“Light Up a New Way of Life”
EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM
Acknowledgements
The All Nations Breath of Life team would like to acknowledge the funders in our endeavors to aid the American
Indian Community to stop smoking:
The American Cancer Society
The American Lung Association
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
National Cancer Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Have you ever tried to quit before?
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Has anything worked, even for a short time?
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What did not work?
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Changing Your Environment:
Get rid of all cigarettes, matches, lighters, and ashtrays in your
home, car, and place of work.
Don’t let people smoke in your home or car.
Sit in nonsmoking sections of restaurants and other public places.
Spend time in places where smoking is not allowed such as the
mall or the movie theater.
Find and destroy “stray” cigarettes.
Clean out coat pockets, kitchen drawers, and your glove
compartment.
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Wash your clothes, vacuum your home and car, and get your
teeth cleaned by the dentist.
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Planning Ahead to Avoid Temptation:
Avoid places where people are smoking or things that will
make you want to smoke.
Where do you normally smoke?
How can you avoid this place?
What things make you want to smoke?
How can you avoid these things?
After you quit, try these activities when you get the urge
to smoke.
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Make a list of things you will do instead of smoking and post
it around your house.
Here’s a list of things that often make people feel like smoking. Do
any apply to you? Pick as many as you want and write down what
you could do instead.
I feel like smoking most when...
• I feel frustrated.
• I feel angry.
• I feel tense.
• I feel worried.
• I feel upset.
• I feel irritable.
• I feel annoyed.
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• I am angry with myself.
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Instead I could...
I feel like smoking most when...
Instead I could...
• I am resting.
• I want to relax.
• I feel really happy.
• I am doing something interesting.
• I am trying to pass time.
• I feel restless.
• I feel bored.
• I am waiting for someone/something.
• I am with company.
• I am talking.
• I want to avoid eating sweets.
• I want to keep slim.
• I am drinking an alcoholic beverage.
• I am drinking coffee or tea.
Once you quit, don’t smoke – not even a puff!
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• I have finished a meal or snack.
Reward Yourself!!
Quitting is hard work!
Don’t think of it as “giving” something up.
Think of it as “gaining” good health.
Treat yourself to something special with the money you
will be saving.
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It could be up to $188 a month! (Based on one pack a day).
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The Cost of Smoking:
1 pack a day* for...
1 Week
1 Month
6 Months
1 Year
2 Years
=
=
=
=
=
$44 = One full tank of gas
$188 = Buy healthy groceries for a month
$1,146 = A gym membership for 2 years
$2,292 = Buy a refrigerator
$4,584 = Take a family vacation
3 Years
=
=
$6,877 = Pay off credit cards
$9,169 = Buy a used car
4 Years
*based on a pack of cigarettes that costs $6.28
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What will you do with the money that you save?
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What will you do for yourself after your FIRST DAY with
no cigarettes?
What will you do for yourself after your FIRST WEEK
with no cigarettes?
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NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
What is Nicotine Replacement Therapy?
Nicotine (NIK • e • teen) is the drug in tobacco that people crave.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy or NRT gives people nicotine so they
don’t crave it when they quit smoking.
NRT does not have the other harmful things in cigarettes like acetone
(nail polish remover), arsenic (poison), or nitrobenzene (gasoline
additive).
Patches
Chewing Gum
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Lozenges
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What Does NRT Do?
NRT works by giving the body nicotine to reduce withdrawal
symptoms associated with quitting smoking. Some withdrawal
symptoms are irritability, trouble concentrating, depression,
trouble sleeping, increased appetite, cravings, and headaches.
As a part of the All Nations Breath of Life program, you can
use any of these types of NRT or none at all. This pamphlet
will explain each type of NRT so you can make the right
decision for you. Remember, if you have any questions
after reading this, you can ask your ANBL group
facilitator or your doctor.
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The Patch
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How does the patch work?
Patches are clear or skin-toned and are smaller
than a packet of sugar. They contain nicotine
that is absorbed into the body through the skin.
Nicotine continues to enter the body as long as
you are wearing the patch. No one knows if
you are wearing the patch because you can put
it on under your clothes. Many people report
fewer side effects when using the patch than
they do when using other forms of NRT.
They also say that they are easier to use than other forms of NRT.
Which strength should I choose?
Patches come in 3 strengths: High (21mg), Medium (14mg) and
Low (7mg). The more you smoke, the higher the strength of patch
you should start with. If you are a heavy smoker, you would start
with “high”, then move to “medium”, then move to “low”. If you
smoke very little, you would only need “low” strength. If you’re in
between, you would start with “medium” and then move to “low”.
No matter how much you smoke, you should use the patch
for about 10-12 weeks.
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How do I use the patch?
One new patch should be applied every 24 hours. You DO
NOT have to wear the patch for 24 hours.
• If you have vivid dreams that keep you awake at night when
you wear the patch, you should take the patch off before you
go to bed at night. You can put a new one on in the morning.
If you do this, you should be wearing the patch for about 16
hours each day.
• If you smoke most when you wake up in the morning, it is
better to leave the patch on all night. You can take it off in
the morning and put on a new one.
Apply the patch to skin that is dry, clean and hairless.
• If hair is in the way, use clippers or scissors to trim it, don't
shave or wax.
Apply the patch to the upper body or outer part
of the upper arm.
Remove backing from patch and press onto skin.
Hold for 10 seconds.
Wash your hands after putting on or taking off a nicotine patch.
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• You should put the patch in a different place each day.
Tapering Down on the Patch:
Heavy Smokers:
If you smoke more than one pack of cigarettes
per day, you should start with Step 1 or 21mg patches.
Weeks 1 to 6: Use 1 Step 1 patch every day
Weeks 7 to 8: Use 1 Step 2 patch every day
Weeks 9 to 10: Use 1 Step 3 patch every day
Moderate Smokers:
If you smoke between 1/2 and one pack of cigarettes per day, you
should start with Step 2 or 14mg patches.
Week 1 to 6:
Week 7 to 10:
Use 1 Step 2 patch every day
Use 1 Step 3 patch every day
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Light Smokers:
If you smoke less than 1/2 pack of cigarettes per day, you should
start with Step 3 or 7mg patches.
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What shouldn’t I do while using patches?
Do not wear more than one patch at a time.
Do not cut patch in half or into smaller pieces.
Do not leave patch on for more than 24 hours because it may
irritate your skin or lose strength.
Is there any reason why I should stop using patches?
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You should always stop using patches if…
• Skin redness caused by the patch does not go away after 4 days
• Your skin swells
• You get a rash
• You experience nicotine overdose symptoms:
- nausea
- vomiting
- dizziness
- weakness
- rapid heartbeat
Gum:
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How does the gum work?
The gum also works by giving your body
nicotine to reduce withdrawal symptoms when
you quit smoking. The gum releases nicotine in
your mouth and it is absorbed into your system.
It comes in several flavors. You chew the gum
when you feel the urge to smoke. You should not
use it if you are still smoking. You should also not take it if you
have had a heart attack in the last 2 months or if you have severe or
worsening chest pains or serious heart rhythm problems. Women
who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not chew it.
Which strength should I choose?
Nicotine gum comes in two strengths: 2mg and 4mg. The amount
you should take depends on your cravings and how much you smoke.
If you smoke more than 25 cigarettes per day you will probably
want the 4 mg gum. If you smoke 24 or less cigarettes per day you
can probably use the 2 mg gum. However, you may need to go up
to the 4mg gum if you find you are using more than 29 pieces per
day. To prevent side effects, you should not use more than
20 pieces of the 4 mg gum per day.
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How do I use NRT gum?
You should stop smoking before using nicotine gum
• You will need to use the gum regularly (about every 1 to 2
hours while you’re awake) for at least 1-3 months. Chew a
piece of gum on your schedule or when you feel the urge to
smoke.
Chew the gum until it becomes softened or gives a strong
“peppery” or tingling taste.
• You should then “park” the gum between your cheek and
gum. When the taste fades after a few minutes, briefly chew
the gum to bring back the taste, then “park” the gum again.
Repeat this process until you have chewed the gum for 30
minutes then discard the gum.
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Avoid acidic drinks (coffee, juice, soft drinks)
and food for 15 minutes before and after
chewing because this can interfere with
chewing and getting the nicotine from
the gum into your body.
Tapering Down on Gum:
After 1-3 months, you should begin reducing
the number of pieces of nicotine gum you
chew each day.
Heavy Smokers: You will probably start with
the 4 mg gum and chew about 15 to 20 pieces
each day for your first month off of cigarettes.
You may want to stay on that amount of gum until you have not
smoked in 3 months. Then you can start to use less pieces of gum
each day. When you get to 4-6 pieces a day, you may find that
switching to the 2 mg gum for a few weeks is helpful as you
taper down to no gum.
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Moderate Smokers: You can start on either the 2mg or 4mg gum.
You should try the 2mg gum and if it does not work, try the 4 mg.
You should stay on your original amount of gum for about 60 days,
then start slowly decreasing the number of pieces you chew each
day. You may be able to use the 2mg gum to taper, even if you started
with the 4mg gum. It should take about one month to taper down to
no gum.
Light Smokers: You should use the 2 mg gum. You may be able to
begin tapering your gum after being smoke free for about 30 days.
You should taper down to no gum over about 10 to 15 days.
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What shouldn’t I do while using the gum?
• Do not eat or drink anything except water during or for 15 minutes
before or after chewing the gum.
• Do not swallow the gum as this may irritate your stomach or give
you too much nicotine.
• Do not chew the gum too quickly as this may also give you too
much nicotine.
Is there any reason why I should stop using the gum?
• You should always stop using the gum if…
• You develop severe abdominal pains,
heartburn, or sore throat.
• You develop high blood pressure (>160/90),
a racing heart or chest pains.
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• You begin having problems with
serious nausea or vomiting.
The Lonzenge:
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How does the Lozenge work?
Lozenges are an oral type of NRT and come
in a form like hard candy that releases nicotine
while dissolving slowly in your mouth. They
contain nicotine that is absorbed into your body
through the gum tissue in your mouth. You use the
lozenge when you feel the urge to smoke. It delivers
nicotine to the brain more quickly than the patch and therefore may
be very helpful to quickly reduce cravings. It can be used almost
any time and any place. People who use it say they can easily adjust
the amount they need. Most people report few side effects when
using the lozenge and they report no difficulties with adjusting the
amounts they use to help in their smoking cessation programs.
Which strength should I choose?
Lozenges come in 2 strengths: High (4mg), and Low (2mg). If you
usually have your first cigarette within thirty minutes of waking up,
you should start with 4mg lozenges, then move to 2mg over time. If
you smoke your first cigarette more than thirty minutes after waking
up, you should use the 2mg lozenge. No matter how much you
smoke, you should use the lozenge for about 12 weeks.
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How do I use the Lozenge?
The lozenge is placed in your mouth and lasts about 20 to 30
minutes. You place it between your cheek and gum and suck
slowly until there is a taste of nicotine in your mouth. After
you taste nicotine in your mouth, you can stop sucking on the
lozenge. The taste of nicotine will fade. The lozenge should be
moved from side to side in the mouth until it completely
dissolves.
• As with other forms of NRT, you cannot use lozenges and
smoke cigarettes at the same time. This might raise your
blood pressure to very high levels or cause other side effects
for your heart or blood flow.
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It is always important to participate in a stop-smoking program
if you can while using the lozenges. These programs are also
important before you quit, so you can get ready. Most smokers
who are able to quit set a “quit date”, a date a few weeks in the
future when they will stop smoking and start using the
lozenges regularly.
Tapering Down on the Lozenge:
When you first start using the lozenge you should take one lozenge
every 1 to 2 hours. You should use at least 9 lozenges per day for the
first 6 weeks. As you have less cravings for cigarettes, you should
slowly reduce the number of lozenges you use each day.
After 6 weeks you should reduce to one lozenge every 2 to 4 hours.
After another 3 weeks, you should reduce to one lozenge every
4 to 8 hours. By this time, you are actually getting very little nicotine.
You will probably not experience a lot of cravings or withdrawal
symptoms. You will be ready to stop treatment all together soon!
If you usually have your first cigarette within thirty minutes of waking
up, you should start with 4mg lozenges.
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Weeks 1 to 6: Use 1 4 mg lozenge every 1-2 hours during the day
Weeks 7 to 9: Use 1 4 mg lozenge every 2-4 hours during the day
Weeks 10 to 12: Use 1 4 mg lozenge every 4-8 hours during the day
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Tapering Down on the Lozenge:
If you usually have your first cigarette more than thirty minutes after
waking up, you should start with 2mg lozenges.
Weeks 1 to 6: Use 1 2mg lozenge every 1-2 hours during the day
Weeks 7 to 9: Use 1 2 mg lozenge every 2-4 hours during the day
Weeks 10 to 12: Use 1 2 mg lozenge every 4-8 hours during the day
Remember to carry lozenges with you at all times, once you begin
using them. You will then have them with you whenever you feel
a sudden urge to smoke and it will help with cravings.
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Tapering Down on the Lozenge:
What shouldn’t I do while using lozenges?
Do not eat or drink for 15 minutes before using a nicotine
lozenge.
Do not bite or chew the lozenge like a hard candy.
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Do not swallow the lozenge.
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Tapering Down on the Lozenge:
Is there any reason why I should stop using lozenges?
You should always stop using lozenges if…
Your skin swells.
You become pregnant.
You get a rash.
You develop painful tooth, gum
or throat irritations.
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You experience nicotine overdose symptoms:
• nausea
• vomiting
• dizziness
• weakness
• rapid heartbeat
• persistent headache
Always Remember…
Keep ALL forms of NRT away from children!
Before you start using ANY form of NRT, you should stop
smoking completely.
If you experience side effects with any type of NRT, you can
decrease the amount you are using.
Questions to ask your doctor:
How do I set a quit date and prepare to quit smoking?
What Nicotine Replacement Therapy might be best for me?
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Can I use Nicotine Replacement Therapy with a smoking
cessation drug (pharmacotherapy)?
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ADD YOUR OWN QUESTIONS:
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–
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
–
What is pharmacotherapy?
Pharmacotherapy is a term used to describe the different types of
drugs that can help you quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy,
such as the patch or gum, is one type of pharmacotherapy.
In this pamphlet, nicotine replacement therapy is not discussed.
Instead, it explains the types of drugs your doctor can prescribe.
Currently, there are two drugs that your doctor can prescribe that will
help you quit smoking, Zyban® and Chantix®. They work in different
ways and will help different people.
It is important to remember that not everyone wants to or should
take a drug to help them quit smoking. Only you can decide if you
would like to use them.
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If you want to consider either of these drugs, you should talk to your
doctor and decide what is best for you.
These images were pulled from the companies websites and may or may not reflect the actual packaging.
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What is Zyban®?
Zyban® (ZI • ban) is a drug that your doctor can prescribe for you to
help you quit smoking. It was originally used as a drug to prevent
depression, but other uses include curbing cravings due to smoking.
You may have heard it called:
Wellbutrin® (wel • BYU • trin)
Bupropion hydrochloride (byu•PROP•ee •on hy •dro•KLOR •ide)
Bupropion (byu • PROP • ee • on)
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What does it do?
Zyban® can help you quit smoking
by reducing cravings for cigarettes.
It can also decrease withdrawal symptoms
from quitting. Some of these withdrawal
symptoms are anger, anxiety, trouble
concentrating, restlessness, and feeling
depressed or sad.
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Is there any reason why I should not take Zyban®?
You should not take Zyban® if you:
Have or have had a seizure disorder, like epilepsy.
Are already taking or are allergic to Wellbutrin®, bupropion
hydrochloride, or bupropion.
Have or have had an eating disorder, like anorexia/bulimia.
Are a woman who is pregnant or nursing.
Are taking or recently stopped taking an MAOI
(monoamine oxidase inhibitor), such as Nardil®
Are abruptly stopping use of alcohol or sedatives.
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Have severe liver or kidney problems.
When in doubt...
talk to your doctor!!
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Side Effects of Zyban®
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty sleeping
• Shakiness
• High blood pressure
Allergic Reaction: A few people may have an allergic reaction
to Zyban®, such as a rash, hives, or difficulty breathing.
If you experience one of these symptoms, talk to your doctor!
A few other things...
Zyban® can take 1 or 2 weeks to start working, so don’t get
discouraged if you don’t see results right away.
You should not drink alcohol while using Zyban® because
the alcohol may affect you more.
Zyban® can be taken with nicotine replacement
therapies (e.g. the patch, gum, lozenges, etc.).
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Make sure your doctor knows that you are
taking Zyban®, especially if you’re taking
other medications.
What is Chantix®?
Chantix® (CHANütix) is a prescription drug to help adults stop
smoking. You can begin Chantix® and take it while you are still
smoking and making the final preparations to quit. It is a very safe
drug but should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women or
by anyone under age 18.
What does it do?
Chantix® partially blocks nicotine receptors in your
brain and body to help you stop craving cigarettes.
It also helps with withdrawal symptoms when
you quit smoking. Most people will take
Chantix® for 12 weeks.
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Some people may need to continue
for an additional 12 weeks.
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Is there any reason why I should not take Chantix®?
You should not take Chantix® if you:
are pregnant or breast feeding
are under 18 years of age
have severe problems with nausea and vomiting
on a regular basis
When in doubt... talk to your doctor!!
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Side Effects of Chantix®
Chantix® has very few side effects and
is well tolerated.
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However, some patients may experience:
• Nausea
• Changes in Dreaming or Problems Sleeping
• Headache
• Trouble Sleeping
• Skin Changes (dry skin or acne)
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Chest Pain
• Dry Mouth
• Dizziness
• Heartburn
• Appetite Changes
• Fatigue
• Gas
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A few other things...
If you have a history of mental health or mood changes, talk to your
doctor before starting Chantix.
If you have serious depression or other mental health conditions,
please let your doctor know immediately if you have mood changes,
irritability, or anger after you start taking Chantix®.
If you have or have had recent heart problems, please let your
doctor know immediately if you have any chest pain, palpitations,
shortness of breath, or lightheadedness after you start taking
Chantix®.
If you have kidney problems talk to your doctor before starting Chantix
If you take Chantix® along with nicotine replacement therapy
(e.g. the patch or gum), you may notice an increased problem with
nausea. You may also notice side effects such as headache, vomiting,
dizziness, heartburn and fatigue if you take them both together.
Start taking Chantix® about 7 days before the day you plan to quit.
Take Chantix® after eating with a full 8-oz. glass of water.
You will start with a 0.5 mg white tablet
once a day for 3 days.
Then you will take a 1.0 mg blue
tablet twice a day for the rest of your
12 week treatment.
You may require a lower dose. Talk to
your doctor, if you think a lower dose
works for you
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You will then take a 0.5 mg white tablet
twice a day for 4 days.
Questions to ask your doctor:
How do I choose a quit date?
What can I do to prepare for quitting?
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Are there any specific “tricks” that I can use to prevent
cravings and relapse?
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ADD YOUR OWN QUESTIONS:
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PAGE - 11
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Did you know these facts about cigarette smoking?
Cigarette smoking kills almost 19,000 people in the world
every day.
Over 480,000 Americans die from smoking each year.
Tobacco kills more Americans every 1-1/2 years than have all
the wars in the last 100 years.
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Every cigarette smoked takes 11 minutes off the life of
the smoker.
PAGE -2
Smokers are 3 times more likely than non-smokers to die
before the age of 70.
Smoking causes more deaths each year than HIV, illegal
drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, and gunrelated incidents combined.
Smoking is the #1 cause of avoidable illness and death.
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Cigarette smoking and American
Indians/Alaska Natives
• 37.3% of all adult American Indians/Alaska Natives
smoke cigarettes. That is over 14% more than any
other ethnic group.
• American Indian/Alaska Native women are the only group of
people who smoke more cigarettes now than they did 30 years ago.
• The leading cause of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives is
heart disease. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of heart disease.
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• The second leading cause of death for American Indians/Alaska
Natives is cancer. The cancer that most often kills is lung cancer.
Cigarette smoking is the main cause of lung cancer and is linked to
many other cancers, such as mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder,
kidney, pancreas, breast, and cervical.
PAGE – 4
• Death rates due to smoking are as much as 70% higher among
American Indian men than white men and as much as 60% higher
among American Indian women than white women.
• American Indians/Alaska Natives quit smoking less often than
other ethnic groups.
• American Indian/Alaska Native women have the highest rates of
smoking during pregnancy than any other race/ethnicity in the
United States.
PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO SMOKE IN DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
AMERICAN INDIAN ASIAN AMERICAN
ALASKA NATIVE
PACIFIC ISLANDER
EUROPEAN
AMERICAN
HISPANIC
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40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
What’s in a cigarette?
There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes! Cigarettes often contain
things that you would not expect to find.
Here is a list of just a few of the many chemicals
that are found in cigarettes:
• Acetone (nail polish remover)
• Ammonium (floor/toilet cleaner)
• Arsenic (poison, also used in pesticides)
• Benzo [a] pyrene (found in coal tar)
• Carbon Monoxide (car exhaust fumes)
• Cadmium (found in rechargeable batteries)
• Formaldehyde (preserves dead bodies)
• Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison)
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• Nitrobenzene (gasoline additive)
• Toluene (found in paint thinner)
When was the last time you purposely ate
or drank or inhaled any of these chemicals?
PAGE – 6
HEALTH RISKS
• In the United States, cigarette smoking is the main cause of
avoidable health problems. It causes hundreds of thousands of
deaths and over 1/4th of all cancer deaths each year.
• Some of the diseases caused by cigarette smoking include heart
attacks, emphysema, stroke, and cancers of the lungs, throat,
mouth, bladder, and pancreas.
• More than 9 out of 10 deaths from lung cancer are caused by
cigarette smoking.
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Healthy Lung
Unhealthy Lung
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If you and your spouse smoke cigarettes,
chances are one of you will die from a disease related to smoking.
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Benefits of Quitting Smoking:
Within 20 minutes of quitting...
• Blood pressure gets better and pulse rate drops to normal.
• Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
Within 8 hours of quitting...
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
Within 24 hours of quitting...
• Risk of sudden heart attack decreases.
Within 48 hours of quitting...
• Nerves begin to regenerate.
• Senses of smell and taste begin
to return to normal.
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Within 2 weeks to 3 months of quitting...
• Circulation of blood improves.
• Walking becomes easier.
• Lung function increases by up to 30%.
The Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Within 1 to 9 months of quitting...
• Overall energy increases.
• Coughing occurs less.
• Breathing becomes better.
• The body is able to fight infections
of the lungs more easily.
Within 1 year of quitting...
• Risk of having a heart attack
is reduced by half.
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Within 5 years of quitting...
• Risk of dying from lung cancer
is reduced by half.
Within 10 to 15 years of quitting...
• Risk of having a stroke becomes similar to that
of a non-smoker.
• Risk of having cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus,
bladder, kidney, and pancreas is reduced.
• Risk of having a heart attack becomes similar to that
of a non-smoker.
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What Health Benefits are YOU Hoping
to Get From Quitting?
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PAGE - 11
What are the pros and cons of smoking?
PROS OF SMOKING
NOTES:
CONS OF SMOKING
A S M O K I N G C E S S AT I O N P R O G R A M F O R N AT I V E P E O P L E
ENDS- ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
A S M O K I N G C E S S AT I O N P R O G R A M F O R N AT I V E P E O P L E
ENDS- ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
What are Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems?
There are many different tobacco products on the market other than
cigarettes. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have become
very popular among both adults and youth. These products are
battery powered which heat a liquid into a vapor that can be inhaled .
The liquid used contains a concentrated nicotine solution (or e-liquid).
ENDS products include:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Electronic Cigarettes or “e-cigs” (this is most common)
Vape Pens
Vape Boxes
Tank systems
E-hookahs
Hookah Pen
Shisha Stick
Juul
Mechanical Mods
E-Cigar
E-Pipe
Others
Did You Know?
Nearly 50% of current
smokers and recent
former smokers use
ENDS. Among these
groups, the most
commonly cited
reasons for ENDS use
are perceived health
benefits and assistance
with quitting smoking.
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A S M O K I N G C E S S AT I O N P R O G R A M F O R N AT I V E P E O P L E
ENDS- ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Are ENDS Safe?
The health effects of ENDS products are not fully known,
but it is possible that they will lead to long-term addiction
and health problems. Early findings show that daily ENDS
users have double the risk of heart attacks. It is also
possible that ENDS use among young people will lead to
damage to brain development. There has been a lot of
concern about hospitalizations and deaths related to ENDS
use. As of January 2020, over 2600 hospitalizations and
nearly 60 deaths have been confirmed as related to ENDS
use. Many more hospitalizations and deaths may be
related to their use. It is too early to tell what the true
health effects of ENDS are.
• Ultra fine particles that can be
inhaled deep into the lungs
• Flavorants such as diacetyl, a
chemical linked to lung disease
• Volatile organic compounds
• Heavy metals, such as nickel, tin,
and lead
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In addition to nicotine, ENDS
have other toxins and cancercausing substances in them,
including:
A S M O K I N G C E S S AT I O N P R O G R A M F O R N AT I V E P E O P L E
ENDS- ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Addiction to ENDS
The majority of ENDS products contain nicotine. Just like in cigarettes,
nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. The amount and
concentration of nicotine in ENDS varies from product to product. The
range is from 0 mg to 48 mg of nicotine in one cartridge or pod. By
comparison, a pack of cigarettes has about 24 mg of nicotine. In some
products, the user can also add his or her own nicotine solution or modify
the device to add more nicotine. Once a person is addicted to nicotine, it
is very hard for him or her to break the habit.
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Quitting Cigarette Smoking and
ENDS
Current research studies have not been
able to prove that the use of ENDS aids
in quitting cigarette smoking. People
have reported that using ENDS has
helped them to quit smoking cigarettes.
However, studies have shown that the
use of ENDS actually makes it less likely
for people to quit smoking cigarettes. In
addition, young ENDS users are more
likely to start smoking cigarettes.
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A S M O K I N G C E S S AT I O N P R O G R A M F O R N AT I V E P E O P L E
ENDS- ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
ENDS Use Among Youth
Young people are the most vulnerable to become addicted to ENDS.
They are also the group in whom use is rising exponentially and more
quickly than among any other age group. This is concerning because
the brain is rapidly developing through around age 25. Nicotine has
been proven to harm a developing brain and the earlier someone is
exposed to nicotine, the higher his or her chances are for long-term
addiction. Special consideration should be taken if very young
children are exposed or have access to ENDS. There are no safety
devices attached to ENDS and it could only take ½ teaspoon of
concentrated nicotine solution to kill a young child.
being discussed.
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
ENDS Laws and Regulations
There are few regulations that ensure
safety in the manufacturing and
contents of the e-liquid in ENDS. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) does not oversee ENDS like they
do other nicotine products (e.g.
cigarettes, nicotine replacement
therapies, etc.). This may change as
many potential laws are currently
NOTES:
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“Light Up a New Way of Life”
People smoke for many reasons…
To cope with stress.
To treat the cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
For pleasure and relaxation.
For weight control.
Because of peer pressure.
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SOME PEOPLE SMOKE TOBACCO
TRADITIONALLY
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Because they think it looks cool.
Because they are with friends who smoke.
Because they enjoy the touch and handling of a cigarette.
Because it is hard to quit when it is easy to get cigarettes.
...SOME PEOPLE SMOKE FOR CEREMONY
OR TO PRAY
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List three reasons why YOU smoke:
1.
2.
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3.
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Stress:
Stress is one of the most common reasons why people
say they smoke. Many smokers tend to smoke
when they are upset or bothered by things.
Examples include:
• Living with little money.
• Having a hard time finding a job.
• Poor housing.
• Crime.
• Stress from discrimination
and racism.
• Problems family members
are experiencing.
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• Death of a loved one.
List three reasons YOU feel stress...
1.
2.
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3.
Smoking does not help solve any of these problems.
The cravings caused by nicotine actually create more stress
even though cigarettes appear to help smokers calm down.
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NOTES:
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NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Four Common Myths about Quitting Smoking
Myth 1: Smoking is just a bad habit.
FACT:
Nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people,
it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
Myth 2: Quitting is just a matter of willpower.
FACT:
Some people can quit easier than others, but
because smoking is an addiction, quitting is often
very hard. A number of treatments are available that
can help.
Myth 3: If you can’t quit the first time, you will never quit.
FACT:
Quitting is hard. Usually people make three or
four tries, sometimes more, before being able to
quit for good.
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Myth 4: The best way to quit is “cold turkey.”
FACT:
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The best way to stop smoking
is whatever works best for you.
Everyone is different. Some
options include counseling and
medications - such as nicotine
replacement.
Withdrawal
People who are trying to quit smoking may go
through physical and mental withdrawals. Here are
some tips for handling withdrawals:
• Drink lots of liquids especially water. Try herbal tea
or flavored water. Limit coffee, soft drinks, or alcohol
– they can increase your urge to smoke.
• Avoid sugar and fatty food. Try low-calorie foods for snacking as
carrots and other vegetables, sugarless gum, air-popped popcorn,
or low-fat cottage cheese.
• Don’t skip meals.
• Exercise on a regular basis. This is a healthy activity and helps
to set up a new routine.
• Change your habits. Try a different route to work, eat breakfast in
a different place, or get up from the table right away after eating.
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
• Take deep breaths. Distract yourself. When cravings hit, do something else immediately, such as talking to someone or doing
something to keep you busy.
Withdrawal
Here are some additional tips for handling withdrawal:
• Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot bath or shower, read
a book, or exercise.
• Get more sleep. Try to go to sleep earlier and get more rest.
• Avoid things that remind you of smoking.
• Drink your morning coffee in a different place or take a different
way to work.
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• Have lunch with nonsmoking friends
or take a walk when you would normally
take a smoking break.
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Common Withdrawal Symptoms and how to cope
with them
Symptoms
What You Can Do
Dry mouth, sore throat, gums
or tongue
Sip ice cold water or fruit juice.
Chew gum.
Headaches
Take a warm bath or shower.
Try relaxation or meditation
techniques.
Trouble sleeping
Don’t drink coffee, tea, or soda
with caffeine after 6:00 pm.
Constipation or diarrhea
Add fiber to your diet, such as
raw fruit, vegetables, and whole
grain cereals. Drink 6-8 glasses
of water a day.
(continued on the following page)
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Common Withdrawal Symptoms and how to cope
with them
Symptoms
What You Can Do
Fatigue
Take a nap. Try not to push
yourself during this time.
Hunger
Drink water or low-calorie
liquids. Eat low-fat, low-calorie
snacks.
Tenseness, irritability
Take a walk, soak in a hot bath.
Coughing
Sip warm herbal tea. Suck on
cough drops or hard candy.
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Cravings
After you quit smoking, there will be times when you will really,
really, REALLY want a cigarette!
Believe it or not, most cravings (urges) will pass within a few minutes.
As time goes by, your cravings will also become less frequent and
less intense.
However, those few minutes when you are fighting an urge may seem
endless, especially if you do nothing to cope with the urge. You need
to learn how to cope with cravings if you are going to be successful
at quitting smoking.
List 5 ways you can change your routine to help
you handle cravings:
1.
2.
4.
5.
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3.
Fighting the Cravings
Avoiding: You can put a stop to many smoking urges by avoiding
or changing places where you may want to smoke and by taking
good care of yourself. For example, stay away from smoke-filled
bars, smoking breaks at work, and stressful situations. Change your
routine in times that cause cravings, such as after a meal or while
relaxing. Once you are sure that you can handle your cravings without smoking, you may not have to stay away from some places.
List three things you will need to avoid:
1.
2.
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3.
PAGE – 8
COPING
Practice strategies to cope with difficult situations without smoking
such as:
• Positive self-talk: Tell yourself that smoking is not an option! You
can do almost anything in the world to cope with urges except
smoke.
• Use distraction: This can include going for
a walk, calling a friend, or reading a book
—anything that gets your mind off
smoking.
• Do things that substitute for smoking
or that are incompatible with smoking
such as chewing a stick of gum or
a toothpick, brushing your teeth, eating
a peppermint, snacking on low-calorie
foods, or keeping your hands busy
playing cards.
• Use deep breathing.
• Keep your hands busy. Play with something like a pencil
or a paper clip.
• Call a friend or family member who supports your efforts to quit.
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
• Take a hot shower or bath to relax.
COPING
• Take one day at a time. Remember that you don’t need to
worry about tomorrow, next week, or the rest of your life.
• Think about the benefits of not smoking (money, health, and feelings of success).
• Stay away from places where you used to smoke.
• Sit in the nonsmoking section when you eat in restaurants.
• Avoid foods and drinks that make you want to smoke.
• Try to avoid being around smoking friends. Ask them NOT to
smoke around you.
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What will you do to cope?
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Escaping: What do you need to escape from? How
will you do it?
If you get into a situation that is too overwhelming - ESCAPE!
For example, if someone starts smoking around you, excuse yourself
and leave, even if only for a few minutes. Don’t let anything threaten
your abstinence. As you get stronger, you will need to escape from
fewer situations, but don’t be afraid to do it if you have to!
Helpful Hints from Other (Former) Smokers:
Think about how smoking is harmful to you and to your
family and friends.
Every time you want to smoke, place the cost of a pack of
cigarettes in a jar.
See what you’ve saved over time from not purchasing,
smoking, and lending cigarettes.
Place a photo of your loved one in your pack of cigarettes
to remind yourself of some of the important reasons you
should quit.
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Think back to how even one cigarette could make you feel
dizzy. Your body knows that any amount of cigarette smoke
is harmful.
Remind yourself why you are quitting.
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
There are five traditional tobacco uses that are common among Native people,
including:
• To honor and welcome guests
• To bless the food crops
• For prayers
• For purification
• As payment to a healer
Some examples…
*Among many New England Indians, no tribal religious ceremony or intertribal
conference begins without the pipe and the smoke of tobacco. A pipe is the
first courtesy offered a guest or stranger.1
* Among the Tohono O’Odham of Arizona, blowing smoking upon someone is
a mild form of purification. Tobacco smoke is used by the shaman to cure illness and also by those who purify a man who has been in contact with supernatural power. In the old rituals, blowing tobacco smoke was a form of
prayer which placed a man in contact with the supernatural.
1
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*Among the Delaware, tobacco is considered to be a magic plant. It is offered
to Kee-shay-lum-moo-kawng, and to the lesser spiritual agents called
Manitowuk, as the occasion warrants. Tobacco is burned like incense in an
open fire, and medicine men use it during their prayers. When an herbalist
gathers roots or leaves in the woods, he customarily sprinkles tobacco at the
foot of the tree, or around the plant, as an offering to the spirit world.
Tobacco, in addition to its many religious purposes, is used to quiet angry
waters; to allay destructive winds; to seek good luck in hunting; to return
thanks to the Creator; to protect a traveler; and to console the bereaved.1
*Among the Indians of the Great Basin, the Kawaiisu had several important
uses for tobacco. Most Kawaiisu smoked tobacco in cigarettes of reed-cane
or in buckwheat-stem pipes. Women typically ate tobacco powdered and
mixed with crushed lime. Tobacco was considered one of the “four primary
medicines” and was used to stop itching, stop bleeding, to cause vomiting,
and to cause sedation. It was even used during childbirth to ease discomfort.
The Kawaiisu would also blow powdered tobacco into the air to drive away
evil spirits or inipi.2
*The Creeks valued the tobacco plant so highly they made it a warrior and
gave it the war name ‘hitci’. The Cherokees called tobacco ‘tsalu’, “fire in the
mouth”.1
Does YOUR tribe use tobacco traditionally?
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If so how?
PAGE 4
It is estimated that the tobacco plant has been used in a sacred way by Native
people for over 18,000 years. Traditional or sacred tobacco plant varieties vary
from tribe to tribe.
There are 7 species of tobacco within the genus Nicotiana that are still used by
Native people, each present in a different region of the United States.
North American Tobacco Species Used by Native North Americans
REGIONS OF USE
Domesticated
Nicotiana rustica
Nicotiana tobacum
Eastern U.S., Mesoamerican, Southwest
Mesoamerica, part of Southwest U.S.
Wild
Nicotiana attenuate
Nicotiana quadrivalvis Pursh.
Var. bigelovii
Var. wallacei
Var. quadrivalvis
Var. multivalvis
Nicotiana clevelandii Gray
Nicotiana glauca Grah.
Nicotiana trigonophylla Dun.
Southwest U.S., Great Basin, California,
Northwest U.S.
California to Washington
Southern California
Missouri River valley
Upper Missouri River valley
Southern California
California, western Arizona
Southwest U.S., Southern California
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SPECIES
Care of the tobacco plant...
Among the Six Nations* (Iroquois Confederacy) the tobacco cultivation
process itself reflects their great respect for this particular crop. Tobacco is not
grown with other crops. It is usually cultivated by men, which is interesting
because crop cultivation among the Six Nations is considered woman’s work.
As the plants mature, the Six Nations gather the leaves, carefully leaving the
stems and the seeds to propagate new tobacco plants1.
*The Six Nations are the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Tuscarora
and Seneca.
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Among the Senecas, the tobacco plant is allowed to grow until the leaves are
twice as large as the space enclosed between the outstretched and joined
thumbs and forefingers, and then, in order to insure its virtue, it is plucked
only when a thunderstorm is approaching; otherwise the tobacco is thought to
be of inferior quality and not nearly as acceptable to the Powers. Improperly
gathered tobacco, when cast into the fire, burns immediately, and the smoke
incense rises straight to the sky, whereas, when picked at the approach of a
thunderstorm, the tobacco writhes and wriggles when cast upon the coals, as
though it is alive, and the smoke swirls upward with its message.1
For southern Indians, tobacco use was not a personal habit; it was reserved for
special occasions. They believed tobacco has mystical powers. They smoked it
to ward off evil spirits and to bring forth friendly ones.
They smoked to put themselves in touch with the
spirit world. They smoked as a gesture of
friendliness, using the peace pipe. And they
smoked before waging war.
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Here are a few of the different names by which this plant is known in some of
the Native languages of North America*
NAME FOR TOBACCO
Tsa-tsa-la-gi
Tsa-la-gi-yi
Tsa-la-gi (Cherokee)
Tsitsistaestse (Cheyenne)
Mi’kmaq (Micmac)
Abnaki
Maliseet
Passamaquoddy
Narragansett
Mshkodeniyek
(Prairie Band Potawatomi)
Sauk
Fox
Kickapoo
Iowa
Ottawa
Dakota
Lakota
Cree-Montagnais
Menomini
Ojibwa
Algonquin
Chinook
Tlingit
Navajo-Apache
tso-la or tsa-lu (“fire in the mouth”)
tse’nemoo’o
tmawei
udaman
tumawé
dumawai
ottomaok
asema (tobacco)
nensema (Indian tobacco)
seiman, sämon
asämawa
nessämon
nanye
sema
cañdi
cañli
tcistema
nänimau
assäma
Semah
kainoL
gan(tc)
nat’o
*From: Dixon, R. B. (1921). "Words for Tobacco in American Indian
Languages." American Anthropologist 23(1): 19-49.
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
LANGUAGE/TRIBE
What is the word for tobacco in YOUR tribe’s language?
Huron
The Great Spirit sent a woman to save humanity. She gave people potatoes
from her right hand and corn from her left. She then rested and when she
arose, there grew tobacco.
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Cherokee
In the beginning of the world, when people and animals were all the same,
there was only one tobacco plant, to which they all came for their tobacco until
the Dagul'ku geese stole it and carried it far away to the south. The people
were suffering without it, and there was one old woman who grew so thin and
weak that everybody said she would soon die unless she could get tobacco to
keep her alive. Different animals offered to go for it, but the Dugul'ku killed
everyone before they could get to the plant. At last the Hummingbird offered.
He flew off to the east, and when he came in sight of the tobacco the Dagul'ku
were watching all about it, but they could not see him because he was so small
and flew so swiftly. He darted down on the plant -tsa!- and snatched off the
top with the leaves and seeds, and was off again before the Dagul'ku knew
what happened. Before he got home with the tobacco the old woman had fainted
and they thought she was dead, but he blew the smoke into her nostrils, and
with a cry of "Tsa'la! (Tobacco)"she opened her eyes and was alive again.
Lakota (Sioux)
One summer so long ago that nobody knows how long, the Oceti-Shakowin,
the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Oyate, the nation, came together
PAGE 8
and camped. The sun shone all the time, but there was no game and the people
were starving. Every day they sent scouts to look for game, but the scouts
found nothing.
Among the bands assembled were the Itazipcho, the Without-Bows, who had
their own camp circle under their chief, Standing Hollow Horn. Early one
morning the chief sent two of his young men to hunt for game. They went on
foot, because at that time the Sioux did not yet have horses. They searched
everywhere but could find nothing. Seeing a high hill, they decided to climb it
in order to look over the whole country. Halfway up, they saw something
coming toward them from far off, but the figure was floating instead of walking.
From this they knew that the person was wakan, holy.
The two young men looked at her open-mouthed. One was in awe, but the
other desired her body and stretched his hand out to touch her. This woman
was lila wakan, very sacred, and could not be treated with disrespect.
Lightning instantly struck the brash young man and burned him up, so that
only a small heap of blackened bones was left. Or as some say that he was
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
At first they could make out only a small moving speck and had to squint to
see that it was a human form. But as it came nearer, they realized that it was a
beautiful young woman, more beautiful than any they had ever seen, with two
round, red dots of face paint on her cheeks. She wore a wonderful white buckskin outfit, tanned until it shone a long way in the sun. It was embroidered
with sacred and marvelous designs of porcupine quill, in radiant colors no
ordinary woman could have made. This wakan stranger was Ptesan-Wi,
White Buffalo Woman. In her hands she carried a large bundle and a fan of
sage leaves. She wore her blue-black hair loose except for a strand at the left
side, which was tied up with buffalo fur. Her eyes shone dark and sparkling,
with great power in them.
suddenly covered by a cloud, and within it he was eaten up by snakes that left
only his skeleton, just as a man can be eaten up by lust.
To the other scout who had behaved rightly, the White Buffalo Woman said:
"Good things I am bringing, something holy to your nation. A message I carry
for your people from the buffalo nation. Go back to the camp and tell the
people to prepare for my arrival. Tell your chief to put up a medicine lodge
with twenty-four poles. Let it be made holy for my coming."
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This young hunter returned to the camp. He told the chief and he told the
people what the sacred woman had commanded. The chief told the eyapaha,
the crier, and the crier went through the camp circle calling: "Someone sacred
is coming. A holy woman approaches. Make all things ready for her." So the
people put up the big medicine tipi and waited. After four days they saw the
White Buffalo Woman approaching, carrying her bundle before her. Her
wonderful white buckskin dress shone from afar. The chief, Standing Hollow
Horn, invited her to enter the medicine lodge. She went in and circled the
interior sunwise. The chief addressed her respectfully, saying: "Sister, we are
glad you have come to instruct us."
She told him what she wanted done. In the center of the tipi they were to put
up an owanka wakan, a sacred altar made of red earth, with a buffalo skull and
a three-stick rack for a holy thing she was bringing. They did what she directed,
and she traced a design with her finger on the smoothed earth of the altar.
She showed them how to do all of this, then circled the lodge again sunwise.
Halting before the chief, she now opened the bundle. The holy thing it contained was the chanunpa, the sacred pipe. She held it out to the people and let
them look at it. She was grasping the stem with her right hand and the bowl
with her left, and thus the pipe has been held this way ever since.
Again, the chief spoke, saying: "Sister, we are glad. We have had no meat for
PAGE 10
some time. All we can give you is water." They dipped some wacanga, sweet
grass, into a skin bag of water and gave it to her, and to this day the people dip
sweet grass or an eagle wing in water and sprinkle it on a person to be purified.
The White Buffalo Woman showed the people how to use the pipe. She filled
it with chan-shasha, red willow-bark tobacco. She walked around the lodge
four times after the manner of Anpetu-Wi, the great sun. This represented the
circle without end, the sacred hoop, the road of life. The woman placed a dry
buffalo chip on the fire and lit the pipe with it. This was peta-owihankeshini,
the fire without end, the flame to be passed on from generation to generation.
She told them that the smoke rising from the bowl was Tunkashila's breath, the
living breath of the great Grandfather Mystery.
"Look at this bowl," said the White Buffalo Woman. "It’s stone represents the
buffalo, but also the flesh and blood of the red man. The buffalo represents the
universe and the four directions, because he stands on four legs, for the four
ages of man. The buffalo was put in the west by Wakan Tanka at the making of
the world, to hold back the waters. Every year he loses one hair, and in every
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ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
The White Buffalo Woman showed the people the right way to pray, the right
words and the right gestures. She taught them how to sing the pipe-filling song
and how to lift the pipe up to the sky, toward Grandfather, and down toward
Grandmother Earth, to Unci, and then to the four directions of the universe.
"With this holy pipe," she said, "you will walk like a living prayer. With your
feet resting upon the earth and the pipestem reaching into the sky, your body
forms a living bridge between the Sacred Beneath and the Sacred Above.
Wakan Tanka smiles upon us, because now we are as one: earth, sky, all living
things, the two-legged, the four-legged, the winged ones, the trees, the grasses.
Together with the people, they are all related, one family. The pipe holds them
all together."
one of the four ages he loses a leg. The Sacred Hoop will end when all the hair
and legs of the great buffalo are gone, and the water comes back to cover the
Earth.
The wooden stem of this chanunpa stands for all that grows on the earth.
Twelve feathers hanging from where the stem- the backbone- joins the bowlthe skull- are from Wanblee Galeshka, the spotted eagle, the very sacred who
is the Great Spirit's messenger and the wisest of all cry out to Tunkashila.
Look at the bowl: engraved in it are seven circles of various sizes. They stand
for the seven ceremonies you will practice with this pipe, and for the Ocheti
Shakowin, the seven sacred campfires of our Lakota nation."
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The White Buffalo Woman then spoke to the women, telling them that it was
the work of their hands and the fruit of their bodies which kept the people
alive. "You are from the mother earth," she told them. "What you are doing is
as great as what warriors do."
And therefore, the sacred pipe is also something that binds men and women
together in a circle of love. It is the one holy object in the making of which
both men and women have a hand. The men carve the bowl and make the
stem; the women decorate it with bands of colored porcupine quills. When a
man takes a wife, they both hold the pipe at the same time and red cloth is
wound around their hands, thus tying them together for life.
The White Buffalo Woman had many things for her Lakota sisters in her sacred
womb bag; corn, wasna (pemmican), wild turnip. She taught them how to
make the hearth fire. She filled a buffalo paunch with cold water and dropped
a red-hot stone into it. "This way you shall cook the corn and the meat," she
told them.
The White Buffalo Woman also talked to the children, because they have an
PAGE 12
understanding beyond their years. She told them that what their fathers and
mothers did was for them, that their parents could remember being little once,
and that they, the children, would grow up to have little ones of their own.
She told them: "You are the coming generation, that's why you are the most
important and precious ones. Some day you will hold this pipe and smoke it.
Some day you will pray with it."
She spoke once more to all the people: "The pipe is alive; it is a red being
showing you a red life and a red road. And this is the first ceremony for which
you will use the pipe. You will use it to Wakan Tanka, the Great Mystery
Spirit. The day a human dies is always a sacred day. The day when the soul is
released to the Great Spirit is another. Four women will become sacred on
such a day. They will be the ones to cut the sacred tree, the can-wakan, for the
sun dance."
The people saw her walking off in the same direction from which she had
come, outlined against the red ball of the setting sun. As she went, she stopped
and rolled over four times. The first time, she turned into a black buffalo; the
second into a brown one; the third into a red one; and finally, the fourth time
she rolled over, she turned into a white female buffalo calf. A white buffalo is
PAGE 13
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
She told the Lakota that they were the purest among the tribes, and for that
reason Tunkashila had bestowed upon them the holy chanunpa. They had been
chosen to take care of it for all the Indian people on this turtle continent.
She spoke one last time to Standing Hollow Horn, the chief, saying,
"Remember: this pipe is very sacred. Respect it and it will take you to the end
of the road. The four ages of creation are in me; I am the four ages. I will
come to see you in every generation cycle. I shall come back to you."
The sacred woman then took leave of the people, saying: "Toksha ake
wacinyanktin ktelo, I shall see you again."
the most sacred living thing you could ever encounter.
The White Buffalo Woman disappeared over the Horizon. Some time she
might come back. As soon as she had vanished, buffalo in great herds
appeared, allowing themselves to be killed so that the people might survive.
And from that day on, our relations, the buffalo, furnished the people with
everything they needed, meat for their food, skins for their clothes and tipis,
bones for their many tools.
Absorakas (Crow) and Hidatsa
Tobacco was given to Starboy, ancestor of the Absorakas, to make everyone in
his family strong and free. Earthboy, ancestor of the Hidatsa, was given the
way of the Medicine Pipe so that both families could smoke together and their
fathers could give them peace and the colors of the sunset.
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Penobscot1
A famine came upon the people and the streams and lakes dried up. No one
knew what to do to make things different. At length a maid of great beauty
appeared and one of the young men married her. But she soon became sad and
retiring and spent much time in a secret place. Her husband followed her one
day and discovered that she went into the forest and met a snake, her lover.
He was sad, but he did not accuse her; he loved her so much he did not wish to
hurt her feelings. He followed her, however, and she wept when she was discovered. Clinging to her ankle was a long green blade of a plant resembling
grass. She then declared that she had a mission to perform and that he must
promise to follow her instructions; if he did so, he would obtain a blessing that
would comfort his mind in sorrow and nourish his body in want, and bless the
people in times to come.
She told him to kill her with a stone axe, and to drag her body seven times
PAGE 14
among the stumps of clearing in the forest until the flesh was stripped from the
bones and finally to bury the bones in the center of the clearing. He was told to
return to his wigwam and wait seven days before going again to the spot.
During this period, she promised to visit him in a dream and instruct him what
to do afterward. He obeyed her. In his dream she told him that she was the
mother of corn and tobacco and gave him instructions how to prepare these
plants to be eaten and smoked.
After seven days, he went to the clearing and found the corn plant rising above
the ground and the leaves of the tobacco plant coming forth. When the corn
was born, fruit and the silk of the corn had turned yellow he recognized in it
the resemblance to his dead wife. Thus, originated the cultivation of both corn
and tobacco. These plants have nourished the bodies of Indians ever since and
comforted their minds in trouble.
How did tobacco come to YOUR tribe?
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PAGE 15
How tobacco was used as medicine:
Snake bites
Analgesics
Insect bites
Open wounds
Treatment for:
Asthma
Toothaches
Intestinal disorders
Coughs
Convulsions
Earaches
Rheumatism
Headaches
Childbirth pains
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Some elders from different nations say that tobacco is used to connect the
worlds since the plant’s roots go deep into the earth, and its smoke rises high
into the sky. This plant is highly respected and highly honored. Ceremonies
using tobacco invoke a relationship with the energies of the universe, and
ultimately the Creator, and the bond made between earthly and spiritual
realms is not to be broken.
PAGE 16
Tricky tokes, Those Coyote Smokes
How Coyote Learned the True Power of Tobacco
By Lawrence A. Shorty
One day Coyote was out running his games of mischief when he spied what
looked to be a cloud merrily dancing from peak to peak, high up in the mountains. When he squinted, he could see that it was not a cloud but Mountain
Sheep. This was, after all, Dibe Ntsaa, the sacred mountain of the north!
Oh, how Coyote wished he could leap from peak to peak like that sheep! How
Coyote wished he had the grace and balance of the nimble-footed mountain
walker. How Coyote wished he could have dominion over everything he could
see from the mountaintop.
You see, Coyote, being so sly and cunning, believed he already had control
over all that roamed the desert floor. Never satisfied, Coyote also wanted
control over everything he could see from Dibe Ntsaa. He wanted the power
that kept Mountain Sheep in balance, because often he was out of balance.
Often he lacked hozho. He wanted the power that made Mountain Sheep so
powerful and beautiful. Yes, he wanted the power that today would be defined
as being “cool.” But it was defined and refined by his respectful use of this
special tobacco medicine, dine binatoh.
PAGE 17
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Animals, as well as native people, have something in common. They each
have a nat’oh, or medicine, that is used in ceremonies and prayers to communicate with the Creator. The Creator gave man and each of the different
animals their own tobaccos so they could pray, so they could be true to themselves and to others. The Creator also showed them how to harvest and use
their special tobacco. If tobacco is treated with respect, the plant can be very
helpful. If treated with disrespect, the plant is very deadly. Coyote is often
disrespectful. This is what gets him into trouble.
Now, being ever so busy causing mischief, Coyote didn’t have time to find out
what made Mountain Sheep so strong. So, he asked his friend Red Ant for a
favor. Coyote asked him to climb to the top of Dibe Ntsaa and spy on
Mountain Sheep. Red Ant was reluctant until coyote promised him that he
would reward him with some delicious honey for the winter months. He also
threatened to squeeze the life out of him if he didn’t help. That did it! Off
went Red Ant.
Being so small, with tiny legs, it took Red Ant two full months to climb the
mountain. Boy, was he tired! Thankfully Red Ant didn’t have long to wait long
for Mountain Sheep to appear.
Mountain Sheep was beautiful as he leapt from peak to peak, stopping momentarily to nibble greens. Mountain Sheep had terrific balance and strength.
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Red Ant crouched behind a small rock. He watched Mountain Sheep’s behavior
intently. Red Ant saw Mountain Sheep pick a plant, drop an offering, make a
prayer, and then roll a smoke in a corn-husk cigarette. Then Mountain Sheep
bounded away, gliding powerfully form peak to peak.
Amazed, Red Ant left his hiding place, took a leaf of the plant that Mountain
sheep had used, and began is trip back down. It took another two months to
get to the desert floor.
PAGE 18
Coyote Steals Mountain Sheep’s Tobacco
Coyote was lying under the hot sun, taking a nap, when Red Ant approached.
Sleepily, Coyote received Red Ant. In triumph, Red Ant held up the leaf and
began to tell the story of this lengthy trip. But Coyote couldn’t wait – he leapt
from his resting place, snatched away the trophy, and ran hurriedly toward the
mountain. Again, Coyote was being disrespectful.
Coyote had not thanked Red Ant. He did not wait to hear how to make an
offering; he did not know how to pray; he did not know much at all.
Coyote ran up Dibe Ntsaa. By the time he got to the top he was tired and
sweaty. His wet paw had reduced the leaf to a dark, unrecognizable mess.
But he was undeterred – he knew that each of the other animals had a nat’oh
that gave it strength. So, he rudely began to pull up all the plants he could find!
He greedily stuffed his magic sack full. Coyote did not make an offering and
did not make a prayer. He was about to make trouble for himself and every- one
else. What you do always affects others.
Coyote did feel something, however. At first, he felt strong and powerful! He
challenged Mountain Sheep to a race, a race for the mountains, from one side
of Dibe Ntsaa to the other. Coyote limbered up. The animal spectators were
PAGE 19
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Then coyote used his magic to quickly grow a stalk of corn of extraordinary
size. The ear was four times as big around as he, and at least twice as tall. He
took a huge husk and filled it with the leaves of the plants. Next he rolled an
immense cigarette, and then he started a big fire and lit the end of his giant
smoke. He inhaled deeply. He wished for the strength and grace of Mountain
Sheep. Coyote wished for everything! But he did not make an offering; he did
not pray; he was not respectful. He was out of balance. He lacked hozho. The
plant did not become real tobacco for Coyote.
tense because they knew he could be very tricky. Sometimes his fate would
be theirs.
Mountain sheep and Coyote began at the east end of the mountain, running
west. The two were neck and neck for a while. Coyote thought he truly had the
strength of Mountain Sheep and the power of all of the other animals. But then
he began to cough and wheeze as they ran higher up the mountain. By the time
Mountain Sheep and Coyote were at the peak, Coyote was spitting putridsmelling phlegm and coughing great clouds of smoke. His hacking was so loud
and the smoke so thick that many animals thought it was an approaching
thunderstorm.
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Coughing, hacking, and spitting, coyote began to falter. He lost his balance.
He tried desperately to keep up with the powerful Mountain Sheep, but he
could not. Finally, he fell from the peak to the desert floor, breaking into
many bits.
PAGE 20
Coyote Restores Himself to Life
Despite their anger at him for stealing Mountain Sheep’s nat’oh, the other
animals felt sorry for Coyote. What a horrible way to die, they said to one
another. Look at the pieces of those diseased, black lungs, others said.
For a while the many parts of Coyote lay strewn across the desert floor.
But Coyote has an amazing capacity to revive himself. He hides his heart in
a secret place so that he can restore himself. And restore himself he did: he
pulled all of his pieces back together again, except for the lungs, which were
too worn and holey to be of any use to him.
So, the animals agreed that they would make a prayer and heal him. But with
what medicine? Coyote had already pulled up all the plants from their
mountain and smoked them. Red Ant figured he could help. He crawled up
Coyote’s nose, down through his throat, and into the place where his lungs use
to be.
There he found many small pieces of nat’oh. The animals used them to pray
by offering smoke. They healed Coyote. Then they supplied him with a pair
of new lungs fashioned from the pads of a prickly pear cactus.
Coyote needed to learn why he failed. All the animals gathered to share how
and why they made smoke. This discussion helped to reestablish nat’oh as
their sacred plant. But soon coyote was back to his old mischief.
Coyote was able to revive himself. He is like a cat with multiple lives. People,
however, are not able to do that so easily. Remember the lesson Coyote
learned about tobacco. Unless you acknowledge its power, its sacredness,
the plant can never become “real.” It will only cause harm.
PAGE 21
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Coyote’s Lesson
TRADITIONAL USE OF TOBACCO3
Risk of Cancer
-None
Type of Use
-Tobacco offering to the earth or a fire. It
is held in the hand and is not smoked.
-Smoking a Sacred Pipe*.
-Offered to a Healer, Elder, or other person
as a sign of respect.
Benefits
-Discipline.
-Respect for the creator and all creation.
-Understanding of Indian culture.
-Spiritual development towards being a
good person.
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Special Notes
-There are many traditional ways to use
tobacco. It is smoked some traditional
ceremonies. However, it is generally used
less than once a month. There is no risk
of cancer when used this way.
*Not all pipes contain tobacco when smoked. In fact, some tribes do not use
tobacco at all. Some people will use a blend of tobacco with other herbs in
their pipe.
PAGE 22
Works Cited
1. Collection of stories and facts about traditional Native American tobacco
complied for the project, “Reducing Cancer Risks Among Native American
Youth in the Northeast,” sponsored by Columbia University School of
Social Work, New York, NY. The project was funded by the National
Cancer Institute, 1992.
2. Winter, J C. (Ed.). (2000). Tobacco use by native north americans: Sacred
smoke and silent killer. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
3. Taken from a pamphlet produced by the California Rural Indian Health
Board through a grant from the California Department of Health Services.
Tobacco Control Section, Contract #90-10955.
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
PAGE 23
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Signs of Stress
Many people smoke to help them feel less stress. Learning how to
cope with stress without cigarettes is very important when trying to
quit smoking.
Signs of stress can be mental OR physical:
Mental
• Lack of concentration
• Worrying about little things
• Constantly feeling anxious
• Pessimistic feelings about everything
• Indecisiveness
• Things seem more difficult than they really are
Physical
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
• Rapid heart beat
• Feeling shaky
• Restlessness
• Headaches or stomach pains
• Diarrhea
PAGE – 2
Relaxation Techniques
• Deep breathing and muscle relaxation
• Exercise
• Yoga and meditation
For deep breathing and muscle relaxation, follow these 5 steps:
1. Change into comfortable, loose clothing and sit or lay down in
a comfortable spot.
2. Close your eyes and imagine a peaceful scene, try imagining
a quiet lake, a beautiful sunset, a serene forest or an empty beach.
3. Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on breathing slow and
deep, about 6 breaths per minute.
5. Stay in your position for 10 to 15 minutes
and feel the difference!
PAH
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4. Start to relax all the muscles in your body by tensing your
muscles then relaxing them. Start with your toes and work up
through your body.
Exercise
Exercise is another great way to relax away stress.
Be creative when you think about exercise...
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Some things we normally think of as exercise...
• Running/Jogging
• Aerobics
• Stair climbers
• Team sports
• Pow wow dancing
• Yoga
• Bicycling
Some things we DON’T normally think of as exercise...
• Gardening
• Taking the stairs at work
• Taking a walk with a friend
• Shopping
• Housework
• Taking care of young children
Additional approaches for stress management include:
• Learn to say “no” to jobs that put you under
too much pressure.
• Keep in touch with your friends.
• Take time off and treat yourself with relaxation time, try
a hot bath, massage or, deep breathing techniques.
• Tackle one job at a time.
• Plan things in advance, don't leave them
to the last minute.
• Set realistic targets and goals.
• Remember to laugh and smile!
Traditional activities can also help
you reduce your stress:
• Playing flute music (or listening to it)
• Dancing
• Storytelling
• Sweat lodge
• Ceremony
PAGE - 5
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
• Beadwork, quillwork, pottery, and other art
Traditional activities can also help you reduce your stress...
(continued)
What about in YOUR tradition?
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What produces the most stress in YOUR life?
How can YOU reduce this stress?
6 - PAGE
Whenever you feel stress…
Take a deep breath
and RELAX!!
What’s YOUR favorite thing to do
to RELAX?
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
PAGE - 7
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Weight Gain during Smoking Cessation
Many people worry that they will gain a lot of weight when they
quit smoking. But fear of gaining weight is never a good reason to
keep smoking. Nicotine makes you feel less hungry. So when you
quit smoking, you will feel hungrier. By watching what you eat and
getting more exercise, you can quit smoking without gaining much
or any weight at all.
Are YOU worried that you will gain weight?
Not everyone gains weight when they stop smoking. Among
people who do smoke, the average weight gain is between 6 and 8
pounds.
Roughly 10 percent of people who stop smoking gain a large amount
of weight - 30 pounds or more.
Remember...
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Smoking can hurt you more than
any weight gain – small or large!!
PAGE – 2
What causes weight gain after quitting?
Feeling hungry: Quitting smoking may make a person feel
hungrier than usual. This feeling usually goes away after
several weeks.
Having more snacks and alcoholic drinks: Some people eat
more high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drink more alcoholic
beverages after they quit smoking.
Burning calories at normal rate again: Smoking cigarettes
makes the body burn calories faster. After quitting smoking,
the body’s normal rate of burning calories returns.
When calories are burned more slowly again,
you may gain weight.
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PAGE - 3
Facts about Overweight and Obesity
• Overweight and obesity increase the risk of heart disease and
stroke. Even losing 10 pounds can make the difference.
• Over 80 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native
adults are either overweight or obese.
• Nearly half of American Indian and Alaska Native
children aged 2-19 years old are overweight or obese.
What is BMI?
• BMI measures weight in relation to height.
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• Heart disease risk increases at higher
levels of overweight and obesity.
PAGE - 4
What does your BMI mean?
• Healthy Weight (BMI from 18.5-24.9) Good for you! Make it a
goal to keep your healthy weight
• Overweight (BMI from 25-29.9) Try not to gain any weight.
You should ask your doctor if you should try to lose weight.
• Obese (BMI 30 or higher) You need to lose weight. Lose weight
slowly about 1-2 pounds a week. Ask your doctor or registered
dietitian for help.
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PAGE - 5
Losing Weight Means Making Long Term Changes!
Choose foods that are low in calories! Such as:
• Fat free (skim) milk or low fat (1 percent) milk
• Cheeses marked “low fat” or “fat free” on the package
• Fruits and vegetables without butter or sauce. Fruits and
vegetables are low in calories and help you feel fuller.
• Rice, beans, cereals, corn tortillas, and pasta
• Lean cuts of meat, fish, and skinless turkey and chicken
• Drink water or low-calorie beverages instead of soda pop and
sugar-filled fruit drinks
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Prepare foods in a healthy way:
• Bake, broil, or boil foods instead of frying
• Cook beans and rice without lard, bacon, or fatty meats
• Use less high-fat cheeses, cream, and butter when cooking
• Use cooking oil spray or a little bit of vegetable oil or margarine
when cooking
• Garnish salads with low fat or fat free mayonnaise
and salad dressings
6 - PAGE
Limit your portion size:
• Serve smaller portions-do not go back for seconds.
• Eat smaller meals and snacks throughout the day instead
of one big meal.
• If you drink fruit juice, make sure it is 100 percent fruit juice and
keep an eye on the portion size. The calories in beverages add up
quickly.
Get active! Try moving like:
• Do your favorite physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day;
you can do 10 minutes of activity three times per day.
Aim for a healthy weight:
• Try not to gain extra weight. If you are overweight, try to lose
weight slowly. Lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week. Even losing 10
pounds can help reduce your chances of developing heart disease.
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PAGE - 7
Avoiding Weight Gain through Healthier Eating
Here are some tips for eating right:
Broil or bake foods when possible.
Drain extra fat from foods that are fried.
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Pick lean meats. Trim the fat off before cooking.
PAGE - 8
Try low fat or skim milk in place of whole milk. It is just as
good for you but with less fat.
Choose sherbet or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.
Go easy on biscuits, rolls, and breads.
Cook vegetables with a small steamer that fits into the pot or
by boiling.
Try not to use margarine or butter.
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PAGE - 9
Avoiding Weight Gain through Healthier Eating
(continued)
Use mustard in place of mayonnaise or sandwich spread.
Buy tuna packed in water, not oil.
Don’t eat a lot of peanuts and peanut butter. They are very high
in fat and calories.
Don’t eat nachos, Doritos, French fries or chips.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, and grains.
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Eat raw vegetables such as baby carrots.
PAGE - 10
Cut down on cakes, pastries, candy, and soft drinks.
Make stews with lean meat and vegetables.
Serve small portions, and do not go for seconds.
Don’t skip meals.
Name 3 ways YOU can eat healthier.
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PAGE - 11
Introducing….
The NEW Food Pyramid
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Recently, the food pyramid was redesigned after research showed
that the old one wasn’t quite right. This new pyramid adds weight
control and exercise as the foundation and moves the foods within
the pyramid around to show their importance in a healthy diet.
You should eat more foods at the bottom of the pyramid than the top.
PAGE - 12
Are there any healthy foods you wish YOU ate more of?
Eating Healthy with Traditional Foods
There are several foods that were common in a traditional diet that
are extremely healthy!
Eating lean meats (meats with less fat) is very important.
Meats that tend to be lean include buffalo, venison (deer),
caribou, beaver, and rabbit.
Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, especially “fatty”
fish like salmon.
Vegetables are a key to good health. Some traditional vegetables
that are very healthy include corn, beans, squash, wild greens,
beach asparagus, and fiddlehead fern.
PAGE - 13
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Wild birds can also be a healthy alternative, including
ptarmigan and quail.
Fruits are also important. Try juneberries, huckleberries,
apples, chokeberries, salmonberries, cranberries, crowberries,
blueberries, and cherries.
Whole grains, like wild rice, are good for you and a part of a
healthy diet.
Oven bread, tortillas, and pilot bread are healthier than many
breads you find in the store.
Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Egg whites have no
cholesterol. Eat no more than four egg yolks a week.
Use egg whites or egg substitute for cooking or baking.
For example, two egg whites equal one whole egg.
Use goat’s milk or fish head soup for calcium.
Calcium sources such as goat’s milk and bone soup.
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Can you name some other healthy traditional foods?
PAGE - 14
Healthy Eating at a Pow Wow…
Yes, it IS possible!
You may not believe it, but it IS possible to eat
healthy while you’re at a pow wow. Here are
a few tips if you’re always on the pow wow circuit.
Try not to eat fry bread every day. It’s ok sometimes, but it
shouldn’t be the main thing you’re eating!
Choose buffalo or venison instead of steak or hamburger meat.
Try one of the broth-based soups – the corn soup is delicious!
Avoid Indian Tacos or try to eat only half of one.
Avoid fried foods – go for a meat sandwich instead.
If you’re in the Northwest, try a traditional salmon bake!
If there’s any roasted corn – try it!
Most importantly, try not to over-eat just because the food
is delicious! A little bit in moderation is the best policy.
Nothing is ever totally off limits, just eat less of it!
PAGE - 15
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Bean-based or vegetarian chili is a better option than a meatbased chili.
Tips for Busy Families
Plan Your Meals:
Plan weekly meals based on your family’s schedule.
Use a Shopping List:
Save money and time by making only one trip to the store.
Make and use a shopping list.
Share Meal Preparation Tasks:
Teach your family how to grocery shop.
Include your family in preparing meals and cleaning up.
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Clean up as you cook – you will have less clean up after you
finish cooking.
Share cooking duties with other family
members or neighbors. For example,
your family can cook enough to share
with another family.
PAGE - 16
Cook in Advance:
Prepare some foods in advance (like spaghetti sauce). Use
them for quick meals. You can add chicken or beef to the
sauce and serve it over spaghetti or rice.
Prepare parts of a meal the night before (such as: marinating
chicken in the refrigerator overnight).
Pack your lunch the night before.
Cut and wash vegetables and make enough salad for two days.
Do not add dressing until serving time.
Cook two or three dishes on your day off and freeze part of
them. Use the frozen dishes on the days when you don’t have
time to cook.
Prep for recipes the night before by
cutting and trimming meats.
PAGE - 17
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Prepare meals in a crock pot.
Cook Simply:
Steam vegetables and serve them without sauces.
Use frozen chopped vegetables when possible or use rinsed
canned vegetables.
Broil, grill, bake, or roast meats.
Make one-pot meals, like stews and casseroles.
Use the microwave for cooking and defrosting.
Learn simple recipes that can be made in less than 30 minutes.
Use Herbs and Spices:
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Chop fresh herbs in ice cube trays. Fill trays with water and
freeze. Store the frozen cubes in a plastic bag. Use when you
need fresh herbs.
Grow cilantro, basil, or thyme on a sunny windowsill.
Keep dried herbs on hand. One teaspoon of dried herbs is
equal to 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs.
PAGE - 18
Keep Quick Snacks on Hand:
Fresh fruits and vegetables.
Whole-grain, ready-to-eat dry cereal.
Fat free or low-fat yogurt.
Fat free or low-fat cheese.
Baked corn tortilla chips.
Whole grain breads.
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PAGE - 19
Tips for Eating Out:
Sandwiches:
Order sandwiches without mayonnaise, tarter sauce, or special
sauces. Try mustard or low-fat mayonnaise.
Order small, plain hamburgers instead or double and
deluxe sandwiches.
Order sandwiches made with lean roast beef or turkey.
Chicken salad and tuna salad made with regular mayonnaise
are high in fat and calories.
Choose grilled chicken sandwiches instead of breaded chicken
sandwiches.
Main dishes:
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Many entrees are big enough to serve two people. Share with a
friend or family member, or cut your meal in half (put it in a
box right away) and take the rest home.
Use appetizers as your meal. They are usually much smaller.
Choose rotisserie-style chicken rather than fried chicken.
Don’t eat the skin!
Order pizza with vegetable topping like pepper, mushrooms, or
onions. Ask for half the usual amount of cheese.
PAGE - 20
Side Dishes:
Share a small order of French fries instead of eating a large
order.
Ask for no salt.
Order a baked potato instead of fries.
- Try salsa or vegetables as a potato topping.
- Ask that high fat topping be served on the side, and use less.
Use low calorie/low fat salad dressing when eating a salad.
- Bring your own if the restaurant does not have it. You can
buy packets at some stores.
Ask for dressing, cheese, and sour cream to be served on the
side, and use less.
Beverages:
If you want soda, order a diet soda or a small regular soda.
Do not drink a lot of fruit juice. If you drink some, choose
100% juice.
PAGE - 21
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Choose water, flavored or plain, or low fat (1 percent) or fat
free (skim) milk rather than soda, a milk shake, or juice.
Money-Saving Tips:
Before going to the store:
Plan weekly meals.
Make a shopping list based on your meal plan.
Check the food sale ads.
Use coupons from the Sunday paper:
- Remember: coupons do not save you money if you buy
products that you don’t need.
- Always compare the price of an item with the coupon with
other items on the shelf. A generic brand may still be less
expensive.
At the Store:
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Buy what is on your list. You are more likely to buy too much
or buy items that you do not need when you do not use a list.
Convenience can cost more. Some examples include:
- Canned beans.
- Boneless chicken breast.
- Precut vegetables.
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season.
PAGE - 22
At the Store:
Buy generic brands instead of name-brand. They are often the
same food with a lower cost.
Buy only the amount of food the family can use even if a large
size costs less.
Shop alone when possible. Family member or friends may try
to get you to buy items you do not need.
Do not shop when you are hungry.
Watch for errors at the cash register. Sometimes sale items do
not ring up on sale.
In Alaska:
Buy “bulk” foods if they are cheaper. (In some places in Alaska,
bulk foods may cost more due to increased shipping costs).
Use cabbage instead of lettuce in salads, sandwiches, and tacos.
Buy concentrated foods to cut down cost. Frozen juice costs
less than bottle or canned juice.
PAGE - 23
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Apples are cheaper
in the fall, oranges in the winter, and melons in the summer.
Avoiding Weight Gain through Exercise
In addition to helping you reduce stress, exercise can help you avoid
weight gain during smoking cessation.
Walking, running, jumping, and dancing are good ways to let off
steam when you are feeling on edge.
Exercise helps you feel in control. It lets you sleep better and it gives
you something to do instead of smoking.
Exercise does not have to be jogging, biking, or playing tennis. It
can be as simple as light gardening, walking, or playing with your
kids.
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
The idea is to do more than you are doing now. Any movement is
better than nothing!
PAGE - 24
Check out our stress reduction brochure for more
information on exercise.
Regular physical activity can help you heart and lungs work better,
lower you blood pressure and blood cholesterol, and help you control
your appetite and weight. What’s more, it can help you reduce feelings
of depression, and sleep better, as well as feel more energetic and
good about yourself. Even better, physical activity can reduce your
risk for diabetes and some types of cancer.
Keep moving. Start slowly and work your way up!
• Strive to do 30 minutes of activity every day. If you’re short on
time, try three 10-minute periods.
People who exercise are more successful
at quitting smoking than people who don’t!!
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PAGE - 25
Avoiding Weight Gain through Exercise
Start with light activities:
• Slow walking
• Watering the lawn or garden
• Light house cleaning • Cooking
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Moderate Activity:
• The next level is moderate activities such as:
• Brisk walking
• Climbing stairs
• Dancing
• Raking leaves
• Vacuuming
• Weeding and hoeing a garden
• Bowling
• Playing traditional games
High Activity:
Those who want to increase their level of physical
activity should try:
• Running
• Doing aerobics
• Swimming
• Bicycling
• Working out at the gym
• Chopping wood
• Playing basketball, tennis, or soccer
PAGE - 26
Avoiding Weight Gain through Exercise (continued)
Other things to do to help you and your family get started:
• Leave a pair of walking shoes in your car.
• Set a date and time with a coworker to begin walking.
Just Move It
• Physical activity is important in weight management.
• Try to set a goal to be physically active for at least
30 minutes a day.
List 5 ways you can be more active in daily life.
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
PAGE - 27
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Friends and Family as Support for Quitting
Support from the people around you when you are trying to quit
smoking can be very important. Friends and family can provide
encouragement, distraction, humor, and warmth when you need it.
Many smokers find it helpful to have family members or friends
involved in the quitting process. AND many friends and family
members really want you to succeed and would love to help in any
way they can!
List 3 people you think could be supportive of you while you quit
smoking and try to stay quit:
1.
2.
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3.
Remember this list of people whenever
you feel like you want to smoke. Call them
instead of smoking. Maybe you can even
meet them somewhere so you can talk!
PAGE – 2
When friends and family members aren’t so helpful…
Sometimes there are people around you who don’t help you quit.
In fact, sometimes they may make it harder! Friends and family
members who smoke may feel angry or threatened when you try to
quit. Sometimes they worry that you won’t want to be around them
anymore. Other times they may be jealous of you if you succeed
and they can’t.
When someone around you is hurting your attempt to quit,
you need to try to do something about it!
Try to talk to the person about it.
If they are a smoker, tell them that you still care about them
just as much, even if you are not smoking.
If they are a smoker tell them that you will help them if they
want to quit.
Unfortunately, not everyone supports your efforts to quit smoking.
Don’t let those people who don’t support you stop you from doing
what you want!
PAGE - 3
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Try to get them involved with helping you quit or stay quit in
a positive way. If you can’t do that, think about how you can
minimize the negative effect they are having on you.
Communicating with Friends and Family
Sometimes we need to ask the people around us for help or to stop
doing something that is hurting us. This can be very hard to do!
Here are some tips to make talking to someone easier:
1. Respect others – treat them like you want to be treated
2. Listen to the other person
• Ask questions when you’re unsure what they said
• Repeat what you hear if there is confusion
• Let the person know that you hear them and understand them
• Think about their feelings and how you would respond in
their situation
3. Think before you speak
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4. Avoid gossip
PAGE - 4
Communicating with Friends and Family (continued)
5. Make sure you tell them your needs or requests in a clear and
friendly way
6. How you speak is important! Make sure you are not misunderstood because of your tone of voice or body language.
7. Recognize and respect how the other person is different from you
8. Give the other person praise!
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
PAGE - 5
Communicating with Friends and Family
There are also some things that make communication harder.
You should try to avoid these!
1. Don’t insist that you are right and the other person is wrong
2. Don’t blame problems on the other person
3. Don’t claim that you are the innocent victim
4. Don’t put the other person down
5. Don’t give up
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6. Don’t say that you aren’t upset when you are
PAGE – 6
Communicating with Friends and Family
7. Don’t avoid the issue
8. Don’t blame yourself
9. Don’t just try to solve someone else’s problem the way
YOU want it solved – listen to them
10. Don’t refuse to admit that you can be wrong
11. Don’t criticize
12. Don’t change the subject
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PAGE - 7
What are your strengths in communicating with others?
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What are your weaknesses?
PAGE - 8
Second-Hand Smoke
Second-hand smoke is when another person is exposed either to the
smoke that is exhaled by a smoker, or the smoke that comes from a
lit cigarette.
Friends and family members of smokers often suffer the effects
of being exposed to second-hand smoke even if they themselves do not smoke.
These health effects of second-hand smoke include lung
disease, heart disease, and cancer.
Respiratory diseases like asthma and allergies may
also become worse.
Second-hand smoke can bring on an asthma attack.
PAGE - 9
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Second-hand smoke causes 7,330 lung cancer deaths and
33,950 heart disease deaths in adult non-smokers in the
United States every year.
We don’t know how many
Native non-smokers die
from second-hand smoke.
Second-Hand Smoke
Second-hand smoke contains poisons such as arsenic, cyanide,
ammonia, and formaldehyde.
Breathing second-hand smoke causes eye irritation, nose and
throat discomfort, headaches, and coughing.
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More than 7,300 (seven thousand three hundred) non-smokers
die from lung cancer caused by second-hand smoke each year.
PAGE - 10
Second-hand smoke is especially bad for children
Each day, about 2,000 people under age 18 smoke their first
cigarette. That’s more than 700,000 teens per year. Roughly,
one-third of them will eventually die from a tobacco-related
disease.
It can be hard for young people who use tobacco to play sports.
Smoking causes shortness of breath and dizziness. Chewing
tobacco causes dehydration.
Use of spit tobacco can cause cracked lips, white spots, sores,
and bleeding of the gums.
People who start smoking at a young age are likely to smoke all
their lives.
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PAGE - 11
Second-hand smoke is especially bad for children
The longer a person smokes cigarettes, the more likely they are
to try other drugs.
It is illegal in all states to sell cigarettes, smokeless tobacco,
and tobacco products to persons under age 18. In some cities
the age has been increased to 21.
Infants and children who live with someone who smokes
are twice as likely to have respiratory illness, bronchitis,
and pneumonia as are children who do not live with someone
who smokes.
Name 3 people who you don’t want to expose
to second-hand smoke:
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1.
2.
3.
PAGE - 12
How Smoking Harms Infants and Children
Each time a pregnant woman smokes, her baby’s heart rate
increases.
When a pregnant woman smokes, her baby gets less oxygen.
The birth weight for babies born to smokers is less than for
babies born to nonsmokers.
Smoking increases the chance of a baby being born dead.
Babies whose mothers smoke have a greater risk of dying from
SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) or crib death.
Harmful chemicals pass through the placenta and directly into
the baby’s blood.
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PAGE - 13
How Smoking Harms Infants and Children
If the mother continues to smoke after the baby is born, the
baby can get more chest colds, ear infections, bronchitis,
pneumonia, and asthma.
Babies who are exposed to smoke cry, sneeze, and cough more
than babies who are not.
Children who grow up in a home with a smoker are more likely
to become smokers.
Children of smokers are at higher risk of bronchitis, pneumonia,
asthma, respiratory distress, increased ear infections and colds
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35% of children in the United
States are exposed to secondhand smoke. We don’t know
how many Native children
are exposed.
PAGE - 14
Youth and Smoking:
AI/AN youth start smoking at much younger ages than other
youth, and the source of tobacco is from family and friends.
Teens want to be like their friends.
Younger people smoke to try to look older.
They want to be like celebrities who smoke in movies or on
television.
Some teens are influenced by advertisements that make
smoking look “cool” or sophisticated.
Some teens may want to be like their parents or other family
members who smoke.
Some teens will smoke just to do something their parents
don’t want them to do.
Teens may like the jackets, hats, and other prizes tobacco
companies offer.
PAGE - 15
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
Young people downplay the harm smoking can do or think
they will not be harmed.
NOTES:
“Light Up a New Way of Life”
Congratulations!! You have quit! You should be very
proud of yourself.
Quitting smoking is a huge accomplishment! It is very hard to
break a habit and to change a way of living that you are used to.
Only some people are able to successfully quit and now you are one
of them.
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You have shown your strength and commitment. You have fought the
fight with addiction and won. You deserve all of the credit. It is a
tough battle and you have succeeded!
Keep Up The Good Work!
PAGE - 2
Why are you proud of yourself for quitting?
List 5 ways that you feel healthier now that you quit
smoking:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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PAGE - 3
Common Withdrawal Symptoms and how to cope
with those withdrawals:
Although you have won, remember that staying quit is an ongoing
battle. Temptations will still present themselves and you will have to
decide how to handle them. The choices you make at these important
moments can change everything. Remember to think very carefully
about these choices before you make them.
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Going back to information and tips from this program may be helpful
for you. Don’t forget to use support from friends and family too.
This can be a hard time and support is very helpful. Rewarding
yourself is also important. Review some of the ways that you
thought of rewarding yourself.
PAGE – 2
STAYING QUIT
Habits and Replacement Activities
Most smokers tend to reach for a cigarette at certain times. You may
like to smoke after meals or in the car or when you are on the phone.
Some people smoke when they watch TV or play cards. Many
smokers find themselves smoking when they are upset or bothered.
Some people say that smoking gives them something to do with
their hands.
Habit breaking is a method to try going without cigarettes at
certain times. This way, you get out of the habit of smoking
a little at a time. This makes quitting easier.
To help break the habit of smoking, pick some of the times
when you really like to have a cigarette.
Promise yourself that you will not smoke at those times.
When you feel you need a cigarette, try to relax and do something else. You can chew gum, drink water, or go for a walk.
PAGE - 5
ALL NATIONS BREATH OF LIFE
This way you are breaking old smoking habits and making
new, smoke-free habits.
STAYING QUIT
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What are YOUR habits?
PAGE – 6
What are YOUR replacement
activities?
So you quit, but you slipped:
If you slip and smoke, don’t be discouraged. Many former smokers
tried to stop several times before they finally succeeded. Recognize
that you have had a slip. A slip means that you have had a small
setback and a small setback does not make you a smoker again.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Get back on track as soon as
you can.
Here are some things that can sometimes make a person start
smoking again:
Alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers
your chances of success by reducing your control over your
behavior.
Boredom. Keep yourself active
during periods of down time.
Other smokers. Being around
smoking can make you want
to smoke.
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PAGE - 7
So you quit, but you slipped:
Here are some additional things that can sometimes make
a person start smoking again:
Weight gain. Many smokers will gain weight when they quit,
less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active. Don’t
let weight gain distract you from your main goal.
Anger, bad mood or depression. There are a lot of ways to
improve your mood other than smoking.
Good mood. Sometimes socializing and relaxing can trigger
an urge to smoke.
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Stress. Problems related to work and relationships can make
you want to smoke. This way you are breaking old smoking
habits and making new, smoke-free habits.
PAGE - 8
IF YOU DO SLIP, BE SURE TO:
Set a new quit date.
Throw away any cigarettes that
you have.
Look at the situation and identify
the trigger.
Review your quitting strategies.
Renew your commitment to quit
and then do it!
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PAGE - 9
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What are YOUR triggers to smoke?
PAGE - 10
What can YOU do to not smoke when you want to?
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PAGE - 11
Remember, the more tries you make, the more likely you
are to be successful next time!!
NOTES:
ANBL