Cigarette smoking among Southeast Asian immigrants--Washington state, 1989.

Since 1975, approximately one million Southeast Asians have immigrated to the United States. In general, the efforts of local public health agencies to meet the needs of these immigrants have focused on identifying and treating acute and chronic diseases rather than identifying and modifying health-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking) among these immigrants. However, efforts to determine the prevalence of smoking suggest that smoking rates are high, especially among men of Southeast Asian origin. During 1989, to characterize cigarette smoking among Southeast Asian immigrants, the Seattle-King County (Washington) Health Department surveyed newly arriving Southeast Asian immigrants who intended to reside in the county regarding their health problems and health-risk behaviors. This report summarizes survey findings regarding their smoking habits.