Native Tobacco
The NATIVE Tobacco Project, housed within the UIHS’ Community Health Services Division, has been funded by the California Tobacco Control Program for 24 years. The NATIVE Tobacco Project focuses on working with Humboldt and Del Norte American Indian community members, tribal members, and tribal councils to reduce illness and premature death related to tobacco use.
The project accomplishes our goals by implementing tobacco prevention education, community organizing and policy activities which advocate for social norm changes that promote a tobacco-free community.
We are are currently focusing on Multiple Unit Housing (MUH) such as apartments, condominiums or duplexes, thirdhand smoke and getting local medical service providers to adopt a policy that encourages the use of the Ask Advise Refer (AAR) method of approaching clients who are using tobacco.
Additionally, we can set up Kick the Habit Meetings under the Second Wind Curriculum. For help in quitting the use of tobacco call 1-800 no-butts, or go to the California Smokers’ Helpline.
Minimal Smoke-Free Homes Intervention Project
Smoking while residing in Multi-Unit Housing (MUH) can impact each and every tenant living in the complex. The best way to prevent harm from secondhand smoke is to live in a residence that is free of smoke. Implementing a smoke-free policy can benefit this community styled living facilities, such as apartments, condos, or townhouses. Smoke can leak through floorboards, air ducts, under a doorway, and even electrical outlets. If you can smell smoke; then you are exposed to second or thirdhand smoke. The Minimal Smoke-free Homes Intervention Project aims to minimize the homes in community-based quarters that are allowed to smoke indoors.
Second and thirdhand smoke can be detrimental to one’s health, and often someone is put at risk without their consent. Living in a smoke-free home community can make a huge difference in a child’s developmental health, preventing things like pneumonia and asthma.
The American Lung Association has commented on this topic:
“Secondhand smoke exposure poses serious health threats to children and adults. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. Eliminating indoor smoking is the only way to protect nonsmokers from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. For residents of multi-unit housing (e.g., apartment buildings and condominiums), secondhand smoke can be a major concern given that it can migrate from other units and common areas and travel through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, plumbing, and ventilation systems.”
For more information or to sign up for smoking cessation classes, you can call the NATIVE Project Tobacco program of United Indian Health Services at (707) 825–4124. You can also get help to quit tobacco use by calling 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887) or at their website: https://www.nobutts.org/
Dangers of Second Hand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is a combination of exhaled smoke from the smoker and smoke from the burning end of the cigarette or cigar. Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to numerous different health issues because of the toxic chemicals found inside of commercial tobacco. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. While hundreds are toxic; about 70 can lead to cancer.1,2,3,4 Unfortunately there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Since the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report, 2.5 million adults who reported as nonsmokers died from secondhand smoke exposure.1
Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to health issues such as:
- SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the sudden death of a child less than one year of age.
- Lung Cancer in adults who may have never smoked. This is because of the exposure to the same cancer-causing substances and poisons. Chances of developing lung cancer increases by 20%-30%.2,3,4
- Cardiovascular Disease, a heart condition that includes diseased vessels, structural problems, and blood clots. This condition can lead to things like high blood pressure, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, peripheral artery disease.2,3,4 The risk for stroke is also increased by 20%-30%.4
- Developmental issues to children, such as Asthma, fluid buildup in the ears leading to more ear infections, and even underdeveloped lungs compared to those who aren’t exposed to secondhand smoke.2,4
Measures can be taken to help avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, but aren’t always easy. Try your best to avoid smoking in or near where you reside. Do not smoke in the car, even while the windows are down. Do not live in a complex that allows indoor smoking, because secondhand smoke can linger from home to home. Try to designate a smoking area that is clear from your residence and change clothing frequently after a smoke so that the secondhand smoke doesn’t stick to clothing. Washing your hands and face after smoking helps clean some of the residual toxins.
For more information or to sign up for smoking cessation classes, you can call the NATIVE Project Tobacco program of United Indian Health Services at (707) 825–4124. You can also get help to quit tobacco use by calling 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887) or at their website: https://www.nobutts.org/
- Department of Health and Human Services. Let’s Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free: Your Guide to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health.[PDF–795 KB] Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014
- Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General.Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006
- Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General.Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014
- Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General.Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014
Dangers of Third hand Smoke
Third-hand smoke (THS) is the residue from smoke products that have settled to an object, indoor or outdoor, and react to make additional pollutants. Early lab studies have shown that nicotine can rapidly absorb into furniture, walls, textiles, dust and other surfaces indoors and vehicles. The chemicals emitted into these objects can be reabsorbed through the skin, lungs, and ingested if a child uses a teething toy or other exposed objects. Carcinogens produced by tobacco products are potentially harmful, if not deadly. With THS there is a constant source of exposure; day after day. Recent studies in mice have shown liver problems and metabolic issues.
Since the area of study is relatively new compared to the studies of secondhand smoke, much more data is to come out in the following years about the risks THS presents. Help prevent the buildup of third-hand smoke by smoking away from your place of residence, washing hands and face after a smoke, changing clothes when possible after a smoke, never smoking in your car; even with the window down, and maintaining a strict no smoking policy in an enclosed area.
For more information or to sign up for smoking cessation classes, you can call the NATIVE Project Tobacco program of United Indian Health Services at (707) 825–4124. You can also get help to quit tobacco use by calling 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887) or at their website: https://www.nobutts.org/
References:
- ucsf.edu. (2018). California Consortium for Third-hand Smoke | Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. [online] Available at [Accessed 25 Jun. 2018].
- Bate, Dana. “Tobacco Smoke Residue Can Become Airborne Again Indoors.” NPR, NPR, 9 May 2018,
