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Black Minority Ethnic Groups & Smoking
Stopping smoking is the most effective action you can take to improve your health. The attitudes of people to smoking from Black Minority Ethnic Communities are similar to the general population.
Peer pressure to smoke coupled with a desire to give up for health reasons is universal. However studies have suggested that different approaches to stop smoking are sometimes needed if they are to be relevant to black and minority ethnic groups.
Information about BME Groups
BME share the same health risk of smoking with other people living in the UK but some groups have particular health problems that can be made worse. For example:
- Indian, Bangladeshi and Irish men suffer from high rates of Ischemic heart disease (Angina and Heart attack)
- Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi & Irish men have high rates of stroke and smoking increases the risk of this occurring.
Compared to men in the general population:
- Bangladeshi men are nearly twice as likely to smoke
- Irish and Black Caribbean men have higher rates of smoking
- Chinese men are less likely to smoke
Did You Know?
41% of Bangladeshi men smoke compared to 28% in the general male population
A quarter of Bangladeshi women Chew Tobacco 34% of men in the black Caribbean communities smoke
Women from all BME groups are less likely to stop smoking than women in general.
British Heart Foundation 2004