Stay Informed

Sign up for news & alerts

Already signed up?
Login here

take action
For every $1 states spend dollar sign on substance misuse and addiction, 94 cents go to shovel up the consequences instead of for treatment and prevention. TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS

What Can I Do?



Continuing Education
Free online courses for addiction counselors LEARN ONLINE

Get Help
Need alcohol or drug help for yourself or someone else? GET HELP

 

African-Americans More at Risk from Smoking
April 5, 2001

Share Share Email
Email
Print
Print
SubscribeSubscribe
Research Summary

Research shows that lung-cancer rates may be higher among African-American smokers because they inhale more tobacco smoke than other smokers, Reuters reported March 29.

A study conducted by researchers at the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, N.Y., found that black participants had substantially higher levels of cancer-causing tobacco byproducts in their blood and urine than a similar group of white study participants.

"This suggests that exposure to tobacco smoke is higher in blacks than in whites, which could explain the higher lung-cancer rates," said lead investigator and foundation researcher Joshua Muscat.

For the study, researchers examined 167 black and 186 white smokers in the Westchester area. They also asked smokers how many cigarettes they smoked each day, what type of cigarettes they smoked, how deeply they inhaled, and how much of each cigarette they smoked.

The results indicated that blacks smoke fewer cigarettes per day than whites, but prefer cigarettes with higher nicotine and tar per cigarette.

However, the results did not explain the higher tobacco-byproduct levels in blacks. Researchers looked at smoking behavior, concluding that blacks inhale more deeply or take more puffs per cigarette.

To obtain more definitive results, the foundation will conduct a study where smokers will be observed in a lab.

The study's findings were presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

SUBMIT A COMMENT:

Note: Comments are now held for moderator approval. More info

Name:

Comment:
(limit 250
words)

Enter this word
(help):
Change

GUIDELINES: 
Please keep comments on-topic, courteous, clean, non-commercial, and within the word limit.
Read the complete guidelines