St. Louis County hopes to put a dent in Bosnians' smoking
On a recent Saturday night, a St. Louis bar popular with Bosnians was heavy with cigarette smoke. . . .
The St. Louis County Health Department hopes to change such sentiments and persuade tens of thousands of Bosnians here to go tobacco-free.
About 50,000 Bosnians now live in the St. Louis area, and half of the adults are believed to be smokers. That's double the percentage of adult Missouri smokers.
Worried about long-term health costs for Bosnians, the county has hired Anto Peric, an area Bosnian, to help spread the message. Peric moved to St. Louis 11 years ago and now lives in St. Louis County.
The anti-smoking campaign will target Bosnian media outlets and their programs. . . .
Peric said he will collect Bosnians' views on smoking and quitting, approach smokers at work sites, and invite them to join focus groups.
"I'm expecting people laughing at the idea of quitting smoking because many Bosnians are cynical after going through the war's ordeals," Peric said. Still, "there will be those who are willing to listen and educate themselves about the hazards of smoking and are interested in quitting but don't know how."
