SmokefreeNATIVE for American Indians and Alaska Natives

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As part of a long-standing collaboration with the National Cancer Institute’s Smokefree.gov Initiative, the IHS is announcing the availability of SmokefreeNATIVE -- a new, free text messaging program to help American Indians and Alaska Natives to quit smoking commercial tobacco. While sacred tobacco is important in many Native cultures for prayer, healing, and ceremony, commercial tobacco is harmful to our health. SmokefreeNATIVE was developed by and for Native people to offer a culturally aligned, digital resource to improve access to evidence-based smoking cessation support.

SmokefreeNATIVE offers 6 weeks of smoking cessation assistance and support with up to two weeks of preparation messages. People who smoke and are ready to set a date to stop can enroll anytime online or by texting NATIVE to 47848. Participants will receive three to five messages each day with information, encouragement, and support to help them on their journey to quit smoking.