Advocating for Smoke-Free Tribal Casinos in a

Of the 107 federally recognized tribes in California, 57 operate gaming establishments. Since American Indian tribes are sovereign nations, tribal casinos are not subject to federal state indoor-smoking policies. Results from a 2005 survey of adult American Indians among select tribes in northern California found that most respondents prefer having entire smoke-free indoor work areas (non-smokers 87%, smokers 70%). When asked specifically about smoking in casinos and bingo halls, a lower percentage of respondents agreed with total smoke-free areas (non-smokers 63%, smokers 22%). The California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB) and the United Indian Health Services (UIHS) organizations have been working with California tribal casinos to establish smoke-free policies since the 1990's. Both organizations are guided by grassroots community members, and both programs provide education on the dangers of secondhand smoke and commercial tobacco abuse. CRIHB and UIHS tobacco programs have been an integral part of educating organizations about sovereignty and the best approaches to advocate for smoke-free tribal casinos in a “Good Way.”