Commercial Tobacco Prevention

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We provide the following:

• Education on the harmful effects of smoking, vaping, and smokeless tobacco.
• Staff and community partner training on brief interventions.
• Referrals to cessation services for those seeking to quit commercial tobacco.

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We are proud to partner with programs in the urban area including the Native American Rehabilitation Association Northwest (NARA NW) and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB).

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Our prevention work also involves creating a closer relationship to traditional tobacco by:

• Increasing our community’s access to a variety of traditional tobacco.
• Creating cultural connections by sharing information about uses of traditional tobacco prior to colonization.
• Encouraging our community members to join us in the garden and be “hands-on” during the propagation and curing process.

The traditional tobacco grown in the NAYA community garden is available to our Indigenous community members for ceremony, gifting, offerings, and prayer. We have a couple of varieties including Hopi tobacco and Columbia River tobacco. Columbia River tobacco has not been grown locally for more than 100 years but is now available.

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We are continuing to learn more about other medicines that we can add and welcome community input. Our team also provides education through garden tours, summer and spring break camps, Many Nations Academy classes, community presentations, and outreach events. Our traditional tobacco work is part of greater food sovereignty work happening in our area.