Stories and Poems for Northeastern Native Tribal Families: From A Circle Tied to Mother Earth

STORY
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Ceremonial Tobacco vs.
Commercial Tobacco Use
Tobacco is used by some, but not
all, Native tribes for ceremonies.
Ceremonial tobacco is very different
from commercial tobacco and regular,
or “habitual,” use. During ceremony,
tobacco is rarely inhaled. Ceremonial
use is not as frequent as habitual use.
Ceremonial tobacco is treated with respect and
used with thought, as opposed to habitual use
where one may hold the tobacco away from the
body, drop ashes to the ground, and stomp the
tobacco with one’s foot.
Commercial tobacco and habitual use are not
traditional and can lead to many health problems.
1
Botvin, Gilbert J, (2013). LifeSkills Training Teacher’s Manual 1.
White Plains, New York: Princeton Health Press, p. 4.9
What are the health effects of
non-traditional tobacco use?
“Smoking has immediate effects on the
smokers’ heart rate and hand steadiness. It
speeds up the heart rate and decreases hand
steadiness… A low heart rate is (better)…
because the heart does not have to work so
hard… Rather than calming a smoker down,
smoking actually speeds up the body and
makes the person more nervous.” 1
How does this happen? Nicotine, a poisonous
substance, acts as a stimulant. It takes effect
within seconds after taking it into one’s body.
The carbon monoxide that is inhaled reduces
the oxygen in the blood. This makes the heart
have to work harder and faster. A higher heart
rate, and unsteady hands, can have a negative
impact on your ability to do well in sports,
for example.
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