As part of the Northwest Smokeless Tobacco Study, we created the first smokeless tobacco quitting materials designed especially for American Indians. The program included a 64-page step-by-step quitting guide and a video tape, which was made in cooperation with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The 27-minute video features Northwest Indians – including women – talking about their experiences quitting smokeless tobacco and is narrated by a professional actor from the Umatilla tribes.

Smokeless tobacco use is particularly high among Indians, with estimates of up to 50% of some tribes using these products regularly. Although tobacco use is an important part of Native spiritual practices, recreational use of tobacco is not condoned by traditional culture.

The study piloted the materials in the autumn of 1999. We sent the quitting guide and video to Indian health care organizations throughout the United States, and received an enthusiastic response from health care workers, tribal leaders, and others in the Native community. Getting the materials into the hands of Indian chewers was, however, a greater challenge, as only about 15 smokeless tobacco users signed up to receive them. We believe that they may be more useful as part of an organized treatment program offered within local Indian communities than in this self-help format.

Actor Bryson Liberty, narrating the video and displaying the quitting guide.

For more information about the Indian quitting manual and video, please see the "Products" link to your left.