Smoking: Some progress in reducing smoking prevalence among certain racial/ethnic groups was observed; however, disparities among persons with low-SES persisted. For both youth and adults, little to no changes in smoking prevalence for those below FPL was observed from 2006–2008 to 2009–2010; however, decreases were observed for youth and adults who were above FPL. During 2009–2010, the prevalence of smoking was 46.4% among 12th-grade–aged youth who had dropped out of school compared with 21.9% among youth who were still in the 12th grade. Among adults, smoking prevalence was 34.6% for those who did not graduate from high school compared with 13.2% among those with a college degree. From 2006–2008 to 2009–2010, smoking declined from 44.7% to 40.9% among adults who were unemployed. Among racial/ethnic groups, smoking prevalence was lowest among black and Asian youth aged 12–17 years during both survey cycles. Although smoking prevalence remained highest among American Indian/Alaska Native youth and adults, smoking declined from 17.2% to 13.6% in youth and from 42.2% to 34.4% in adults. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf

Obesity: Between 1999–2002 and 2007–2010, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity among adults aged ≥18 years increased from 26.5% to 33.0% among men and from 32.4% to 34.9% among women. The prevalence of obesity differed substantially across categories of various demographic characteristics. Among men, there was little difference in the prevalence of obesity by race/ethnicity, but among women, the overall (1999–2010) prevalence among non-Hispanic blacks (51%) was 10 percentage points higher than that among Mexican- Americans and 20 percentage points higher than that among non-Hispanic white women. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf

Binge Drinking: In general, Hispanics and Blacks have higher rates of complete abstinence from alcohol than non-Hispanic whites and other groups.  But those who do drink consume more alcohol and often have higher rates of binge drinking. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/diversity-health-disparities

Drug & Opioid-involved Overdose: American Indians/Alaska Natives and non-Hispanic whites had the highest drug-induced death rates overall. This finding is consistent with the previous report for rates during 2003–2007. However, it does reflect a change from the 1980s and 1990s, when drug-induced mortality rates were higher among blacks than whites. Prescribed drugs have replaced illicit drugs as a leading cause of drug-related overdose deaths. Non-Hispanic blacks are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to use prescription drugs, and therefore might be less likely to misuse such drugs. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf

Chronic diseases are also very common in Arkansas because many people in our state struggle with living a healthy lifestyle. The main lifestyle problems are tobacco use, poor diet, and lack of physical activity.

Tobacco use is a leading cause of the chronic diseases, particularly heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and stroke. It is the single most preventable cause of death in Arkansas. Tobacco use kills close to 5,000 people in Arkansas each year, which makes it one of the biggest causes of short life expectancy in our state.

Poor diet is another big cause of chronic diseases. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of dying from the chronic diseases. A diet with lots of fruits and vegetables also helps to control high blood pressure and keep a healthy weight.

Lack of physical activity is also a top cause of chronic diseases. Regular physical activity can lower a person’s chance of dying from the chronic diseases. Physical activity is also important for managing high blood pressure and keeping a healthy weight.

Just like the U.S., Arkansas has also seen a rise in drug overdoses in recent years. In 2016, 385 Arkansans died from a drug overdose and opioids were the most widely abused and misused drug. Methamphetamine (Meth), benzodiazepines (Benzos) and antidepressants are other commonly abused and misused drugs in our state.