Commercial tobacco continues to stand as one of the greatest barriers to health equity for African American communities. While overall smoking rates have declined across the country, African American people continue to face disproportionate harm from tobacco use, not because they smoke more, but because of long-standing inequities, targeted marketing, and systemic barriers to care. The reality is stark: even though African American adults often smoke fewer cigarettes per day and start smoking later in life compared to White adults, they are still more likely to suffer and die from smoking-related illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. This pattern reveals a painful truth—that commercial tobacco is not just a personal health issue, but a public health and social justice issue.
Key Facts
- In 2020, 19.4% of non-Hispanic Black adults reported current tobacco use.
- In 2024, about 10% of non-Hispanic Black youth used tobacco products, compared with 7.8% of non-Hispanic White youth.
- Among youth, 2.2% of Black youth used cigars compared with 0.9% of White youth.
- African American people often begin smoking later in life than White people, yet still face higher risks of death from smoking-related diseases.
- While similar percentages of African American and White adults smoke, Black adults smoke fewer cigarettes per day on average.
- African American people are more likely to experience serious health effects such as heart disease and diabetes linked to tobacco use.
Health equity cannot be achieved until every community is free from the harm of commercial tobacco. By working together to dismantle targeted industry practices and expand access to prevention and cessation support, we can build a healthier, stronger future for African American families and generations to come.
Reference:https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco-health-equity/collection/african-american-health-burden.html
