Harambee Tobacco Prevention

Welcome, We are Sounding the Alarm on Health Disparities

Tobacco related illnesses the number one cause of death in our community” For decades health professionals and consumer advocates have been sounding the alarm about the harmful, adverse effects of smoking on the human body. Advocacy efforts have made in-roads over the years by bringing attention to the chemicals that go into the cigarette manufacturing process and their potentially harmful nature. Surgeon General Dr. Terry, published the first report on “Smoking and Health” in 1964.

This publication was considered to be a landmark document as “America’s first widely publicized official recognition that cigarette smoking is a cause of cancer and other serious diseases”. The concern today is that African Americans are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry with messages associating tobacco use with a life of excitement, joy, happiness, and success. Over the decades, tobacco has become another form of slavery among African Americans that has lead to a myriad of health challenges and disparities that put African Americans at risk for many chronic illnesses and early death.

Tobacco related illnesses are attribute to over 47,000 deaths to African Americans, each year. This amount is double the number of our population in the State of Utah alone! (2000 U.S. Decennial Census). Smoking is a major health concern for African Americans and smoking related illnesses represents the number one cause of death in our community, “surpassing all other causes of death” including AIDS, homicide, diabetes, and accidents. (American Heart Association (AHA), African Americans and Cardiovascular Diseases Bio statistical Fact Sheet 1998). For this reason, Harambee Tobacco and Health Network is “Sounding the Alarm” for African Americans and other Utahans to come together to develop and implement strategies to eliminate tobacco-related and other health disparities and to educate people, youth and adults, to live a healthier life!

Harambee Tobacco & Health Network Project Success Coalition, Inc.
2411 Kiesel Ave Ste 321 Ogden, UT 84401
801-394-0924 phone 801-393-1392 fax
[email protected]