Latino Smoking Statistics: New Study Finds Cigarette Use Highest Among Puerto Ricans And Cubans In US

The tobacco epidemic in the world, let alone the United States, is one that claims millions of lives and costs billions of dollars. The 2014 Surgeon General's Report has revealed that one-half million adults will die prematurely due to smoking this year and the current estimate of the economic cost of tobacco is over $289 billion.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading causes of death for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States is cigarette smoking. And among the smoking Hispanic/Latino population, smoking is more prevalent in the male population (17 percent) than women (8.6 percent).

A new cross-sectional survey study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, broke down the adult Hispanic/Latino smokers aged 18-74 by subgroups (e.g. age, gender, national background, SES, birthplace). From their analysis, the researchers found that the highest smoking rates were found in Puerto Ricans (men, 35 percent; women, 32.6 percent) and Cubans (men, 31.3 percent; women, 21.9 percent), and the lowest rates amongst Dominicans (men, 11 percent; women, 11.7 percent).

The disparity in smoking rates between Hispanic/Latino men and women is consistent with the findings of a 2008 study, which found that smoking among Hispanic/Latino women is much lower than the rates seen among women of other races as well as Hispanic men. That said, the new study found that most of the Hispanic/Latino women that smoked were born in the U.S. and had a higher level of acculturation to the dominant U.S. culture.

The study also found that smoking was more common with those of lower socio-economic status and they were more likely to smoke and less likely to quit the habit. Amongst young Mexican men, non-daily smoking was commonly found, hinting that a social factor may play into casual smoking.