The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommends a Health Disparities Approach in Addressing Tobacco Use and Exposure

AAP recommends a Health Disparities Structural Competency Approach to addressing tobacco use among youth and secondhand smoke exposure.

Many adult tobacco users are parents and/or caregivers, so children are disproportionately exposed to tobacco smoke. Tobacco use and exposure are more likely to occur in vulnerable and marginalized groups, including those living in poverty. Although some view tobacco use as a personal choice, evidence suggests that structural forces play an important role in tobacco uptake, subsequent nicotine addiction, and perpetuation of use. Viewing tobacco use and tobacco dependence through a structural competency lens promotes recognition of the larger systemic forces perpetuating tobacco use, including deliberate targeting of groups by the tobacco industry, lack of enforcement of age-for-sale laws, inferior access to health insurance and health care, poor access to cessation resources, and economic stress.

Read more about the AAP approach here.

The associated files and links are available below.