All CRIHB tobacco programs work collaboratively with an Advisory Committee, Community Tobacco Educators, or workgroups on media and materials development, to provide technical assistance and training in the areas of:

• traditional/native tobacco
• secondhand smoke (SHS)
• tobacco prevention
• education
• cessation
• advocacy
• youth and adult leadership

Working To Keep Tobacco Sacred

Did You Know?

For thousands of years, tobacco has had a sacred purpose with many American Indian tribes. It is used for prayer, to show respect, to heal, and give spiritual protection. Tobacco was never meant to be abused. Sacred use of tobacco does not include the use of commercial tobacco products.

American Indians in California smoke a nd chew commercial tobacco twice as much as other Californians. (1)

40% of American Indian deaths in California are related to commercial tobacco abuse. (2)

Native tobacco and its smoke are effective for curing a number of ailments, including: muscle aches, ear aches, soothes swelling, skin infections, and tooth aches. (3)

1. Hodge, F.S. Prevalence of Smoking/Smokeless Tobacco Use In 18 Northern California American Indian Health Clinics, Volume A, American Indian Cancer Control Project, Berkeley, CA 1994 2. Hodge, F.S., It's Your Life-It's Our Future Stop Smoking Project: A Report ot American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. National Cancer Institute; 1999: 72. 3. Teach Children to Respect Beliefs about Traditional Tobacco Use, AITEP, 2000.

Want to Quit Smoking?

Contact the Calfiornia Smokers' Helpline, and tell them you heard about the program from the
California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB):

English: 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887)
TDD/TTY: 1-800-933-4TDD (1-800-933-4833)
Chewing Tobacco: 1-800-844-CHEW (1-800-844-2439)

The California Smokers' Helpline is a telephone program that can help you quit smoking. Helpline services are funded by the California Department of Health Services and are free of charge to you.

When you call, a friendly staff person will offer a choice of services: self-help materials, a referral to other programs, and confidential one-on-one counseling over the phone.

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Reasons to Quit

• To protect your family from secondhand smoke.
• To live a longer life and share your knowledge with coming generations.
• To acknowledge traditional tobacco as a gift from the Creator that should be used only for ceremonies.
• To help guide our people on a path to health, which can begin with your decision to quit today.
• Forty percent of American Indian deaths are from smoking-related causes.

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More about the California Smokers' Helpline....

• Service Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 am to 9 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm. Other times, you'll reach the Helpline's 24 hour voice mail service.
• Anyone in California can call, whether they're currently smoking, have quit, or want information for someone else.
• Counselors are caring professionals, trained in the field of smoking cessation.
• People who receive counseling are twice as likely to stay quit as those who try on their own.
• Many health plans, including Medi-Cal, will pay for your enrolment in a quit smoking program, such as the California Smokers' Helpline. Check with your Indian Clinic to find out if you can get the nicotine patch or Zyban™ as well.

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Mini-grant funding is available up to $2,500 per event in the Capacity program and $2,500 for the Implementation program. Mini-grants will be awarded to enable communities to implement tobacco projects that further their program objectives. For more information you can contact Lenora Starr at lenora.starr@crihb.net.

Funding Source:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office of Smoking and Health

Grant Term:

Contact:
Tobacco Education & Prevention Technical Support (TEPTS) Center
A program of the California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc.
4400 Auburn Blvd. , 2nd Floor
Sacramento , CA 95841
Phone: (916) 929-9761
Fax: (916) 929-7246

Grants:

Capacity Grant

Target Groups:

•  CRIHB member tribes and affiliated clinics

• American Indian tribes, health programs, and education programs in California and Nevada

•  Urban Indian health programs in California , Nevada , and Utah

•  Tobacco control agencies

•  CDC Implementation and Capacity Grantee Programs

Priority Areas:

•  Prevent and reduce Commercial Tobacco Abuse and exposure to secondhand smoke

•  Culturally-appropriate prevention of commercial tobacco abuse among American Indian youth

•  Promote commercial tobacco cessation among American Indian adults and youth

•  Reduce secondhand smoke in American Indian tribal and urban communities

•  Provide mini-grants in an amount up to $2,000 that enable tribal communities to:

•  Initiate and implement community norm change related to American Indian youth activities

•  Promote cessation among American Indian adults and youth

•  Train and provide technical assistance to implement secondhand smoke reduction programs and education

Implementation Grant

Target Groups:

•  CRIHB member tribes and affiliated clinics

•  American Indian tribes, health programs, and education programs in California

•  CDC Implementation and Capacity Grantee Programs

Priority Areas:

•  Evaluate promising tobacco programs and strategies for cultural relevance, community competence, program effectiveness, and ability to replicate in American Indian/Alaska Native communities

•  Convene a network of tribal tobacco control programs to provide guidance and mentoring to CDC Capacity Programs

•  Plan and conduct community-level tobacco education and training to prevent initiation among American Indian/Alaska Native youth

•  Plan and conduct community-level tobacco education and training to promote cessation among American Indian/Alaska Native youth

•  Plan and conduct community-level tobacco education and training to reduce secondhand smoke in American Indian/Alaska Native communities •  Provide mini-grants in an amount up to $2,500 that enable tribal communities to:

•  Initiate and implement community norm change related to American Indian youth activities

•  Promote cessation among American Indian adults and youth

•  Reduction efforts regarding secondhand smoke exposure in tribally-owned buildings and in homes

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