We Stand Strong and Take Care of Our Own

Rural and frontier communities are harmed more by tobacco and nicotine than many other communities or groups. People who live in rural areas use tobacco more than people who live in urban areas. We also experience higher rates of health issues related to tobacco and nicotine.1 In fact, people in rural areas have 18-20 % higher rates of lung cancer death than people who live in urban areas.2

It’s no mystery why our communities see tobacco’s worst effects. For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted young, rural men with its advertising. For more than 40 years, tobacco giant Philip Morris (now Altria) used its Marlboro Man character to present its deadly products with the rugged independence of the American West. The industry has used other images, like cowboys, hunters, and race-car drivers to sell cigarettes and chewing tobacco3 — both in the media and at events like rodeos.

Because tobacco companies target rural areas, more people here smoke—and they smoke more—than people in cities.4

Rural Voices on Tobacco and Nicotine

The Truth About Chewing Tobacco and Oral Nicotine Products 

Because of the tobacco industry’s advertising, chewing tobacco and oral nicotine products are most popular with men living in rural and frontier areas.5 While some people might think chewing tobacco is healthier than smoking, these products are linked to mouth diseases, cancers, and other serious health problems. Chewing tobacco can also lead to unpleasant side effects like bad breath, tooth damage, and gum disease. 

Create a Healthier Community Together 

Living in a small town, or off the grid entirely, has a lot of benefits. But living in more remote, open areas often means living further from a hospital or medical clinic. These websites can help with getting health insurance, accessing health care, or using telehealth services. And if you’re ready to quit tobacco, the Colorado QuitLine can help you at a distance with phone, text and web-based support. 

References
1. Continuing Challenges in Rural Health in the United States, National Library of Medicine, 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7043306/ 
2. People In Some Geographic Regions Experience a Health Burden From Commercial Tobacco, CDC, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco-health-equity/collection/regional-health-burden.html 
3. Tobacco Industry Marketing, American Lung Association, 2024, https://www.lung.org/policy-advocacy/tobacco/tobacco-industry-marketing 
4. Top 10 Communities Disproportionately Affected by Cigarette Smoking and Tobacco Use, American Lung Association, https://www.lung.org/research/sotc/by-the-numbers/top-10-populations-affected 
5. Smokeless tobacco: Facts, stats, and regulations, Truth Initiative, 2021, https://healthforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cutting-tobaccos-rural-roots.pdf