I am Jacques Huot and while I am not an American citizen I am a Native person (Huron Wendat) so that any legislation whether passed in the USA or in Canada that affects the Aboriginal people of North America is of interest to me. In broad terms we (Native People) have a very complex relationship with tobacco. Culturally tobacco is a sacred medicine and continues to be an integral part of our relationship with Creator, Mother Earth, our ceremony and our prayers. Economically it also forms an important part of the employment and revenue base on many reserves. Unfortunately, cigarette consumption by Aboriginals is disproportionate (60%) to that of the non-Aboriginal population (15% to 20%).
I know this not just as a statistic but also as the volunteer Chair of Anishnawbe Health Toronto, a fully accredited not-for-profit primary healthcare facility serving the Aboriginal population of the Greater Toronto Area (AHT). The health consequences related to cigarettes and chronic diseases which are at a rate of 6X the general population, magnifies the problems and significantly increases the morbidity in our population. This does not even begin to address the social determinants of health of cigarette consumption which most affects the economically disadvantaged segments of any population. Because of the complexity of the social and medical problems our approach is harm reduction. While AHT does not as yet have a policy with regards e-cigs its Board has unanimously passed a resolution requesting that when funding would permit, a study be conducted on the use of e-cigs as a method of harm reduction.
I am a Pipe Carrier. I will never remove tobacco from my life just as Christians will not remove the Bible from theirs. Tobacco, for me, is now where it belongs, for prayer because of e-cigs. I quit a 30-year, 1-2 pack a day habit thanks to e-cigs.
Deeming will create another era of Prohibition and execute the most promising tool in the reduction of the use of cigarettes.
