Tobacco’s harmful impact on Hispanic and Latino Americans

September marks the start of Hispanic American Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), a time to celebrate the remarkable impact of Hispanic and Latino Americans on our nation’s history. It’s also a time to acknowledge the challenges that Hispanic and Latino Americans face today, including high levels of tobacco marketing exposure.

Tobacco companies have a history of targeting Hispanic and Latino Americans. In the 1970s and 1980s, Big Tobacco developed interest in the growing Hispanic and Latino population and launched marketing initiatives, deeming the population “lucrative,” “easy to reach,” and “undermarketed.” Since then, the industry has sponsored Hispanic and Latino cultural and sporting events, provided scholarships, and contributed to Hispanic political action committees. This targeted marketing has contributed to high levels of exposure to tobacco marketing - in fact, Hispanic and Latino American youth experience the highest levels of exposure to tobacco ads compared to Black and White youth, according to a 2022 study. 

While Hispanic and Latino American adults generally report a lower rate of cigarette smoking compared to the national average, smoking prevalence varies by subgroups within this population. Among all Hispanic American adults, those with Puerto Rican origin had the highest smoking prevalence (17%) and those with Central or South American origin had the lowest (6%). U.S.-born Hispanic Americans face higher cancer risk compared to those in their country of origin due to the adoption of behaviors such as smoking. Tobacco use can cause more than 12 types of cancer and makes up about 40% of cancer diagnoses.

Community-specific data are critical to addressing gaps

Specific data are critical to developing tailored interventions to address tobacco use among Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2024, the University of California Office of the President granted California State University, Fresno, $1.2 million to collaborate with the Latino Coordinating Center for a Tobacco-Free California, the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center at the University of California, Merced, and other groups to train a cohort of scholars at Fresno State on tobacco-control related issues with a focus on Hispanic and Latino individuals and communities. The BITER program (Bulldogs Involved in Tobacco Endgame Research) at Fresno State now provides research opportunities for students from all majors who are passionate about investigating tobacco-control issues with a specific focus on Hispanic and Latino individuals and communities.

Respira Vida: A community coalition to address nicotine addiction in the Hispanic and Latino Community

The Culture + Cessation Collective, powered by Truth Initiative, consists of three coalitions of community leaders committed to creating lasting partnerships that drive culturally responsive, community-led solutions for tobacco cessation. 

The Respira Vida coalition was created to address community-specific challenges facing Hispanic and Latino individuals impacted by tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Hispanic and Latino communities face unique obstacles to receiving cessation support, including language barriers, systemic health disparities, and cultural stigmas related to health care. Hispanic smokers have had lower odds of receiving cessation advice from a health professional or using evidence-based treatment like counseling or medication compared to White and Black smokers.

Through the coalition, community leaders, health experts, and advocates will gather for facilitated discussions centered on cultural sensitivity, community-specific challenges, and practical solutions, all with a policy-driven approach to ending nicotine addiction in these communities. 

The coalition also provides a community toolkit of downloadable resources to promote quitting, available in both English and Spanish.