The Partnership at Drugfree.org announced the launch of new tools, accessible at HablaConTusHijos, for Hispanic parents and families who are struggling to address drug and alcohol abuse by their children. New research from the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows that Hispanic teens are using drugs at alarmingly higher levels when compared to teens from other ethnic groups. About 54% of Hispanic teens reported having used an illicit drug in the past year, versus 42% of African-American and 39% of Caucasian teens. The comprehensive tools at HablaConTusHijos provide effective, yet easy-to-use, resources equipping Hispanic parents and grandparents to take action in preventing teen substance abuse. Clear, understandable content is brought to life with customized checklists, ...
Check out the American Lung Association's annual Helping Smokers Quit: Tobacco Cessation Coverage report. The new report documents the coverage of quit smoking programs and treatments available in each state and from the federal government and identifies the most and least quit-friendly states in the country. Additionally, the report documents significant advances in the ongoing federal health care overhaul and other federal policies that will offer millions help in ending their deadly tobacco addiction. It also recognizes states that are making progress in this life-and-death effort and calls on policymakers at all levels to make quit-smoking services an urgent priority. Read the full report ...
The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Healthcare 411 audio news source provides practical health care information, research findings, and data in English and Spanish to help consumers, health providers, health insurers, researchers, and policymakers make informed decisions about health care issues. The site offers some brand-new Spanish-language podcasts on these topics: Consejos para dejar de fumar: Provides suggestions to help individuals break their smoking habit. Terapias para niños con trastornos del espectro autista: Discusses treatment options for children with autism Toma las riendas: Discusses how patients can increase their awareness about common healthcare issues Disparidades en el uso de medicamentos para el asma: Discusses the disparities of ...
The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND) has announced the release of the special journal issue, Cigarette Smoking Interventions Among Diverse Populations. This issue, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, includes 15 papers that provide insight into how to effectively reduce tobacco's impact on populations who are disproportionately affected by tobacco use, including African Americans and Latinos. In the issue, researchers examine the use and efficacy of evidence-based interventions among diverse ...
The latest guidelines and info for cancer screening, treatment and prevention are right there when you need them in the form of three new apps for the iPhone and/or iPad. "HPVsearch" allows users to look up facts, vaccines and patient FAQs. With "CanSearch," find the recommended screening guidelines for the top 25 cancers, including their risk factors, nutrition and chemoprevention stats, and imaging tests. With "CanQuit," refer to guidelines, info, and resources to help patients quit smoking. These free apps, from the Texas Medical Association's Physician Oncology Education Program, are available here from your iPhone or ...
An FDA panel recently released a report that menthol cigarettes are harmful and that their removal "from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States," the Los Angeles Times reports. Menthol is the flavoring used in about 30% of U.S. cigarettes. The National Latino Tobacco Control Network (NLTCN) welcomes this recommendation to the FDA and urges the FDA to ban the use of menthol in cigarettes and other tobacco products. By withdrawing this product from the market, the FDA would be protecting the lives of people of color, NLTCN argues. More than 82% of the African American smokers use mentholated cigarettes, as well as 45% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, 35% of multiracial populations, 37% Latino women, and 32% of Asian Americans. "For our ...
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's free Web-based teen smoking-cessation and prevention program, ASPIRE, now speaks Spanish. ASPIRE (A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience) aims to prevent middle-school and high-school teens from smoking or help them quit before it becomes a lifelong addiction. The site integrates interactive media, customized messages, graphics, animations and streaming videos. "We've found that participating students are more aware about the dangers of smoking, are making more informed decisions about smoking and are less tempted to start in the first place," said developer Dr. Alexander V. Prokhorov, a professor at MD Anderson. "Removing the language barrier will help tremendously in reaching and educating Hispanic teens, especially those ...
Congratulations, Houston! A few days ago a large group of minority health coalitions, doctors and elected officials celebrated the third anniversary of Houston’s successful smoking ban urging Houstonians “to see their doctors and put down their cigarettes for good.” “Smoke Free for 3,” a campaign lead by the Hispanic Health Coalition, Asian American Health Coalition, African American Health Coalition, Native American Health Coalition, and Houston Communities for Safe Indoor Air (HCSIA), recognized the City of Houston’s leadership and success in creating more smoke free workplaces and public spaces effective Sept. 1, 2007. However, despite the success in public policies, smoking continues to be a significant personal health issue for many Houstonians, particularly for ...
Latinos generally have lower rates of smoking than other racial/ethnic groups with the exception of Asian Americans. However, smoking remains a continuing and serious problem in the Latino community. Get all the key facts on Latino smoking from the American Lung Association. And if you're a Latino who is thinking about quitting smoking, be sure to check out the Buena Vida health magazine in English or Spanish that tells the stories of five Latinos and how they kicked the habit and what it meant for their lives. The Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind Salud Today, produced the magazine and other tobacco prevention ...
