Truth Initiative’s news article The Difference Between Commercial Tobacco and Sacred Tobacco out lines how sacred tobacco is used by American Indians and Alaska Natives for centuries. This tobacco is used in many different natural products that differ in regions and tribes. Sacred tobacco is not manufactured or marketed by tobacco industries like commercial tobacco is. It is not sold for profit and doesn’t contain added chemicals that can harm the person or the environment as commercial tobacco can do.
Recently SmokefreeNATIVE launched a new text messaging program specifically designed to help American Indians and Alaska Natives, ages 13 and up stop smoking commercial tobacco.
Program participants receive daily text messages for:
- Up to two weeks before their target date for quitting smoking
- Six weeks after the target date
Enroll now in SmokefreeNATIVE by signing up online or texting NATIVE to 47848. In addition to this service, you can contact the North Dakota and South Dakota Quitlines, NDQuits and QUITS SD. Providers can make referrals or patients can access the tobacco treatment services themselves.
”Providers are fortunate to have a resource such as SmokefreeNATIVE to refer their American Indian patients to that aligns with the culture of the American Indian and honors the significance of sacred tobacco,” shared Dee Kaser, RN, CDCES; Great Plains QIN Quality Improvement Advisor.
Additional Great Plains QIN Resources:
Great Plains QIN has a suite of tools in our Tobacco Prevention section of the Chronic Disease Management Initiative to help with nicotine addiction.
- Great Plains QIN Break the Chain of Tobacco/Nicotine Dependence Change Package
- GPQIN Reduce Smoking and Improve Pain Management
Listen to our Podcast: Q-Tips For Your Ears
The Great American Smokeout – Make a Plan to Quit Smoking: The American Cancer Society hosts the Great American Smokeout; an opportunity for people who smoke or use smokeless tobacco to commit to healthy, nicotine-free lives. Take a few minutes to listen and learn more.