Home About Writers Categories Recent Issues Subscribe Contact File Transfer





Lisa Reyes
Lisa S. Reyes is Co-Founder and Executive Director of HIV/AIDS/STD prevention and health education services, for Latinos(as)/Hispanics, at Our Gang Inc. She is co-chair to Kansas Community Planning Group, a fellow of the national Latino Coalition Against Tobacco, and a certified HIV/AIDs/STD educator, a member of the National Testing Advocacy Network, a steering committee member with the Kansas AIDs Fund, a member of the National Testing Advocacy Network, a steering committee member with the Kansas AIDs Fund, a member of the La Mesa Redonda, and a member of the Hispanic/Native American Coalition. Lisa is a community activist and a prominent leader in the fight for a healthy community and nation. You may contact Lisa at (316)685-6300.
Health & Medicine
2002-10-01 12:03:00
Is smoking that bad?
Lisa Reyes Question:  Does smoking really make that much difference?  How does smoking effect the health of  Latinos?Answer:  Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.  Smoking is related to a variety of health problems, including cancers, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases.  This is significant since the leading causes of death for Latinos include heart disease, pulmonary/ respiratory problems.  Smoking has also been linked to asthma, and it is estimated that one-half million Latino children have symptoms of asthma; two-thirds of these children are Puerto Rican.  Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence of active asthma (11 percent) of any racial/ethnic group of children in the U.S.   Puerto Ricans have also been found to have the highest rate of smoking among Latino subgroups. In addition, teens who smoke are also more likely than non-smoking teens to use alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and to have seen a health professional for mental health issues.   Young people vastly under estimate the addictiveness of nicotine.  Of daily smokers who think that they will not smoke in five years, nearly 75 percent are still smoking five to six years later. Smoking may also be an indicator of underlying mental health problems, such as depression.  For example, high school seniors who are regular smokers and began smoking by grade 9, are three times more likely than their non-smoking peers to have seen a health professional for an emotional or psychological complaint.  A study of Latino boys found that a high level of depression significantly predicted the quantity of cigarettes smoked and the frequency of smoking. Among Mexican American Women ages 40-59 years, those who smoked cigarettes also had more depressive symptoms than those who did not smoke. The relationship between smoking and mental health can have implications for Latinos, as Latino adults are more likely than Whites to report a major depressive episode.  For example, in 1993, more than one-half (53 percent) of Latina women reported severe chronic depression. Tobacco use remains a significant threat to the health of the Latino population, especially for certain subgroups, despite some data suggesting Latinos fair better than other racial/ethnic groups regarding smoking prevalence.   In general, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Latino adults has decreased over the last 10-15 years.  Between 1978 and 1995, the prevalence of smoking among Latino men and women decreased from 30.1 percent (1978-1980) to 18.9 percent (1994-1995).   However, these trends do not reflect long-term smoking prevalence rates for Latinos as a whole,  by  ethnicity and gender.  Although, the current picture of tobacco use among Latinos remains unclear and perhaps misleading. We do know that many of the health concerns that Latinos have can be attributed to tobacco use.Compiled by information obtained from the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention(LCAT). 
 
The Q & A Times Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.Materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Thank you.
 
Wildcard SSL Certificates