Smokeless Diva 2013

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tygra-lungsIf you missed the Smokeless Diva 2013 Drag Pageant here is your chance to learn more and prepare for the next time to see our Diva in action. The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities (UNMC CRHD) presented its very first drag pageant, “Smokeless Diva,” at Flixx Lounge on April 13, 2013.  The show was designed to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke within the LGBT community, where research shows that use rates are almost double that of the general population across the United States.

Over 400,000 people in the United States die every year from tobacco-related diseases, and tobacco use and secondhand smoke do not discriminate against their victims.  The American Cancer Society estimates that over 30,000 LGBT people die each year from tobacco-related diseases. Locally in Nebraska, through the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative’ s Midlands LGBT Needs Assessment Community Report in 2011, 46.4% of LGBT respondents had smoked 100 cigarettes in their life.

CRHD along with Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC) and Latinas, Tabaco, y Cáncer (LTC) help find and create solutions to creating an Omaha that is healthier and tobacco-free across all population groups.  We are able to provide technical assistance for creating tobacco-free environments such as smoke-free apartments and tobacco-free business policies, making it healthier for all of us to be in a space where smoking is not the norm but a known and avoidable cause of preventable death.

Through the “Smokeless Diva” pageant, we were able to reach out and promote healthier choices by demonstrating  that being smoke-free or smoke-less is a lot more glamorous and fun than being tied down to a cig.

What better way to inform people about the dangers of tobacco use than an animated and creative pageant?  In order to afford an appealing prize for the winner, the LTC LGBT subgroup held a tamale sale where they sold close to 35 dozen tamales.  And so, our Diva took home a sash and crown, roses, and a cash price of $150.  Although these are humble beginnings for a pageant, it brought forth a most stunning contestant and now winner, Tygra Slaríí.

Everyone involved in the planning of the pageant could not imagine what type of Diva this pageant would bring and how comfortable she would be in talking about tobacco when smoking is so ingrained into the LGBT community, but we were pleasantly surprised when Tygra took to the stage. There were four categories within the pageant, two of which are not necessarily often done, an interview and a creative costume wear.  During the creative costume category of the pageant, contestants were asked to design an outfit that reflected the insides of a smoker.  Tygra appeared in a beautifully fitted wedding dress, and on her hands she held a bouquet.  Some people were a bit confused and frankly did not understand her outfit, but then she blew into her bouquet and a bunch of material floated in the air which appeared like smoke. Tygra made an elegant turn and there it was…the back of the dress was black and tarred with cigarette boxes attached to it. The dress was backless, where black lungs were drawn on and patched with white tape to resemble sick lungs. What creativity! We thought that the highlight of the night, that is until she spoke to the audience during the interview. When asked why she was competing, Tygra revealed that she desired the title of ‘Smokeless Diva’ because she wanted to make a difference for people in her community; she did not want others to suffer the fate of her father who had died of lung cancer a few years prior.  With the support of her family, Tygra had entered the drag queen world and has a great appreciation of them; she wants to do her part to bring awareness to the community on the silent killer that took one of her champions.

The night was filled with laughter, witty banter from the Emcees, and wonderful performers and rock star drag queens.  Most of all it was full of useful information regarding tobacco.   Miss Smokeless Diva accepted her title with such elegance and glamour. Tygra entered her reign as Smokeless Diva very seriously where during her victory show, Tygra organized a substance abuse show with drag performers to promote prevention and awareness. The show was a remarkable display of talent and creativity as some performers depicted drug overdosing, heroin, cocaine and others.  Tygra’s reign continues, so if you would like to support her CRHD/MOTAC/ and LTC as well as
other projects/events like these, please visit https://www.facebook.com/Motac.

 

Health Profile of Nebraska’s Latino Population – Report Available

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Health Profile coverThe University of Nebraska Medical Center’s (UNMC) Center for Reducing Health Disparities together with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Office of Latino and Latin American Studies (OLLAS), have released a report and policy brief describing the serious health problems facing the growing Latino and immigrant populations in Nebraska and Iowa, particularly the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

The Health Profile Report focuses on the overall health disparities facing the Latino population, which grew by nearly 93 percent between 2000 and 2010 in Nebraska.  Below are some of the highlights of the report.

Nebraska Latino Health Status Highlights:

  • Over 35% of Hispanic/Latino adults aged 18 to 64 years old do not have a personal physician.
  • One quarter of Hispanics/Latinos rated their health status as either “fair” or “poor”.16
  • Almost one third of the Hispanic/Latino population is uninsured.[1]
  • Almost one quarter of Latinas received inadequate prenatal care.[2]
  • Close to 10% of Hispanic/Latino adults surveyed through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2006 to 2010 had more than 10 days in the past month where they mentally did not feel well.18  Almost a quarter of Latino youth felt sad and hopeless during the past year.[3]  About 14% of Hispanics/Latinos report that they never get any emotional support.[4]
  • Obesity, measured by a level of BMI at 30 or above, was higher for Hispanics/Latinos than for other groups.
  • More than one-third of Hispanics/Latinos have no exercise outside of work. [5]
  • The overall STD rate for Hispanics/Latinos was nearly three times the rate for Whites.[6]  Also, Latinos bear a disproportionate burden of the HIV epidemic, with a mortality rate that was 3 times that of Whites.
  • The teen birth rate for Latina girls was 4.9 times the rate of White girls.
  • Hispanic/Latino students were more likely to smoke cigarettes on one or more of the past 30 days than their White peers.[7]

Given these complex challenges, the solutions to addressing health disparities among Hispanics/Latinos require comprehensive, inter-sectoral, multi-level, community-wide interventions and policy changes that address not only health, but also the social determinants of health – the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, as well as the healthcare systems in place to deal with illness.[12]  Policies across sectors such as education, economic development, housing, immigration, public safety, and healthcare can directly or indirectly impact disparate populations, including Latinos.  Efforts to revitalize poor neighborhoods, improve the quality of schools and access to public services, guarantee access to healthy foods, and ensure culturally-competent community services and equitable policies that link Latinos to economic opportunities are promising strategies that can significantly improve the health of Latino communities in Nebraska and across the country.  Indeed, ending racial and ethnic health disparities is a major challenge—but one that can be met if the research, public health practices, education and training, government, outreach, and service sectors work together. 

[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey.

[2] Nebraska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2006-2010.

[3] Nebraska Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 2010 Survey Results.  Retrieved on December 19, 2012 from http://www.education.ne.gov/HIV/2010_YRBS-Results/Data/2011/2010NEH%20Detail%20Tables.pdf.

[4] Nebraska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2006-2010.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Nebraska DHHS STD program, 2006-2010.

[7] Nebraska Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 2011.

[8] Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Proyecto HEAL.

[9] Escarce JJ, Morales LS, Rumbaut RG. The Health Status and Health Behaviors of Hispanics. In: National Research Council (US) Panel on Hispanics in the United States; Tienda M, Mitchell F, editors. Hispanics and the Future of America. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006. 9. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19899.NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.National Research Council (US) Panel on Hispanics in the United States; Tienda M, Mitchell F, editors. Hispanics and the Future of America. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006.

[10] Ibid.

[11] United Way of the Midlands. (2003). Profile of Latino Youth.

[12] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved on January 9, 2013 from http://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants.

 

 

 

Thanks for Participating in World No Tobacco Day’s Online Activities!

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We would like to thank everyone who participated in our online social media information and advocacy project for World No Tobacco Day (WNTD)!  As part of this project, the Center and MOTAC were able to reach more than 2000 people through:

Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke. Unless we act, it will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% will live in low- and middle-income countries.  Every year, World No Tobacco Day (May 31), is geared to be a 24-hour abstinence from tobacco and all its products is encouraged throughout the world. WNTD also hopes to draw attention to widespread tobacco use, the health hazards that stem from it, and this year the tobacco industry’s interference.

We hope that this is just the beginning of a strong tobacco-free movement and that everyone will continue to be involved in the tobacco control movement!

Tobacco Marketing – Are You a Target?

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targetTobacco companies market their deadly products across the globe.  Their tactics focus on vulnerable populations including those who do not have access to the information or regulations/policies to protect them from this targeted marketing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship should be banned. All forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be banned.  Advertising bans significantly reduce the numbers of people starting and continuing to smoke. Banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco use.

The tobacco industry is constantly trying new promotional tactics using nontraditional media to exploit advertising and promotion bans

Examples include:

  • handing out gifts and selling branded products such as clothing, in particular targeting young people
  • “stealth marketing” such as engaging trendsetters to influence people in places such as cafes and nightclubs
  • using online and new media, such as encouraging consumer interaction to design a new pack for a cigarette brand
  • placement of tobacco products and brands in films and television programmes, including reality TV and soap operas
  • corporate social responsibility activities such as donating to charity.

Tobacco industry advertising and sponsorship targets young people.  About one third of youth experimentation with tobacco occurs as a result of exposure to tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.  Worldwide, 78% of young people aged 13-15 years old report regular exposure to some form of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.  In the United States of America, smoking appears in 66% of movies rated PG-13, and adolescents are the most frequent moviegoers.  Additionally, young people aged 13-15 years are up to five times more likely than adults to be offered free cigarettes by a representative of a tobacco company.

A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).  A comprehensive ban reduces tobacco consumption regardless of a country’s income level.  WHO’s report on the global tobacco epidemic 2011 shows that only 19 countries (representing just 6% of the world’s population) have reached the highest level of achievement in banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Charities and community projects should never accept tobacco industry support. Tobacco companies use corporate social responsibility activities to promote themselves as good corporate citizens, normalizing tobacco use and creating goodwill in the community.  Consumers should be alert to tactics used by tobacco companies to exploit advertising and promotion bans.

Join us in participating in the dialogue about World No Tobacco Day! Talk about it and Share it. Leave us a comment, Facebook us, or Tweet us @UNMCCRHD @MOTACOmaha using hashtag: #WNTD2013!

SOURCE: http://www.who.int/campaigns/no-tobacco-day/2013/en/index.html

Big Tobacco in the LGBT Community

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LGBT flagRecent data shows that 1 in 5 people smoke in the U.S. In the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community smoking rates are almost 70% higher than the general population, killing almost 30,000 LGBT persons every year. But yet, why is it that smoking is still a fad? A research marketing company named Winston Stuart Associates conducted a focus group study in Sacramento and San Francisco which documented why LGBT participants believed smoking prevalence to be high within their communities.  Here’s some of their findings:

  • There is more stress, and cigarettes are a great stress reliever.
  • LGBT people have been told “no” for a long time and smoking is a legal form of rebellion.
  • LGBT people go out at bars/clubs, and cigarettes fit in with the bar scene.

There is a lot to be said about the type of stressors we each go through day to day, but we never really experience what it would be like to outrightly be denied certain rights. Therefore,stressors would be much higher in a population that undergoes this type of scrutiny and discrimination. The warmth and welcome that a cigarette would have to someone that is seeking acceptance, would be a readily available release of the pressures one would experience.

The marketing that has been used by tobacco companies, have been very smart and decisive in the LGBT community. For example there is one ad from American Spirit cigarettes that reads: ”Free. to speak. to choose. to marry. to participate. to be. to disagree. to inhale.to believe. to love. to live. it’s all good.”  This type of messaging pulls on emotions of the LGBT community to market their deadly product.

Learn more about tobacco control efforts in the LGBT community through our partner, the LGBT Network for Health Equity.

Big Tobacco is an industry that builds consumer loyalty through lies and deception.  Learn more about tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship at http://www.who.int/campaigns/no-tobacco-day/2013/brochure/en/index.html.

Join us in participating in the dialogue about World No Tobacco Day! Talk about it and Share it. Leave us a comment, Facebook us, or Tweet us @UNMCCRHD @MOTACOmaha using hashtag: #WNTD2013!