September 15, 2004
Julia Brown, CHR from Kongiganak records anti-smoking message in Yup'ik.
Raising awareness of ETS and tobacco use by pregnant women
By Caroline Nevak, Tobacco Education Specialist
YKHC's Nicotine Control and Research Program is currently developing and producing Public Service Announcements that target specific "groups" or segments of the tobacco user population. The following are upcoming PSAs produced in August.
CHR records Yu'pik PSA on environmental tobacco smoke
On August 20, Julia Brown, a Community Health Representative from Kongiganak, recorded a Public Service Announcement in Yu'pik. The PSA addressed the dangers of secondhand smoke, also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
ETS is the smoke inhaled by non-smokers, and can come from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar or pipe or can be the exhaled smoke (from nostrils or mouth) of a smoker. Studies have shown that breathing secondhand smoke's toxic chemicals can cause cancer and other health problems in nonsmokers. It is especially harmful for young children and elders, or anyone suffering from asthma or heart disease. More than 53,000 people die each year from ETS exposure.
Tobacco Use By Pregnant Women
On August 18, a Public Service Announcement was recorded, the focus of which was tobacco use by pregnant women. The Delta has high use rates of tobacco among pregnant women, especially Spit Tobacco, or Iq'mik. Jacquelyn Kashatok, who lives in Chevak, was the spokesperson.
Kashatok is pregnant and does not use tobacco. She shares the concern of YKHC and the State of Alaska regarding the tobacco use rates among pregnant women in the Delta versus other parts of the state.
More than 50 percent of pregnant women use smokeless tobacco in the Delta. This is an alarmingly high use rate (see graph). The message was specifically tailored to educate pregnant women on how tobacco can affect the baby's development. If a woman uses tobacco, whether she smokes or chews tobacco, nicotine tightens the blood vessels allowing fewer nutrients and less oxygen to flow to the baby.