ClearWay Minnesota works to engage members of Minnesota’s diverse communities in tobacco control efforts to reduce the harm that commercial tobacco causes them. (“Commercial tobacco” refers to manufactured products such as cigarettes, not to the sacred and traditional uses of tobacco by American Indians and other groups.)
It is important to work reduce tobacco’s harm in these priority populations, since they:
- Have higher prevalence of tobacco use;
- Are disproportionately impacted by tobacco’s harm;
- Are less likely to use tobacco cessation services; and/or
- Are targeted by the tobacco industry.
We provide support to members of priority populations through grants, contracts, technical assistance, training opportunities and other activities.
Leadership Institute
Our Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota’s Parity for Priority Populations (LAAMPP) is a project that trains leaders from diverse populations to explore tobacco control ideas in their own communities. LAAMPP alumni have also gone on to make sure diverse community perspectives are represented in public health efforts at other organizations.
LAAMPP Fellows have testified at the Legislature in support of health policies such as cigarette tax increases, educating lawmakers about the burden commercial tobacco abuse puts on minorities and lower-income Minnesotans.
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American Indian Nations
We support American Indian Nations in their efforts to promote safe and healthy environments, to reduce commercial tobacco use such as cigarette smoking and to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke in workplaces, including restaurants, bars and tribal casinos.
ClearWay Minnesota has developed a Tribal Tobacco Education and Policy Initiative Framework that seeks to create commercial tobacco-free tribal lands by:
- Restoring traditional and sacred tobacco practices;
- Addressing and reducing tobacco industry marketing and influence;
- Creating formal and informal smoke-free policies and systems changes on reservations; and
- Helping American Indian businesses and casinos go smoke-free.