Unfair and Unjust Practices and Conditions Harm Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander People and Drive Health Disparities

Marketing plays a big role in whether people try or use commercial tobacco products. Commercial tobacco ads make smoking seem more appealing and increases the chance that someone will try smoking for the first time or start using commercial tobacco products regularly.^8,18,19

Tobacco companies spend billions of dollars each year to aggressively market their products.²⁰ They also target specific populations, including A/NH/PI populations, with commercial tobacco advertising.²¹

• Tobacco companies consider Asian people a key group for marketing commercial tobacco products, since cigarette smoking is more prevalent in some Asian countries than in the U.S.^18,22
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    Tobacco companies target cultural events, such as this Dragon Dance celebration for Lunar New Year

• Commercial tobacco ads on billboards and in stores are more common in city neighborhoods with mostly Asian residents than in other city neighborhoods.¹⁵
• Tobacco companies promote to Asian American business owners by supporting their business groups and giving them special materials to help drive product sales.¹⁵
• Commercial tobacco brands try to appeal to Asian people by making sure their brands are seen, giving money to community organizations, and targeting ads to this group. For example, the tobacco industry has sponsored Lunar New Year festivals and other activities related to Asia/Pacific American Heritage Month.¹⁸ The industry has also supported groups serving Asians and others, such as women’s groups, political groups, arts and culture groups, and senior citizens’ groups, with the goal of drawing in Asians and promoting their brands.²³

To help protect A/NH/PI people from tobacco marketing and discourage tobacco product use, states and communities can consider increasing prices and prohibiting price discounts, prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, and either allowing fewer stores in a neighborhood to sell commercial tobacco products or prohibiting tobacco product sales altogether.²⁴

Menthol has a minty flavor that masks the harsh taste of tobacco. Menthol makes cigarette smoke feel easier to inhale and can make it harder to quit smoking.^25,26,27 Tobacco companies have aggressively marketed menthol cigarettes to A/NH/PI people for decades and continue to do so today.

• The tobacco industry targets neighborhoods with more Asian residents, other communities of color, low-income neighborhoods, and youth with menthol advertising.²⁸
• In 2019, 77% of NH/PI and 41% of Asian adults who smoked reported using a menthol brand, compared to 30% of white people who smoked.²⁹
• In 2011, over half of Asian youth aged 12-17 who smoked reported using a menthol brand—second only to that of Black youth (72%).³⁰
• Filipino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults who smoke are more likely to use menthol cigarettes than other groups of Asian adults.³¹

Stress, such as that caused by financial problems, discrimination, or unsafe neighborhoods, can make someone more likely to smoke.^34,35,36 Some A/NH/PI people face many types of stress:

• Asian people who reported many instances of discrimination were more likely to smoke than Asian people who reported fewer instances of discrimination.³⁷
• Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Native Hawaiians are more likely to have low-paying jobs and to have below average living conditions. Many report high levels of racism and discrimination, and that it affects their jobs, housing, and income.³⁸
• Southeast Asian ethnic groups have lower incomes than the average U.S. household income, according to the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.³⁹ Continuing financial problems are a major source of stress.

When people experience severe or long-lasting forms of stress, their bodies respond by raising stress hormones and keeping them raised. When this goes on for a long time, they may develop health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes.^40,41 Smoking cigarettes also leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body.⁸