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Home > A-Z Health Topics > Minority Women's Health > Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders > Smoking

Health conditions common in Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women:

Accidents Alcoholism and drug abuse Asthma Breast cancer Cancer Cervical cancer Diabetes Heart disease Hepatitis B High blood pressure High cholesterol HIV/AIDS Infant death Lupus Mental health problems and suicide Osteoporosis Overweight and obesity Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Smoking Stroke Tuberculosis (TB) Violence

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Check out our quitting smoking section.

Smoking

• More information on smoking

About 1 in 4 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women smokes. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. And research suggests that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders who smoke are more likely to develop lung cancer than other smokers.

Smoking increases your risk of major health problems, including:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Lung disease
• Gum disease
• Eye problems that can lead to blindness

Women who smoke are at increased risk of cervical cancer. Women who take birth control pills and also smoke have a higher risk of stroke.

Smoking can make illnesses last longer and make it harder to get pregnant.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause the baby to be born too early and other problems. Smoking is also a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

On top of all the health problems caused by smoking, it also stains your teeth, fingers, and fingernails, gives you bad breath, and causes wrinkles.

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More information on smoking

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Smoking and How to Quit — These pages from womenshealth.gov empower women to quit smoking and all forms of tobacco use. Learn why quitting matters to your health, your quality of life, and the health of others. The site also offers strategies that can help you quit for good.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/smoking-how-to-quit/

Explore other publications and websites

• Heart Disease and Asians and Pacific Islanders — this web page provides up-to-date statistics about Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and heart disease, obesity, hypertension, cholesterol, smoking, and more.
  http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3060

Connect with other organizations

• American Cancer Society
  http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
• American Lung Association
  http://www.lungusa.org/
• Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum
  http://www.apiahf.org/index.php
• Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership
  http://www.appealforcommunities.org/
• Smokefree.gov
  http://www.smokefree.gov/

Content last updated May 18, 2010.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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