Causes of death among workers in the tobacco industry

The number of deaths by cause, race, and sex among 2,709 workers (1,003 white males, 789 black males, 517 white females, and 400 black females) in the tobacco industry identified from obituary listings of the Tobacco Workers' International Union from 1957 to 1978 were compared to expected numbers based on the experience of the U.S. population. The frequency of deaths from cancer of the colon was slightly elevated among each race-sex group [proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) from 129 to 163]. Although unexplained, this resembles the excess of cancer of the digestive system previously reported among cigarette manufacturers. The excess deaths from cancer of the lung occurred only among white females and may represent chance findings. Among non-neoplastic causes of death, PMRs for arteriosclerotic heart disease, motor vehicle accidents, and suicides were high among most race-sex groups, while PMRs for respiratory disease and cirrhosis of the liver were low.