0% and 8.7%, respectively, for Hispanic male students 2.2% and 3.6%, respectively, and for African American students 1.9% and 2.4%, respectively.⁷

Tobacco Industry Influence

• Tobacco products are advertised and promoted disproportionately to racial/ethnic
   minority communities. Examples of target promotions include the introduction of a
   cigarette product with the brand name "Rio" and an earlier cigarette product named
   "Dorado," which was advertised and marketed to the Hispanic American community.

• To increase its credibility in the Hispanic community, the tobacco industry has
   contributed to programs that aim to enhance the primary and secondary education 
   of children, has funded universities and colleges, and has supported scholarship
   programs targeting Hispanics. Tobacco companies have also placed advertising in 
   many Hispanic publications. The industry also contribute to cultural Hispanic events
   and provide significant support to the Hispanic art community.

REFERENCES

1. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. U.S. Census Facts for Hispanic
    Americans, http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/intfiles3-1.txt.

2. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. U.S. Census Facts for Hispanic
    Americans, http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/state/srh/srhus96.txt.

3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority
    Groups — African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific
    Islanders, and Hispanics: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health
    and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998.

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette smoking among adults–United States,
    1997. MMWR 1999; 48: 993-6.

5. The University of Michigan. Cigarette Smoking Among American Teens Continues Gradual Decline
    (press release). December 17, 1999.

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance–United States, 1999.
    MMWR 2000; 49, No. SS-5.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tobacco use among middle and high school
    students–United States, 1999. MMWR 2000; 49: 49-53.

8. Glode WF. RJR puts on the Ritz, PM goes to Rio. Advertising Age 1985 (56.2):1, 78; Leviten P.
    Manufacturers send changing smoking signals. Supermarket Business 1985 (40.12):39-43; and
    Walters DKH. Cigarettes: Makers Aim at Special Niches to Boost Sales. Los Angeles Times
    1985 Sept 15; Business Section:1 (col 3).