{"id":2370700,"date":"2024-11-19T09:38:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T14:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/surgeon-general-calls-tobacco-related-disease-a-social-injustice-in-new-report-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-19T09:40:43","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T14:40:43","slug":"surgeon-general-calls-tobacco-related-disease-a-social-injustice-in-new-report-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/surgeon-general-calls-tobacco-related-disease-a-social-injustice-in-new-report-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Surgeon general calls tobacco-related disease \u2018a social injustice\u2019 in new report &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsurgeon-general-calls-tobacco-related-disease-a-social-injustice-in-new-report-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2370700&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Surgeon General, \u2062Vivek \u200bMurthy, released a new report highlighting significant health disparities\u200b related to tobacco use, labeling tobacco-related diseases \u200das a \u2062&#8221;social injustice.&#8221; The report indicates that minorities\u200b and \u200dindividuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related illnesses\u200c and deaths, despite a significant decline\u2062 in smoking\u2062 rates since the Surgeon General&#8217;s first report in 1965. Currently, smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S., \u200bclaiming about 470,000 lives annually.<\/p>\n<p>The report \u2063also underscored the complexities of tobacco \u2064use, noting that factors such as poverty, education level, and geographical location significantly influence smoking rates. For instance,\u2062 those living in poverty are nearly twice as likely to smoke compared to their more affluent counterparts. Additionally, smoking rates are notably higher \u200bamong \u2063demographics such as LGBTQ+ teenagers and adults in manual labor.<\/p>\n<p>Murthy emphasized\u2063 that all Americans \u200cdeserve a healthy life without tobacco-related diseases and announced that effective interventions\u200c exist to address these disparities. The report specifically criticized menthol \u2062cigarettes for\u2063 contributing to slower declines in smoking rates among Black and Hispanic populations, advocating for\u2063 restrictions on their \u2062availability to help reduce tobacco use.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Surgeon general calls tobacco-related&nbsp;disease&nbsp;&lsquo;a social injustice&rsquo; in new report<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1885160\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Surgeon General&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vivek-murthy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vivek Murthy<\/a>&nbsp;issued a new report on Tuesday with new evidence showing that minorities and people with lower economic status are more likely to suffer from tobacco-related chronic disease and death.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Although cigarette <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/smoking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"smoking\">smoking<\/a> has declined by more than 70% since the first surgeon general report on the dangers of tobacco in 1965, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-sgr-tobacco-related-health-disparities-full-report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"full 837\">full 837-page report<\/a> finds that both tobacco use and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-fully-bans-smoking-in-hotels\/\" title=\"California has completely prohibited smoking in hotels.\">secondhand smoke exposure<\/a> remain disproportionately higher among ethnic minorities and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Tobacco-related health disparities are a social injustice, in addition to an economic and health burden,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-sgr-tobacco-related-health-disparities-key-findings.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"summary \">summary <\/a>of the report says. &ldquo;Addressing disparities requires reflection on the complex history of the commercialization of tobacco and both past and present-day experiences of racism, discrimination, and targeted marketing by the tobacco industry.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the report, smoking is the top cause of preventable deaths in the United States, with 1 in 5 deaths across the country linked to tobacco. The report estimates that approximately 470,000 people die due to cigarette smoking each year and more than 19,000 die annually from exposure to secondhand smoke.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Diseases associated with smoking include cancer, cardiovascular disease, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-established-a-fund-so-family-of-deceased-covid-victims-could-receive-up-to-9000-what-could-go-wrong\/\" title=\"Democrats Established A Fund So Family Of Deceased COVID Victims Could Receive Up To ,000. What Could Go Wrong?\">chronic obstructive pulmonary disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 400,000 white adults are estimated to die from tobacco-related illness each year, compared to 50,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/african-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"black\">black<\/a> and 15,000 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hispanics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"black\">Hispanic <\/a>adults, but these numbers are more salient when viewed as a percentage of the population.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Despite large absolute differences in the numbers of smoking-attributable deaths by race and ethnicity, smoking accounts for a similar proportion of deaths among non-Hispanic Black (18%) and non-Hispanic White (20%) people and about 10% of deaths among Hispanic people,&rdquo; the report summary indicates.<\/p>\n<p>As of 2021, only 11.5% of the total U.S. population smokes cigarettes, but socioeconomic factors play a significant role.<\/p>\n<p>Smoking rates are nearly twice as high for adults living in poverty compared to those above the poverty line, as well as for high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual compared to heterosexual teenagers.<\/p>\n<p>Adults with less than a high school education are four times more likely to smoke than those with a college degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Rates of smoking are also higher among &ldquo;adult workers in manual labor and service jobs,&rdquo; &ldquo;adults living in the South and Midwest,&rdquo; and &ldquo;youth and adults living in rural areas,&rdquo; according to the report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW: Today I&rsquo;m releasing a Surgeon General&rsquo;s Report on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amid-mounting-crises-biden-admin-moves-to-ban-menthol-cigarettes\/\" title=\"Amid Mounting Crises, Biden Admin Moves to Ban Menthol Cigarettes\">tobacco-related health disparities<\/a> in the United States. This report recognizes that while we&rsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">ve made remarkable progress reducing tobacco<\/a> use in the past 60 years, that progress has not been even. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1NqGfqH7hT\">pic.twitter.com\/1NqGfqH7hT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Surgeon_General\/status\/1858842667636908307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;All Americans deserve to live a healthy life, free from tobacco-related disease, disability, and death,&rdquo; Murthy said in a video statement posted on X Tuesday morning. &ldquo;The good news is that we have proven interventions that can close these gaps and eliminate the leading cause of preventable disease and death for all Americans.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report also takes aim at menthol cigarettes, in particular, as the primary reason why declines in smoking use and secondhand smoke exposure have been slower among the black and Hispanic populations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Policies that restrict the availability of menthol cigarettes can reduce smoking initiation and prevalence among adolescents, young adults, Black people, and other population groups that have disproportionately higher use of menthol cigarettes,&rdquo; the report summary reads.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ethnic minority groups, women, and people with lower incomes are statistically more likely to use menthol tobacco products, which are often more difficult to quit than unflavored tobacco. But federal prohibitions on menthol tobacco products have been very unpopular.<\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden&rsquo;s administration has faced significant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2954041\/biden-delays-menthol-ban-2024-concerns-black-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"pushback\">pushback<\/a> from the black community regarding his call to ban menthol-flavored tobacco products.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-majority-of-pennsylvanians-oppose-bidens-menthol-cigarette-ban\/\" title=\"POLL: Majority of Pennsylvanians Oppose Biden\u2019s Menthol Cigarette Ban\">proposed menthol ban<\/a> may have also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3226553\/biden-menthol-ban-sleeper-issue-north-carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"cost\">cost<\/a> Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Kamala Harris\">Kamala Harris<\/a> critical votes in the 2024 election against President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"cost\">Donald Trump<\/a> in the key swing state of North Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1885160\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1885160\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Surgeon General labels tobacco-related disease as &#8216;social injustice&#8217; in new report<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2370701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ap-surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-111928.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37953,45294,45292,45293,32076],"class_list":["post-2370700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-health-report","tag-social-injustice","tag-surgeon-general","tag-tobacco-disease","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/ap-surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-111928.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2370700"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2370704,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2370700\/revisions\/2370704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2370701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2370700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2370700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2370700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}