Eliminating Disparities and Achieving Parity

Commercial tobacco disproportionately impacts communities of color and LGBT communities partly as a result of targeted marketing by the tobacco industry, the historic lack of inclusion of diverse communities, and ongoing disparities in the system due to economic, social, political, and institutional inequalities. Although it is important to acknowledge disparities, or differences, in our populations, we must work toward a tobacco control movement that encompasses diversity, inclusivity and parity. Within tobacco control, diversity is the representation of diverse community members in tobacco control meetings, activities or programs. Better still, is inclusivity, or the inclusion of diverse community members in a substantive way, in the planning and decision-making process of any organization's goals, mission and objectives. Both diversity and inclusivity are essential in working toward parity, which can be defined as being equal in the process, as well as the outcomes attained in tobacco control. Achieving parity means increasing participation and inclusion of diverse communities in critical decision-making within tobacco control organizations and equity in resources (i.e. capacity building, funding opportunities, and services) to address the disproportional use of tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke.