A national effort to reduce tobacco use among Asian Americans and Pacific islanders

Abstract

Despite the perception that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) do not have major tobacco or health problems, local studies have shown that some AAPI groups (especially among males) have some of the highest prevalence of tobacco use and face some of the heaviest targeting by the tobacco industry. Even though the AAPI communities have a very low capacity to implement tobacco control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL) Project has initiated and implemented some of the first efforts to reduce tobacco use among AAPIs nationally. A literature review and a capacity index revealed a lack of national tobacco-control leadership efforts specifically for AAPls. In an effort to address the low-capacity issues and the lack of AAPI tobacco-control leadership models, the APPEAL Leadership Summit was planned with participants representing diverse ethnic and geographic groups. The APPEAL Leadership Summit held in August, 1997 provided an opportunity for current and emerging AAPI leaders to convene, interact, and develop regional plans for tobacco control. An AAPI leadership model was implemented successfully to provide tailored, interactive training, and a supportive environment for the participants. The APPEAL Leadership Summit represents a first step in addressing tobacco issues for the diverse AAPI population. Currently, the Summit participants are working on individual plans to address tobacco control in their own local communities. With these local, regional, and national efforts, the goal of empowering AAPI tobacco-control leaders and implementing tobacco-control activities may bring us one step closer to the vision of a tobacco-free AAPI community.