Trends in Smoking and Flavored Tobacco Use in California: Black–White Disparities, 2003–2023

TL;DR

Smoking and flavored tobacco use declined in California from 2003 to 2023, but Black adults experienced smaller reductions compared to White adults, highlighting racial disparities in tobacco control progress.

Contribution

This study provides new evidence on racial disparities in tobacco use reduction in California over two decades, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions in Black communities.

Findings

White adults showed a 69.8% decline in smoking prevalence compared to a 54.8% decline among Black adults from 2003 to 2023.

Flavored tobacco use declined by 41.3% among White adults but only 9.2% among Black adults, despite a statewide ban.

Disparities in tobacco control progress suggest Black communities may require culturally tailored interventions to reduce tobacco use.

Abstract

Tobacco control policies nationwide have contributed to a substantial decline in cigarette and tobacco use, with particularly sharp reductions observed in states such as California that have implemented restrictive bans, strong prevention measures, and high excise taxes. While these policies have led to overall decreases in tobacco use, progress has not necessarily been distributed equally across racial groups. Understanding long-term trends by race is critical for addressing equity gaps in tobacco prevention and control. Evidence suggests that some racialized groups may experience slower or delayed declines, raising concerns about equity in public health gains.

We analyzed data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) spanning 2003–2023. Trends in current smoking were examined separately for non-Latino Black and non-Latino White adults. We also assessed current use of flavored tobacco products, given California’s statewide ban enacted in 2021. Changes were evaluated in both absolute terms (percentage point declines) and relative terms (percent reduction from baseline).

Smoking prevalence declined from 17.2% in 2003 to 5.2% in 2023 among White adults and from 19.9% to 9.0% among Black adults. This represents a 12.0 percentage point (69.8%) decline for Whites compared with a 10.9 percentage point (54.8%) decline for Blacks. For flavored tobacco use, prevalence decreased from 8.0% to 4.7% among White adults but only from 11.9% to 10.8% among Black adults. This corresponds to a 3.3 percentage point (41.3%) decline for Whites compared with a 1.1 percentage point (9.2%) decline for Blacks.

Although both Black and White adults in California experienced reductions in smoking over the past two decades, White adults showed larger declines in both absolute and relative terms. Disparities were even more pronounced for flavored tobacco use, where declines were minimal among Black adults despite the statewide ban. These findings suggest that Black populations in California may have been left behind by tobacco control progress, especially regarding flavored products. Given the history of targeted marketing by the tobacco industry, the role of flavors in increasing dependence, and reduced access to cessation resources in Black communities, targeted policies and culturally tailored interventions are needed to ensure equitable reductions in tobacco use. Greater attention to flavored tobacco in Black communities may help narrow these disparities and advance California’s tobacco endgame goals.

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