Community Impact of Commercial Tobacco | South Carolina Department of Public Health

Everyone deserves a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Commercial tobacco products negatively impact communities and cause health disparities. Commercial tobacco products are products sold in retail outlets and are different from the traditional tobacco that is used by Tribal communities for sacred, spiritual, or medicinal purposes. Learn more about traditional tobacco from the National Native Network.

Communities can be places for connection and identity, but they can also be places where social and environmental factors drive disparity. Health disparities are differences in health outcomes that are closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental factors. Disparities in commercial tobacco use, secondhand smoke/vaping aerosol exposure, related health problems, and access to treatment exist based on:

where people live
type and amount of employment
health insurance status
social and demographic factors including race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability status, level of education, income, culture, language spoken, and/or behavioral health status.

These factors drive tobacco-related health disparities. When people face many forms of stress—like financial problems, discrimination, or unsafe neighborhoods—they can be more likely to smoke. Communities experiencing tobacco-related health disparities include LGBTQ+ people, people lacking financial means and/or experiencing poverty, communities of color (including people who identify as Hispanic and/or Latino, people who identify as Native American or American Indian, people who identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander, and people who identify as Black and/or African American), people with mental and behavioral health conditions, and people living in rural areas.