University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

 Welcome to The Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office!

Tobacco use in Arkansas kills more people than the other top five causes of death combined, resulting in the death of 5,200 people each year. The impact on Arkansas’ economy, in terms of tobacco-associated health care costs is appalling, at $413 million each year.

African American smokers consume 35% fewer cigarettes per day than white smokers, yet have a higher rate of developing smoking related illnesses. For African-Americans, tobacco-related cancers account for approximately 45% of all cancers in men and 25% in women. The incidence of oral cavity and pharynx cancer in black men exceeds that of white men by 49.1%, while lung and bronchus cancer in black men exceeds white men by 40.7%. To a somewhat lesser degree, the same pattern is true for women. Furthermore, African-Americans have significantly higher lung cancer rates for any given level of smoking.

In November 2000, Arkansans passed Initiated Act One, which dedicates a portion of Arkansas’ Master Tobacco Settlement revenue to tobacco prevention and cessation. The Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services (ADDHHS) has implemented a program to use these funds to reduce the use of tobacco and tobacco products in our state. Through the Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office (MISRGO), the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is providing administrative oversight and program direction for the portion of the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services Tobacco Prevention and Cessation fund designed to target Arkansas’ minority populations.