In recognition of Lung Cancer awareness Month,Cook County Department of Public Health’s Epidemiology Unit recently conducted an analysis of lung cancer mortality and tobacco-related emergency department visits in suburban Cook County. It’s important to note that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.
Although lung cancer mortality has declined we continue to see tobacco-related disparities. These disparities do not reflect individual choices; they reflect long-standing inequities in access to quality health care,early detection,and treatment.
The Suburban Cook County Health atlas looks at tobacco-related health outcomes through three indicators: lung cancer mortality, tobacco-related emergency department (ED) visits, and adult and youth vaping behavior. Together, these data illuminate both the long-term effects and behaviors of tobacco use across populations in suburban Cook County.
Lung Cancer Mortality
Lung cancer mortality has declined steadily from 2010 to 2023, falling from about 44 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2010 to 26 per 100,000 in 2023. This means lung cancer deaths in suburban Cook County have nearly been cut in half since 2010, dropping from the equivalent of 44 people out of a town of 100,000 to about 26 today. This enhancement reflects broader public health progress in tobacco control, early detection, and treatment.
Although lung and bronchus cancer mortality has declined across all racial and ethnic groups in suburban Cook County over the past decade, serious disparities persist.
Black residents consistently experience the highest mortality, though their rates have fallen from over 56 per 10,000 in 2010 to the mid 30’s by 2020, followed by a recent uptick in 2023. Rates among white residents and the overall population show steady declines, reaching their lowest levels between 2019 and 2021 before inching upward again. Hispanic and Asian residents continue to experience the lowest mortality, though both groups show small fluctuations rather than a uniform downward trend. The data shows progress, but it also underscores the need for sustained efforts to close the persistent racial gaps in cancer outcomes.
Tobacco Related Emergency Department Visits
Tobacco-related emergency department visit rates in suburban Cook County show a clear and persistent racial gap, with Black residents experiencing dramatically higher rates than every other group.Their age-adjusted rates peaked above 1,400 per 100,000 in 2020 and 2021 and, even though they declined sharply by 2023, they rose again in 2024 to nearly 200 per 100,000, which is still above the levels observed in other populations. The overall population, along with White, Hispanic and Asian residents shows far lower and more stable rates with only modest year to year fluctuations.
Even though recent declines are encouraging, the scale of disparity signals an urgent need for tailored tobacco prevention, cessation support and structural interventions that meet the needs of the most burdened residents.
E-Cigarette Use
Data from the Suburban Cook County Health Atlas show that e-cigarette use remains a public health
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