The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a new rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. Smoking cigarettes, which contain nicotine, an addictive chemical, is estimated to kill nearly half a million people in the U.S. each year. The proposed rule aims to make cigarettes less addictive, prevent young people from starting smoking, and promote quitting smoking among all groups. The FDA wants your comment on the proposed rule. You can submit a model comment created by Salud America! urging the FDA to make cigarettes and other tobacco products less addictive. This comment period is open until Sept. 15, 2025. COMMENT ...
Did you know that smoking one single cigarette can burn 20 minutes off of your life expectancy? This is according to a UK-based study, which also found that smokers lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life. “Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability,” according to the study. While the study focused on the UK, life expectancy and smoking are big issues in the US, too. Today, there are over 480,000 US deaths each year caused by smoking and smoke exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Let’s dig deeper into this issue.
Smoking and Life Expectancy
In the UK, ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Using Science to Address Latino Health Disparities Research
Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., is Director of NIMHD at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This plenary session occurred at 8:30 am., Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, at the 4th biennial Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference. Health differences Dr. Pérez-Stable began his presentation by discussing populations with health differences. While background along with social and economic factors are the fundamental pillars of health differences science, the intersection of these factors with rural populations, other overlooked groups, and people with physical or mental challenges are also important to ...
Climate change threatens communities by worsening air quality and increasing chronic disease risk and intensifying deadly storms, droughts, and heat waves. Certain communities – low-income neighborhoods and overlooked people – often suffer most because they suffer from health gaps, are more exposed to climate risks, and have a lower ability to prepare, adapt, and recover from their effects. How vulnerable is your community to climate change? The new U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), a mapping tool, uses environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure data to help you understand your community’s ability to respond and adapt to climate change. “Better understanding of the intersection of vulnerability and climate change risks is key to effectively building ...
As temperatures increase to scorching new benchmarks every year, weather experts advise people to avoid prolonged exposure to extreme heat, which can have disastrous health consequences, from heat stroke to death. But not everyone can escape the heat’s harmful effects. Heat can create hazardous working conditions for workers in labor-heavy outdoor industries, such as construction, maritime, and agriculture, which employs many Latinos. To protect outdoor workers from extreme heat, the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are proposing a new rule to require employers to implement a heat emergency response and planning procedure, which includes providing water, shaded areas, and rest breaks. “Workers all over the country ...
With heat reaching record-breaking numbers every summer in some states, evidence points to our environment changing. For instance, Florida saw its hottest year on record since 1895 when the surface temperatures reached 177 degrees in places. Heat indices rose to triple digits multiple days in a row in Texas, making 2023 the second-hottest summer on record. In the wake of extreme heat, weather experts have advised people to limit their time outside when the sun is out, especially for the population’s most vulnerable people like seniors and children. But what about those who can’t escape the heat? Despite the weather, outdoor workers are braving the elements to provide a valuable service to support their families. Many of these workers are Latino. While ...
On May 31, you can join thousands of people who will begin their smoke-free journey on World No Tobacco Day! This annual event from the World Health Organization to "draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes." Need help quitting smoking? Enroll in Quitxt, a free English or Spanish text-message service that turns your phone into a personal “quit smoking” coach from UT Health San Antonio. To join Quitxt, text “iquit” (for English) or “lodejo” (for Spanish) to 844-332-2058. “On World No Tobacco Day, we’re excited to share Quitxt to provide real-time help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, and much more, all on your phone,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! ...
Many know of the harms and health risks of smoking and secondhand smoke. However, you may not have heard of thirdhand smoke, which is the chemical pollutants that linger and settle indoors after tobacco is smoked. “The chemicals in thirdhand smoke include nicotine as well as cancer-causing substances such as formaldehyde, naphthalene and others,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Policy gaps are failing to protect the public from thirdhand smoke, according to a recent study. The study suggests that policies safeguard against thirdhand smoke even as they protect against secondhand smoke exposure by prohibiting indoor smoking in public places. “While these measures have been instrumental in protecting public health, saving lives, and reducing health care ...
You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with Day 1. On Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, you can join thousands of people who will begin their smoke-free journey with the Great American Smokeout. This annual event from the American Cancer Society encourages smokers to make a plan to stop smoking. Need help? Enroll in Quitxt, a free English or Spanish text-message service that turns your phone into a personal “quit smoking” coach from UT Health San Antonio. To join Quitxt, text “iquit” (for English) or “lodejo” (for Spanish) to 844-332-2058. “For the Great American Smokeout, we’re excited to share Quitxt to provide real-time help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, and much more, all on your phone,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, ...
Comment Now to Reduce Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a new rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. Smoking cigarettes, which contain nicotine, an addictive chemical, is estimated to kill nearly half a million people in the U.S. each year. The proposed rule aims to make cigarettes less addictive, prevent young people from starting smoking, and promote quitting smoking among all groups. The FDA wants your comment on the proposed rule. You can submit a model comment created by Salud America! urging the FDA to make cigarettes and other tobacco products less addictive. This comment period is open until Sept. 15, 2025. COMMENT ...
Read More