What’s one of the most insidious ways to infiltrate a community? Gain favor for your deadly products by funding schools and children’s education. Big Tobacco financially supported primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges, and even scholarship programs for Hispanic/Latino communities to create the illusion that they’re supporting the future of the community.1 Big Tobacco lobbied and donated large amounts of money to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to oppose tobacco tax increases, trying to make elected officials their puppets.2
All this money from the tobacco industry is devastating to the health of Hispanic/Latino communities. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Hispanic/Latino populations in California, and smoking causes 80-90 percent of lung cancer cases.34
But Big Tobacco doesn’t stop there – the industry also aggressively discounts flavored cigar and cigarillos in predominantly Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods to hook new customers.4
Stay aware of Big Tobacco’s predatory tactics – they’re going to do everything they can to keep a deadly grip on Hispanic/Latino communities.
Tobacco’s impact on health disparities in California
For decades, the tobacco industry has aggressively targeted California’s diverse communities with predatory practices. Internal documents from Big Tobacco outline their strategies – many of which are shocking attempts to peddle deadly products by way of product discounts and manipulative advertising. They even gave away free products to youth in the past. These tactics masquerade as support for communities under the guise of cultural celebration.
Unfortunately, the tactics have worked. Big Tobacco aggressively targeted communities and, as a result, some populations have higher rates of tobacco use, experience greater secondhand smoke exposure at work and at home, and have higher rates of tobacco-related disease than the general population.5
Addressing tobacco-related health inequities is key to California’s efforts to fight tobacco, our state’s number one cause of preventable death and disease.6 Tobacco use, pricing, and its impact across California were analyzed where significant disparities were found across various populations. See how Big Tobacco affects each community in the Nation’s most diverse state.
