Case Western Reserve University published a data brief May 6 analyzing survey feedback on tobacco use in Cleveland. The analysis found that while tobacco use has dropped 30% over the last decade, African Americans still face significant tobacco-related health risks.
This is because cigar use doubled among the African American community during that same period, said Stephanie Pike Moore, assistant professor in Case Western Reserve University's Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences.
“If this trend doesn't change, you're going to see a lot more long-term negative health outcomes focused specifically in the Black and African American community, who already carry a lot of the tobacco-related burden of illness and mortality,” she said.
Among the neighborhoods most at risk are Clark-Fulton, Buckeye-Woodhill and Union-Miles, where tobacco use exceeded 30%.
Such products are more dangerous and addictive because they are often flavored and include either natural or synthetic cannabis, Pike Moore said.
“It's like a trifecta of addiction," she said. "Put them all together and consume them at the same time [and] you're likely to be increasing somebody's risk for dependence.”
However, it is difficult to restrict use of these synthetic cannabis infused cigars because it's not regulated, Pike Moore said.
"There's no restrictions on them," she said. "There's no marketing restrictions, there's no age purchasing restrictions, so that's a problem."
Legislation to regulate synthetic cannabis, Ohio Senate Bill 86, passed the Senate on April 30 and is now being considered by the House.
CWRU also published reports providing trend data comparing how health has changed between 2005 and 2025, demographic data across age groups, sex, race and ethnicity, and other characteristics, and a report on the methodology used in their survey.
These reports found that Cleveland residents now have higher education levels, increased insurance coverage and greater access to health care. However, results also showed that mental health is a growing concern in the city, especially among young adults as over 50% reported depression or anxiety diagnoses, while many also reported elevated levels of loneliness and stress.
These are just the latest in a series of reports on the state of health in Cleveland based on a survey of nearly 1,500 residents across every neighborhood between November 2024 and January 2025. CWRU first published an overview of the findings in late March.
CWRU is planning to publish other data reports examining the survey results, looking at food insecurity, cannabis, access to healthcare, housing and arthritis.
