Felicia S. Hodge, DrPH, School of Nursing, Center for American Indian Research and Education, University of Minnesota, 6-125B Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard Street, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624-6956, hodge029@umn.edu

The sale of Native-brand cigarettes on the Internet is a relatively recent phenomena. Over 8 brands of cigarettes - with colorful images of American Indian icons - are sold for approximately 1/5 the price of regular cigarettes. Tribal policies are non-commital on this issue, relying on Indian self-determination reasoning. Given that American Indians have the highest smoking rates in the nation, stronger policies are needed to control this situation. This paper reports on a research project funded at the University of Minnesota. Findings indict a serious lack of policies in Indian communities with regard to tobacco control. Tribal policies, self-determination, taxation, and economics is discussed. This paper addresses the serious consequences of a population of smokers with little or no working tobacco control policies.

Learning Objectives: At this session, the participant (learner) will be able to

(
• List 3 reasons why Native-brand cigarettes are sold at greatly reduced price on the internet. (2)Better understand the policies of tribes with regard to tobacco sales on the internet. (
• Identify a policy that would better suit the economic needs of tribes in regards to tobacco sales.

Keywords: Internet, Indian Self-Determination

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.