1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Page 4 of 4

(Asian American) participants strongly indicated that their smoking behavior was motivated by the desire to be sociable." This was particularly true in the workplace, where one study of 54 Chinese restaurant workers in Boston's Chinatown found that 83.3% were regular smokers, with 75.9% reporting that they smoked to relax. It was also noted that smoking on the job was considered to be an "ice-breaker" between supervisors and workers.

To make matters even worse, very few successful cigarette cessation programs have been developed for Asian immigrants, and many of these immigrants have not been adequately exposed to information regarding the health risks associated with tobacco use or the effects of second hand smoke. To counter this, it is imperative that cigarette cessation programs be culturally tailored and specifically targeted to the Asian American population.

According to Ms. Hamasaka, the key to a successful cessation program is not in telling Asian Americans why they should quit. Instead, smokers need to be provided with information on how to quit. She said they have found that a three point system works best - pharmacotherapy such as nicotine patches and chewing gum, obtaining professional counseling, and receiving social support from family, friends, and co-workers. But she warned that it must still be done with a culturally aware approach. She described how a cessation program in California discovered that the term "counseling" reflected a stigma against mental health in the Asian American community, and the program received very few requests for information. When the word "counseling" was replaced with the word "help", they noted an immediate six-fold increase in the number of calls they received. She concluded by saying, "Asian Americans are among the most successful at permanently quitting smoking. In 2000, 45% of Asians who attempted to quit reported they were successful. People just have to be ready."

Learn more about this author, Todd Eastman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Add your voice

Know something about Are Tobacco companies targeting Asian Americans?
We want to hear your view. Write now!