Here I have included facts about commercial tobacco products and traditional tobacco in order to compare the two and their differences.
Facts About Commercial Tobacco Products:
1. Commercial tobacco products contain over 4,000 chemicals, 500 poisons, and 43 cancer causing agents.
2. More than 440,000 Americans die each year of tobacco-related disease (like cancer, heart and lung diseases).
3.About 87% of all lung cancer deaths are directly related to habitual smoking.
4. Tobacco use also increases cervical, uterine, bladder and esophageal cancers.
5. Tobacco kills one out of every two people that regularly use it.
6. Tobacco kills more than 1,200 people a day in America.
7. Tobacco results in $75 billion in annual U.S. health care costs.
8. Secondhand smoke kills 53,000 non- smokers each year.
9. Tooth loss and tooth decay are the results of using spit tobacco.
10. Spit tobacco can disfigure you jaw or neck area by causing lumps.
11. Natives have the highest smoking rates of commercial tobacco products over any other ethnic or racial group in the U.S.
12. The Indian Health Service spends $200 million dollars a year on smoking related illnesses.
13. 20% of all Native health care costs have been due to illnesses caused by tobacco products.
Facts About Traditional Tobacco:
14. It is estimated that the tobacco plant has been used in a sacred way by American Indians for over 18,000 years.
15. Traditional tobacco stories emphasize the sacredness of the plant and its powers to both heal if used properly and to harm if used improperly.
16. While traditional tobacco does contain nicotine, it is not processed with chemicals or used in the same way as commercial tobacco so does not pose the same health risks.
17. Some tribes don’t use tobacco at all and some will use a blend of tobacco and other herbs.
18. Using tobacco traditionally makes you learn respect for the creator and all creation.
19. Traditional tobacco is free of chemicals and poisons.
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References:
"Fact Sheets for Spit Tobacco." Arnold Tobacco Education Program. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.tobaccoeducation.com/spit_tobacco.html>.
Rainingbird, Gerry. "Native American Tobacco Education Fact Sheets: Tobacco Facts." Native American Cancer Research. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://natamcancer.org/nnacc_dwnlds/SHEETS/04-12-09_TobFactSheet-Facts.pdf>.
"Tobacco Facts Traditional Tobacco." Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.npaihb.org/images/projects_docs/NatTob/Docs/%3C..%3E/traditional%20tobacco_factsheet_06.pdf>.
"Traditional Tobacco Use." Keep It Sacred. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.keepitsacred.org/network/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32&Itemid=24>
