CDC: Some racial/ethnic groups continue to smoke cigarettes at higher rates

About four in 10 American Indian/Alaska Native adults reported smoking cigarettes when surveyed in 2010-2013, the highest rate among U.S. racial or ethnic groups, according to a study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in four white and African American adults reported smoking cigarettes, while Puerto Rican and Korean adults had the highest cigarette smoking rates among Hispanic and Asian subgroups, at 28.5% and 20%, respectively. Men had higher smoking rates than women within most racial/ethnic groups. “Even though the overall cigarette-smoking rate is declining, disparities remain among racial and ethnic groups and within subgroups,” said Bridgette Garrett, associate director for health equity in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Looking beyond broad racial and ethnic population categories can help better focus the strategies that we know work to reduce tobacco use among sub-groups with higher rates of use.” The findings are from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.