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Native Americans and Tobacco in Washington

Summary

Native Americans make up nearly 2 percent of the Washington population, and are located throughout the state as well as in tribal communities. In 2006-2008 the combined average smoking among Native Americans was about 35.3 percent.  This is significantly higher than the state overall average of about 16.3 percent for the same years.  Among Native American adults, smokeless tobacco prevalence (8.5%) is significantly higher than the state as a whole (3.2%).  Cigarette smoking among 10th grade Native American youth in 2008 was significantly higher than the non-Hispanic white population, but smokeless tobacco use was similar.  The percentage of women smoking during pregnancy is significantly higher (23.3%) than the state average (10.1%), and has been consistently so for the past several years.

Native Americans appear to be at greater risk for lung cancer, which is strongly associated with smoking.  Native Americans appear to have a higher incidence of lung and bronchus cancer (75.5 per 1000,000 population in 2004-2006 combined) and a similar rate of trachea, lung and bronchus cancer mortality (50.1 per 100,000 in 2004-2006 combined) than Washington State as a whole.*  For 2003-2005 combined among the general population, the incidence of lung and bronchus cancer was 67.0 per 100,000 and the rate for trachea, lung and bronchus cancer mortality was 51.3 per 100,000. Due to possible under-reporting of Native American race in cancer registries and death certificates, the data to describe Native American incidence and mortality for lung and bronchus cancer may not be reliable. Steps are continually being taken to improve the quality of these data.

Although small in population size, the consistently high rates of tobacco use for Native Americans in all age and gender groups result in comparatively large proportions of individuals being affected by tobacco use. Recognizing this important health disparity, the state Tobacco Prevention and Control program has targeted funding to reach Native American people since the launch of the state program in 2000. There are 29 federally recognized Native American tribes in Washington, and 26 of them were contracted to conduct tobacco prevention and control activities in the 2008 fiscal year.

* Rate per 100,000 age-adjusted to U.S. population.
 

Challenges

The comparatively small number of Native American respondents included in state surveys limits the precision of estimates to describe their tobacco use.

Source: Census 2000, 2006-2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2008 Healthy Youth Survey
(HYS), Washington State Birth Certificate data (2007), Washington State Death records (2004-2006), and the
Washington State Cancer Registry (WSCR, 2004-2006)

Future directions

The state Tobacco Prevention and Control Program is contracting with the Seattle Indian Health Board to coordinate statewide activities within these communities.   The Seattle Indian Health Board has hired a person to recruit and coordinate a community advisory board to plan, implement and evaluate activities in Urban Indian communities.  The Seattle Indian Health Board and its advisory board are created a strategic plan for their community and are seeking ways to partner with Tobacco Prevention and Control Program county, Educational Service District and other cross cultural contractors to reduce tobacco use in this community across the state.

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Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
Washington State Department of Health
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Olympia, WA 98504-7848

Last Update : 09/01/2009 10:17 AM
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