Tobacco Use Prevention Education

 

Thank you for your interest in the Northern California Indian Development Council, Inc. Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program.   The goal of the TUPE program is to introduce students to the dangers associated with the abuse of commercial tobacco in order to prevent future generations from becoming nicotine addicts. Our TUPE program introduces students to the tactics used by the big tobacco companies to entice and encourage young people to smoke. Numerous studies have shown that 90% of all smokers began their habit prior to reaching the age of 18. By educating our youth against such trickery, our goal is to keep them from falling victim to the number one preventable cause of death and long-term illness in Indian Country.

Current studies reveal that California American Indian commercial tobacco abuse is significantly higher than the current CA adult smoking rate of 13% (female AI 34%, male AI 45%). The high incidence of commercial tobacco abuse equates to $14.65 billion dollars a year being spent in California due to health problems and lost productivity. This is not the legacy we wish to leave our children. By presenting this informative website, we at NCIDC hope to give the youth of California the tools to remain nicotine-free for life.

Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program Goals:

  •  To educate youth about the dangers of commercial tobacco use
  •  To teach youth appropriate refusal techniques to reduce the impacts of peer pressure
  •  To educate youth about the historical and traditional uses of Native Tobaccos
  •  To help youth analyze the cost of a commercial tobacco habit, both monetarily and physically
  •  To educate youth about the dangers of second hand smoke
  •  To provide resource materials on tobacco prevention and cessation efforts to local schools and Indian Education Centers

So many of our cultural ways have been lost.  We thank the Creator for all life. We offer tobaccos with respect during the most sacred ceremonies.  Our life goal is to preserve our heritage by educating our youth and teaching them traditional ways.

Current commercial uses of tobacco are not only a great health risk to our society, but also pose a threat to our traditional uses. We strongly believe our youth’s cultural knowledge on the traditional uses of tobacco will help to curb the commercial abuse of tobacco by our youth and future generations.

Do You Tweet?
Did you know that the NCIDC Tobacco Program is on Twitter? Sign on today and follow our friend Ciggy Buttz as he educates followers about the deceptive nature of the tobacco industry, gives advice on how to quit and how to avoid a relapse, and occasionally shares a joke. Please visit Ciggybuttz on Twitter and join in the fun!


Download a pdf of the newest TUPE booklet, 
Clearing the Air, Sacred Use, Not Abuse,
by clicking here
.

 

link to Commercial Tobacco pagelink to Sacred pagelink to Respect pagelink to Life pagelink to Interactive Games page

 

Tobacco Links and More Information

Funded By California Safe and Healthy Kids Program Office
http://www.cde.ca.gov/healthykids/tupefactsheet.html

NCIDC home link

Tobacco Use Prevention Education
Contact Information