Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Tobacco Use and Cessation

Abstract

Racial and ethnic disparities in cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use in the United States persist as a pressing public health concern. A legacy of targeted marketing (Nicksic et al., 2022), socioeconomic inequities (Forman et al., 2025; Levy et al., 2025), and unequal access to cessation resources (Avila et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2023) continues to sustain these disparities. Research demonstrates that while cigarette smoking has declined overall, the rise of e-cigarette use has introduced new forms of nicotine dependency, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations (Foxon et al., 2024; Lozano et al., 2021). Furthermore, policy initiatives such as menthol bans demonstrate potential but must be paired with culturally responsive cessation interventions to achieve equitable outcomes (Booras et al., 2023). This literature review synthesizes current findings (2020-2025) and concludes that public health strategies rooted in cultural competency and structural reform are essential for reducing racial and ethnic inequities in tobacco and e-cigarette use.