According to the 2000 Monitoring the Future Study, an annual survey that tracks tobacco, illicit drug and alcohol use by secondary-school students, African-American students continue to have the lowest rates of smoking among the nation's 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders.

Yet extensive research also reveals the disproportionate effects of tobacco use among African Americans, who are at greater risk of developing long-term illnesses such as smoking-related coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer, than their non-African-American counterparts.

The study led by Dr. Eric T. Moolchan, a pediatrician and researcher at NIDA's Intramural Research Program in Baltimore, Md., assessed the smoking-related characteristics of African-American and non-African-American teenagers who applied to be participants in a smoking-cessation trial.

Researchers found that the African-American applicants were significantly older and smoked less on the weekends, and on average had fewer cigarettes each day, than their non-African American counterparts. Yet their smoking histories and motivation scores were similar, and both groups experienced asthma, allergies and depression at similar rates.

"Given the potential differences in the metabolic profile of nicotine among ethnic groups, we suggest that use of an awareness-based instrument, in addition to other measures of dependence, might provide clinicians with clearer and more useful diagnoses of nicotine dependence," said Moolchan.

"This study indicates that African-American youth may be in danger of experiencing the negative effects of tobacco earlier in their smoking histories, and assessments and interventions need to be tailored to their specific needs," said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, director of NIDA. "Until we are able to provide this level of service to young people of all ethnic backgrounds, we will continue to have increasing numbers of nicotine-addicted adults."

The study is published in the December 2000 issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Your Turn! Post a public comment (read guidelines):

Name:
Comment: (limit 200 words)
Enter this word (help):	Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for all, please:

1. Keep it clean, courteous, and on-topic. Comments are meant for thoughtful discussion of the article published above.
   
   
2. Do not post promotional links to organizations, products or services, or personal requests for assistance (get help).
   
   
3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercially-motivated posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments not conforming to these guidelines. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.