Public Health

Secondhand smoke from cigarettes is one of the leading underlying causes of
death in the U.S., accounting for 3,000 deaths due to lung cancer and 35,000-62,000
deaths due to heart disease each year. It also contributes to asthma and other illnesses
in children. The Latino community seems to have smoking rates that are at least as
high as the state as a whole.1
Recognizing that culture shapes the way health
messages are understood and received, the Association for Nonsmokers–Minnesota
asked for HACER’s help in conducting focus groups to explore the Latino community’s
perceptions of secondhand smoke and its reaction to various kinds of messages about
secondhand smoke.

In an effort to gain a richer understanding of the problem of poverty and how it
affects Chicano-Latino Children in Minnesota, HACER conducted focus group research in
selected Minnesota communities where Chicanos-Latinos are known to reside in significant
numbers.