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I.
OPINION
II. EDUCATION
by Douangdeuane Douangdara by Douangdeuane Douangdara by Douangdeuane Douangdara
by Montha Phavongxay by Check Kirivong by Douangchit Mounghane
by Anonymous by Von PhrakonKham by Check Kirivong by Douangdeuane Douangdara by Von PhrakonKham
by Douangdeuane Douangdara by Von PhrakonKham by Von PhrakonKham by Douangdeuane Douangdara by Sounantha Phoumarath
by Von PhrakonKham
by Douangchit Mounghane
by Montha Phavongxay by Douangchit Mounghane |
By Douan Mounghane
Although some progress has been achieved through the Tobacco Settlement in the 1980's when the tobacco industry made a settlement agreement with most States to pay for the damages done to smokers over the years, the World Tobacco Treaty, Smoke-Free legislations passed in increasingly numbers of States and cities (California, Delaware, New York City, and Boston), and the variety of prevention and cessation efforts, smoking continues to take a tremendous toll on the quality of life and health of people across the world. Moreover, most States are not using their tobacco settlement dollars towards teenage smoking prevention. States use these funds for a variety of reasons. Some use the funds to support the rising health care costs, others are using it for other priorities such as paying off State deficits or even road construction!
Almost 5 million people worldwide die every year from smoking - including more than 440,000 Americans, resulting in an annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs here in the United States (US). Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in America for all groups including Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI). Below are some important statistics to consider:
- Smoking prevalence is highest in the US among males in certain AAPI ethnic groups (e.g. Laotian, Samoan, Cambodian, and Native Hawaiian).
- An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 AAPIs will die each year from tobacco-related illnesses.
- Approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, nearly 5,000 young people under the age of 18 try their first cigarette.
- Tobacco companies are aggressively marketing their products to AAPI communities both in the US and overseas.
- Research has shown that AAPI communities have low capacity and limited leadership to respond to increased tobacco use and tobacco industry targeting.
Common morbidities and mortalities associated with tobacco products include:
- Low birth weight as a consequence of maternal smoking
- Asthma and allergic reaction
- Increased susceptibility to common colds and illnesses
- Cancers (oral and lung)
- Respiratory diseases
- Coronary heart disease
- Burn deaths
Apart from the economic and health burdens, tobacco also has personal, social, and emotional repercussions. Unfortunately, the lack of research and data on the AAPI community, particularly for tobacco, continues to be a barrier to understanding, advocating for, and addressing critical issues for this diverse population. If you are interested in finding more information on effects of tobacco, tobacco-related statistics, how our nation is responding to our tobacco problems, consider the resources below. If you are a current smoker and are interested in learning about quitting, consult your physician.
Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL)
439 23rd Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-272-9536
E-mail: appeal@aapcho.org
www.appealforcommunities.org
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 800-311-3435
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
Tobacco Free Initiative
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20 1211
Geneva 27 Switzerland
Phone: 41 22 791 2126
Fax: 41 22 791 4832
E-Mail: tfi@who.int
http://www5.who.int/tobacco/index.cfm
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI Public Inquiries Office
Suite 3036A
6116 Executive Boulevard, MSC8322
Bethesda, MD 20892-8322
1-800-4-CANCER (NCI's Cancer Information Service)
http://www.nci.nih.gov/
The National Clearinghouse on Tobacco and Health
Phone: 800-267-5234
http://www.ncth.ca/NCTHweb.nsf
E-mail: info-services@cctc.ca
References
www.appealforcommunities.org extracted 3/10/03
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ extracted 3/10/03
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