Items of Interest
Although African Americans smoke at lower or similar rates compared with other racial and ethnic groups, they are disproportionately affected by tobacco use in several ways. For example, African Americans have higher death rates from tobacco-related causes and are more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke.
The Maryland Attorney General has joined the lawsuit started by the African American Leadership Council to compel the FDA to ban menthol in tobacco products as recommended by the FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (“TPSAC”) in 2011.
The results of a recent study of the Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 Registry suggest that cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke is an independent risk factor for hospital admission and death from COVID-19.
Cigarette smoking prevalence is higher among adults enrolled in Medicaid than adults with private health insurance. State Medicaid coverage of cessation treatments has been gradually improving in recent years; however, the extent to which this has translated into increased use of these treatments by Medicaid enrollees remains unknown.
In a study of about 16,000 people ages 12 to 24, nearly two-thirds had tried at least one tobacco product and almost 33% had tried five or more tobacco products. E-cigarettes and cigarettes were the two most popular. Trying e-cigarettes and multiple other tobacco products before age 18 years is strongly associated with later daily cigarette smoking.
CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, in collaboration with RTI International, released the following tobacco-related research brief:
Pages
