NIIPAITAPIIYSSIN: Tobacco in Indian Country. Two Tobacco Ways in Indian Country

Transcription

1 NIIPAITAPIIYSSIN: Tobacco in Indian Country Minnesota and Wisconsin American Indian Cancer Conference October 24, 2008 Two Tobacco Ways in Indian Country 1. Traditional tobacco use honors the Creator and is governed by cultural protocol strictly for spiritual, ceremonial and cultural uses. 2. Manufactured/commercial tobacco addiction and use causes sickness, disease and death in our communities and is governed by protocols of addiction.

2 MN/WI American Indian Cancer Conference, October 22-24, 2008 Black World Health Organization: Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health Non serial Publication, 2008 "(The) toxic combination of bad policies, economics, and politics is, in large measure, responsible for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is biologically possible," the Commissioners write in Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. We rely too much on medical interventions as a way of increasing life expectancy explained Sir Michael. A more effective way of increasing life expectancy and improving health would be for every government policy and programme to be assessed for its impact on health and health equity; to make health and health equity a marker for government performance. We are not a disease: Niitsitaipaiksi

3 Guiding Principles Building Capacity by not causing further harm to our communities wellbeing Recognizing good people are addicted to manufactured tobacco products Indian practices are best practices for Indian Country: Resiliency and expertise Reclaiming tobacco responsibility from the tobacco industry: strengthening our cultural relationship with tobacco/pis taxkaan.

4 MN/WI American Indian Cancer Conference, October 22-24, 2008 Black Smoking and Cancer Smoking is a known cause of cancer of the lung, larynx, oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, cervix, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and acute myeloid leukemia Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and cigarette smoking causes most cases Compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer and women who smoke are about 13 times as likely Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% in women. Tobacco kills more people than from AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, and fires combined Nearly 90% of lung cancer cases, 1/3 of total cancer deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from heart disease are tobacco related. From the 2004 Surgeon General s Report Major Tobacco Control Strategies and Indian Country

5 COMMERICAL TOBACCO S TOLL IN THE NATIVE COMMUNITY 56% of high school students in National Bureau of Indian Affairs funded schools currently smoke double the smoking rate among all US high school students AI/AN have highest prevalence of smoking among all ethnic groups Over 50% of our youth smoke or use chewing tobacco 2 out of every 5 deaths are related to tobacco use Smoking negatively impacts the health of the Native community Cardiovascular disease is leading cause of death among AI/AN; Cancer is the second leading cause of death for those ages 45+, and lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death SOLUTION COMPONENTS

6 Marketing and Addiction Tobacco industry marketing in Minnesota went from to million, an increase of % Tobacco industry marketing in Wisconsin went from million to million: an increase of 99.49% Marketing in Indian Country plus Adult tobacco use: what is the legacy? With Every Breath of Secondhand Smoke... A toxic soup of more than 4,000 chemical compounds Secondhand smoke contains at least 69 carcinogens

7 Big Tobacco Has Not Changed? Evidence shows the industry is... Still marketing to kids BUT even more aggressively Still deceiving the public about their products Still making unsubstantiated health claims for new products and no change in low tar product marketing Still failing to reduce the toxicity of existing products or provide critical information about tobacco products Still refusing fully to acknowledgement of the health effects of their products New Trickster Tactics $9.8 billion in price discounts Generic cigarettes Tribal brand cigarettes coupons, promotional prices Impact: more access to tobacco products increase in youth smokers Indian Country: who smokes and who chews matters

8 Keep In Mind Kids are three times more sensitive to tobacco advertising than adults. Kids are more likely to respond to tobacco advertising than peer pressure. 1/3 of underage experimentation is attributed to tobacco advertising Indian Country and Cessation Our ancestors never intended that tobacco as it is today. With their chemical additives and ready availability, cigarettes have turned tobacco into a deadly substance The reasons for the high rates of smoking among native people are not simple. Social and economic class plays a major role in the problem, as it does among other groups. The role of tobacco in the cultural life of native people, however, adds an especially challenging aspect to programs aimed at smoking cessation. Mary Annette Pember Red Cliff Ojibwe

9 MAJOR THEMES OF SUCCESS EDUCATE COMMUNITY EDUCATE TRIBAL LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING ADDRESS TOBACCO ADDICTION/USE IN CANCER PLANNING COMMIT TO PREVENTION DOCUMENT YOUR SUCCESSES CARE FOR YOUR ENVIRONMENT COMPASSIONATELY FOR THOSE ADDICTED COMMIT TO PREVENTION WORK FOR HEALTH TODAY AND TOMORROW EXPRESS YOUR VALUES