Hispanic Americans Act On Dangers Of Secondhand Smoke.

US Surgeon General Richard Carmona focused on the dangers of secondhand smoke when he announced that 86 percent of Hispanic American adults prohibit smoking in their homes and cars.

“When it comes to making healthy choices to keep our families safe and healthy, knowledge is power,” said Surgeon General Carmona. “This important new information shows that Hispanic Americans are taking the threat of secondhand smoke seriously and are acting to reduce their exposure to it. This is part of increasing health literacy in America and closing the gap
between what health professionals know and what Americans understand and do in their daily lives.”

American Legacy Foundation CEO, Dr. Cheryl Healton said the data showcased how well Hispanic Americans understand the dangers of tobacco. “Knowledge is power, and we see this power in the practices of Hispanic American families,” Healton said. She noted data from the 2002 ASHES (American Smoking and Health Survey) that showcases Hispanic Americans’ understanding of the dangers of tobacco:

* 88 percent of Hispanic adults agree or strongly agree that secondhand smoke is harmful

* 72 percent of Hispanic adults know that smoking around a baby can cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, compared to 47 percent in the general population

* 60 percent of Hispanic adults say they are very concerned about the impact of cigarette smoke on those around them, compared with only 31 percent of non-Hispanics who are very concerned

“For many other communities that are facing struggles similar to ours, the story is far less positive. For those communities, the effort is to gain control of the problem,” Carmona said. “For our community, we must defend the
line by maintaining control that we already have.”

The ASHES was conducted by the American Legacy Foundation in order to measure information about adult tobacco use, with a focus on new and “reduced risk” tobacco products, use of pharmacotherapy and other cessation aids and secondhand smoke exposure. ASHES is a telephone survey of 3,000 adults across the nation. Information was gathered in the spring and summer of 2002.

For more information at http://www.americanlegacy.org