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Respira Vida

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Cultural connections to achieve freedom from nicotine addiction

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Community Coalition

Respira Vida – part of the Culture + Cessation Collectiveis a coalition of community leaders dedicated to addressing community-specific challenges facing Hispanic/Latino individuals impacted by tobacco use and nicotine addiction. These communities experience a disproportionate burden from tobacco and nicotine addiction due to a combination of factors, including a history of targeted marketing from the tobacco industry, a lack of culturally competent cessation services, and systemic inequities, from social stressors to historical mistrust of medical institutions.

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Tobacco use and nicotine addiction

Hispanic/Latino communities face unique obstacles to receiving cessation support, including language barriers, systemic health disparities, and cultural stigmas related to healthcare.

  • 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.
  • Hispanic and Latino American adults generally report a lower prevalence of cigarette smoking compared to national averages, but smoking prevalence varies drastically by subgroups within this population and 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.