Sunset Park, Brooklyn

In our last blog post, we listed some reasons why a panel of doctors, public health experts and Asian-American community leaders think smoking rates are so high in our city’s Asian-American communities.

The panel also offered some strategies we can use moving forward:

1. Create educational media campaigns that are mindful of cultural and language differences.
2. Educate medical practitioners who service the Asian-American community on how to encourage patients to quit.
   

   Representatives from offices of Assemblyman Felix Ortiz and Council Members Sara Gonzalez and Vincent Gentile joined us for the educational forum.

3. Increase educational outreach to specific subgroups of the Asian-American community with higher smoking rates.
4. Promote alternative ways of reducing stress including exercise.
5. Support community health worker approach—healthcare providers must speak the patient’s native language and understand cultural differences.
6. Support tobacco-free pharmacy policy and educate the pharmacy community about its importance.
7. Advertise and secure earned media in ethnic media.
8. Educate Asian-American small businesses about tobacco marketing and its effects on youth.
9. Increase cessation resources for the Asian-American community.

We look forward to working with our community partners who service and support the NYC Asian-American community to reduce smoking rates and prevent youth from lighting up.