Black or African American is defined by the Office of Management and Budget as “a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.”¹ There were over 40 million African Americans in the United States in 2016—approximately 13% of the U.S. population.²

Although African Americans usually smoke fewer cigarettes and start smoking cigarettes at an older age, they are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases than Whites.^3,4,5,6,7,8

Tobacco use is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among African Americans—heart disease, cancer, and stroke.^3,4,5

• Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death among African Americans.⁴ The risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for cigarette smokers than nonsmokers.¹⁰

Patterns of Tobacco Use

• African American youth and young adults have significantly lower prevalence of cigarette smoking than Hispanics and Whites.¹¹
• Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking among African American and White adults is the same, African Americans smoke fewer cigarettes per day.^3,6
• On average, African Americans initiate smoking at a later age compared to Whites.^3,6

Secondhand Smoke Exposure

Quitting Behavior

Most African American adult cigarette smokers want to quit smoking, and many have tried.^10,13

• Among African American current daily cigarette smokers aged 18 years and older:
  • 72.8% report that they want to quit compared to 67.5% of Whites, 69.6% of Asian Americans, 67.4% of Hispanics, and 55.6% of American Indians/Alaska Natives.¹³
  • 63.4% report attempting to quit compared to 56.2% of Hispanics, 53.3% of Whites, and 69.4% of Asian Americans.¹³
• Despite more quit attempts, African Americans are less successful at quitting than White and Hispanic cigarette smokers, possibly because of lower utilization of cessation treatments such as counseling and medication.^3,13

Click Here To Visit the Center for Disease Control Website To Learn More

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