HISPANICS AND TOBACCO

Fact Sheet

There are approximately 30 million Hispanic-Americans living in the United States, comprising 11.1 percent of the total population. Hispanics in the United States are generally grouped in five populations: Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban-Americans, Central-South Americans and "other." Among these groups, smoking prevalence is highest in Puerto Rican Americans (25.0 percent), followed by other Hispanics (22.4 percent), Mexican Americans (22.2 percent) and Cuban Americans (20.7 percent).

• Hispanics are less likely to be smokers (18.3 percent) than non-Hispanic whites (25.6 percent) and African Americans (25.8 percent).

• Hispanic smokers (both male and female) tend to smoke fewer cigarettes per day (a half a pack daily or less) than non-Hispanic whites.

• Among Hispanics, the proportion of men who smoke (22.9 percent) is higher than that of women (15.1 percent).

• Among Hispanic adolescents, the smoking rate increased 34 percent between 1991 (25/3 percent) and 1997 (34.0 percent). During the same years, the rate of increase for white students was 28 percent, from 30.9 percent in 1991 to 39.7 percent in 1997.

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanics. 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).

• As smoking has declined among the white non-Hispanic population, tobacco companies have targeted both African Americans and Hispanics with intensive merchandising, which includes billboards, advertising in media oriented to these communities, and sponsorship of civic groups and athletic, cultural, and entertainment events.

For more information call the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872), or visit our web site at http://www.lungusa.org.

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