Do South Asians use tobacco?
With the recent backlash against tobacco marketing in the U.S., tobacco companies have begun targeting specific communities as potential markets for commercial tobacco sales3;4. One such advertising target is the Asian and Pacific Islander community5;6. Much of that advertising is specifically geared toward South Asians7, both domestically and internationally. Initial studies have suggested that U.S. residents of Asian Indian origin (the predominant South Asian ethnic group in the U.S.) have lower rates of smoking than other Asian groups8. Most population-based studies inquire about traditional Western tobacco products, such as cigarettes and snuff. However, little is known about culturally-specific tobacco products used by South Asians in the U.S., and potential differences in tobacco-use behavior across various subgroups, such as gender, generational status, geographic region of origin, era of migration, and influences of acculturation. What tobacco products are used commonly by Sout
