Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention and Control
85 East 7th Place
St. Paul, MN 55164
651-201-3535
www.health.state.mn.us/tobacco
Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
What are Health Disparities?
Health disparities are the preventable
differences in the incidence, prevalence,
mortality, and burden of disease and other
adverse health conditions that exist between
specific population groups.
Minnesota Tobacco-Related Health
Disparities
In Minnesota, tobacco use is highest in American
Indian populations. A recent report released by
the American Indian Community Tobacco
Projects found that 59 percent of American
Indians in Minnesota smoke1, an increase from
previous years. Tobacco use among racial and
ethnic groups is shown below for Minnesota
adults.
represent the use of cigarettes, and other
tobacco products, within the past 30 days for
Minnesota adolescents in grades 9 and 12.
Minnesota Student Survey, 2010
Minnesota Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2011
Tribal Tobacco Use Project (TTUP) 2013
Similar disparities among racial and ethnic
groups can also be seen in Minnesota’s
adolescent populations. The charts to the right
Minnesota Student Survey, 2010
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Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
Tobacco-Related Health Disparities – Page 2
Additionally, recent survey findings indicate that
30.8 percent of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) communities
in Minnesota are current smokers.2
US Tobacco-Related Health Disparities
Health disparities are prominent in tobacco use
and exposure throughout the US:
 American Indians/Alaska Natives have
the highest rate of smoking in the US.3
 Hispanic smokers born in the US smoke at
a higher rate than those born elsewhere.4
 25 percent of adults who identified
themselves as multiracial or other race
are current smokers, higher than any
other racial/ethnic category.5
The Minnesota Department of Health provides
grant funds to nonprofits, community health
boards and tribal governments to change health
outcomes by adopting policies, systems, and
environmental change in their own communities.
These communities work toward smoke-free air
in settings such as multi-family housing and
childcare, as well as tobacco free environments
like workplaces, parks, and community
celebrations and events.
Addressing Tobacco-Related Health
Disparities
There is no single factor that determines
patterns of tobacco use among racial and ethnic
groups. These patterns are the result of complex
interactions between several factors, such as
socioeconomic status, cultural characteristics,
targeted advertising, price of tobacco products,
and the varying capacities of communities to
implement effective tobacco control initiatives.6
1
American Indian Community Tobacco Projects. (2013). Tribal Tobacco Use Project Survey Report 2013: Findings from
Minnesota American Indian Communities.
2
VOICES OF HEALTH: A SURVEY OF LGBTQ HEALTH IN MINNESOTA, Rainbow Health Initiative, 2013
3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, September 9). Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults
Aged ≥18 Years --- United States, 2005--2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), pp. 1207-1212.
4
Acevedo-Garcia, D., Pan, J., Jun, H.-J., Osypuk, T. L., & Emmons, K. M. (2005). The effect of immigrant generation on
smoking. Social Science & Medicine, 1223-1242.
5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010, April 16). Adult Tobacco Survey --- 19 States, 2003--2007 Surveillance Summaries. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), pp. 1-74.
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1998, April 27). Smoking & Tobacco Use. Retrieved November 2013, from
Highlights: At a Glance: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/1998/highlights/ataglance/index.htm
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Tobacco-Related Health Disparities