Surgeon general releases report on health disparities related to tobacco use

Virtual collaborator webinar addresses new report

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., released a new report on health disparities related to tobacco use, which finds that progress in reducing cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure has not been equal for all populations.

The report, titled Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities, revealed that disparities in tobacco use persist due to a variety of factors including race and ethnicity, income, education, sexual orientation, occupation, geography and behavioral health status. It also determined that cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure continue to cause nearly half a million deaths per year in the U.S. 

A virtual collaborator webinar accompanied the report’s release, in which Dr. Murthy and staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided a detailed overview of the major conclusions from the report. 

While smoking has declined more than 70% in the U.S. since 1965, Dr. Murthy stated during the webinar that progress achieved through improvements in tobacco-related policies, regulations, programs, research and clinical care has not resulted in the same outcomes across all U.S. population groups.   

He said the report serves both to remind people that tobacco is still in fact a public health issue and to illustrate that benefits in the recent year have not accrued evenly. The report describes major disparities in health when it comes to tobacco-related disease, beyond solely racial and ethnic disparities. The goal was to look at “an even broader set” of disparities than have been studied in the past, according to Dr. Murthy.

“My belief has always been that we can’t solve problems if we can’t see them. This report allows us to see clearly where the disparities are so that we can better target our efforts to ensure that in the end, we are lifting up all populations when it comes to protecting Americans from tobacco-related disease,” he said. 

The report delves into areas in which specific populations are affected. For instance, smoking rates among American Indian and Alaska Native populations are double the general population, and individuals with less than a high school degree are more likely to smoke.

Additionally, Dr. Murthy noted that the report points to the driving forces behind these disparities. One particularly important factor is poverty, as differences in education status can contribute to disparities in access to health care resources.

“If you don’t have access to information [or] can’t get access to cessation and counseling services, that can make it harder to quit,” Dr. Murthy said. 

There are various pathways that lead to decreased tobacco use, according to the report. These include increasing prices on tobacco products, expanding smoke- and tobacco-free spaces, banning menthol, and reducing the nicotine content in cigarettes.

The ADA has advocated repeatedly for tobacco cessation — most recently in its inaugural Strategic Forecast, which aims to help dentists support the advancement of the health of the public. The Public Profession component of the Strategic Forecast includes a goal to reduce people’s use of products containing nicotine. 

The surgeon general’s report was developed in partnership with the CDC as well as a senior scientific editorial team that oversaw much of the content and worked with 150 subject matter experts, editors and peer reviewers to ensure a high-quality report for the public.

Dr. Murthy concluded the webinar by emphasizing the importance of remaining focused on the end game of eliminating tobacco use.   

“These are preventable deaths, and that’s what makes them particularly tragic. So, the fact that we have pathways we can take to prevent those deaths, in my mind, is all of the motivation we need to put our foot on the accelerator and keep going,” he said. “The progress we’ve made in the past should give us hope that we can complete the journey that’s ahead.”

For more information on tobacco use and cessation, visit ada.org/tobacco-cessation. For more information about the ADA’s Strategic Forecast, visit this webpage.