Smoking down 20 percent in Alaska
Published Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Alaska’s air is less smoky than it was last decade with cigarette smoking down 20 percent from 1996 state levels.
Roughly 21 percent of Alaskans reported smoking in a new behavioral survey by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services based on 2007 data. This number is about 27,000 people lower than 12 years ago. Fairbanks weighs in a hair above the state average with a 22 percent smoking rate, down from 26 percent a decade ago.
Smoking statewide declined most steeply among women and adults, and smoking by Alaska Native youths was chopped almost in half. Yet rates are still spiking in rural areas, among Alaska Native adults and among low-income non-Native adults. Progress varied depending on factors such as region, age, race and ethnicity and income level.
“This year, we did have a significant decline in smoking among Alaska Native youth, and that’s very exciting,” said Erin Peterson, evaluation manager for the state health department’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.
“Clearly, there’s still quite a bit of work that needs to be done with Alaska Native adults,” she added. “But it looks like it’s moving in the right direction.”
The state’s multi-pronged attack on tobacco includes school programs, grants, increasing taxes on cigarettes and counter-marketing campaigns that advertise the health and clean-air benefits of quitting. In addition, communities such as Anchorage and Juneau have instituted tobacco-free policies at workplaces and hospital grounds.
While about 20 percent of urban populations smoke, rural areas average 30 percent rates, elevated by high tobacco use in Western and Northern Alaska.
Among Natives, 8,000 fewer high school students report smoking today than in 1995. While Native youths are two-and-a-half times more likely to smoke than non-Native youths, rates have dropped thanks to local Native coalitions such as the Tanana Chiefs Conference in the Fairbanks area.
Karlene Borja, tobacco use counselor for the Tanana Chiefs Conference, said the solution to the culture of smoking is comprehensive treatment.
“It doesn’t matter if a patient comes back here three times a week. They get screened for tobacco use every single visit,” Borja said.
Smoking rates still peak, at 39 percent, among Alaska Native adults because they have a more ingrained lifestyle, Borja said. Smokers old enough to consume alcohol tend to relapse more, and a long-term habit of smoking is hard to kick.
“One day they might get a boost of motivation and the next day that motivation is gone,” she said.
Many times, it takes an eye-opening event such as a severe asthma attack, pulmonary disease or heart attack to cause behavior change. Just as youths are smoking less, Borja says, weaning all ages off cigarettes is crucial.
“Our vision is to have healthy people across all generations,” she said. “If we can quit tobacco, from our pregnant mothers who are smoking to our elders ... the stronger our generations will be, the more money our families will save, the less ear infections, asthma attacks, respiratory, heart disease, cancer we’ll have.”
Contact News-Miner intern Molly Rettig at 459-7575 or newsroom@newsminer.com.
Community Discussion
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The earlier version made the following comment.
The state predicts this will lead to 8,000 fewer tobacco-related deaths....despite the statistics that don't go along with the comment made.
ALASKA
Cancer deaths (ALL)
1999-2001
Total deaths 8611
2000-2002
Total deaths 8946
2001-2003
Total deaths 9209
2002-2004
Total deaths 9268
2003-2005
Total deaths 9386
2004-2006
Total deaths 9513
Seems that despite the prevalence of tobacco use dropping the number of deaths continues to increase.
The idea that the reduction of tobacco use (which may cause cancer) will avert 8,000 deaths is pure fantasy it took 3 years to kill 9513 thru 2004 to 2006.
Looking at leading causes of death totals the numbers are thus.
1994
2465 deaths
1995
2570 deaths
1996
2625 deaths
1997
2587 deaths
1998
2591 deaths
1999
2698 deaths
2000
2922 deaths
2001
2991 deaths
2002
3033 deaths
2003
3185 deaths
2004
3050 deaths
2005
3151 deaths
2006
3312 deaths
Even the leading causes of death despite the decline in tobacco that has been going on for well over the last 10 years or more do not jive with the propaganda that 8,000 will be spared,, people please...but I guess as usual tell a lie often enough...
Where is the link for your information? Also, are these only cancer deaths? You do realize tobacco kills in ways other than cancer, right?
User6244, can I assume you are a smoker?
Smoking is down 20 percent; does that imply stupidity is down 20 percent as well? Ahh, probably not.
Why is someone automaticly STUPID when they have a different view on a subject? ecray must be a stupid non smoker. The number one cause of death in the UAS is what ecray? Do your homework and you will find it is mistakes by the medical profession,, yes YOU look it up, you probably will not belive me anyway.. SO doctors KILL,, lets tax them more and get this information out to the unknowing public. Just so you will call me stupid also, I am a non smoker.
Wow. Fewer people are engaging in an expensive, disgusting habit that is NOT BENEFICIAL to one's health in any way and people still find a way to argue about it. Amazing.
I quit when I moved to AK.
What is the leading cause of death at the University of Alaska Southeast? I'm curious.
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