Hispanic/Latino
How Big Tobacco Targets Hispanic/Latino Communities
What’s one of the most insidious ways to infiltrate a community? Gain favor for your deadly products by funding schools and children’s education. Big Tobacco financially supported primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges, and even scholarship programs for Hispanic/Latino communities to create the illusion that they’re supporting the future of the community.1 Big Tobacco lobbied and donated large amounts of money to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to oppose tobacco tax increases, trying to make elected officials their puppets.2
All this money from the tobacco industry is devastating to the health of Hispanic/Latino communities. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanic/Latino populations in California, and smoking causes 80-90 percent of lung cancer cases.3
But Big Tobacco doesn’t stop there – the industry also aggressively discounts flavored cigar and cigarillos in predominantly Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods to hook new customers.4
Stay aware of Big Tobacco’s predatory tactics – they’re going to do everything they can to keep a deadly grip on Hispanic/Latino communities.
The proof is in the data
Indicator | Hispanic/Latino | General population |
|---|---|---|
Adult tobacco use | ||
1. Adult cigarette use: Adult cigarette smoking prevalence | 6% | 6.7% |
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2. Change in adult cigarette use: Rate of change in adult cigarette smoking, 2014 to 2020 | -41.7% The 2020 estimate is significantly lower than the 2014 estimate. | -46.4% |
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3. Adult tobacco use: Adult tobacco use prevalence (e.g. cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other vaping products, other tobacco products) | 9.6% The estimate is significantly lower than the California general population. | 11.3% |
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Youth tobacco use | ||
4. Youth cigarette use: Youth cigarette smoking prevalence | 1% | 1.2% |
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5. Change in youth cigarette use: Rate of change in youth cigarette smoking, 2016 to 2020 | -76.7% The 2020 estimate is significantly lower than the 2016 estimate. | -72.1% |
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6. Youth tobacco use: Youth tobacco use prevalence (e.g. cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other vaping products, other tobacco products) | 8% The estimate is significantly lower than the California general population. | 9.7% |
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Availability of tobacco & tobacco industry influence | ||
7. Cheapest cigarettes: Average price for the cheapest pack of cigarettes | $6.99 | $7.11 |
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8. Flavored little cigar price: Average price for a single flavored little cigar/cigarillo | $0.91 | $0.97 |
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9. Tobacco retail licensing: Proportion of population protected by a strong tobacco retail licensing law | 59.8% | 59.5% |
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10. Tobacco stores: Density of stores selling tobacco per 100,000 residents | 101.4 The estimate is 10.0 stores per 100,000 higher than the California general population. | 77 |
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11. Flavored tobacco: Proportion of stores that sell flavored non-cigarette tobacco products | 83.2% | 81.8% |
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12. Menthol cigarettes: Proportion of stores that sell menthol cigarettes | 90.5% | 88.3% |
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13. Tobacco advertising: Proportion of stores that keep 90% of their storefront free from any advertising | 32.2% | 40.1% |
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Secondhand smoke | ||
14. Adult secondhand tobacco exposure: Proportion of adults exposed to secondhand smoke or vape | 36.9% | 35.2% |
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15. Youth secondhand tobacco exposure: Proportion of youth exposed to secondhand smoke or vape | 27.5% The estimate is significantly lower than the California general population. | 33.1% |
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16. Smoke-free multi-unit housing: Proportion of population protected by a smoke-free multi-unit housing law | 61.4% | 33.1% |
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17. Smoke-free homes: Proportion of adults with smoke-free homes | 93.4% | 91.8% |
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Cessation | ||
18. Quitting: Proportion of smokers who tried quitting in the last 12 months | 58.7% | 55.6% |
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19. Doctor advice to quit: Proportion of smokers whose doctors advised them to quit | 38.4% | 46.8% |
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Kick It California | Percent of enrollees | Percent of smokers |
20. Kick It California enrollees: Proportion of Kick It California enrollees | 21.7% The estimate is significantly lower than the population’s make-up of California’s adult smokers. | 35.5% of smokers are Hispanic/Latino |
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A Story of Inequity
Tobacco’s impact on health disparities in California
For decades, the tobacco industry has aggressively targeted California’s diverse communities with predatory practices. Internal documents from Big Tobacco outline their strategies – many of which are shocking attempts to peddle deadly products by way of product discounts and manipulative advertising. They even gave away free products to youth in the past. These tactics masquerade as support for communities under the guise of cultural celebration.
Unfortunately, the tactics have worked. Big Tobacco aggressively targeted communities and, as a result, some populations have higher rates of tobacco use, experience greater secondhand smoke exposure at work and at home, and have higher rates of tobacco-related disease than the general population.1
Addressing tobacco-related health inequities is key to California’s efforts to fight tobacco, our state’s number one cause of preventable death and disease.2 Tobacco use, pricing, and its impact across California were analyzed where significant disparities were found across various populations. See how Big Tobacco affects each community in the Nation’s most diverse state.