Tobacco.org

Navajo Nation Tribal Council Bans Commerical Tobacco Use in All Public Places 

The American Legacy Foundation commends the Navajo Nation Tribal Council on their efforts to ban commercial tobacco use in all public places. The Navajo Commercial Tobacco-Free Act of 2008 will help to extend and save the lives of thousands of tribal members. This unprecedented measure will serve as the catalyst for the improvement of major health disparities in tribal communities.

While tobacco has played an honored ceremonial role in the lives of Native Americans for centuries, current rates of commercial tobacco use among Native Americans are alarmingly high. Thirty-two percent of all adult Native Americans smoke in comparison with a 20.8 percent adult smoking rate nationwide. In 2005, thirty-six percent of teens in the Navajo Nation were current smokers. These rates far exceed other minority/ethnic groups and measures like this one are vital to curbing tobacco consumption and saving lives. Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in the U.S. among Native Americans.

The significant efforts to create smoke-free reservations, casinos, indoor and outdoor areas are timely; they will also reduce the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and simultaneously encourage Native American smokers to quit.

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