Arts & Culture

In the Spirit of Medicine

"In the Spirit of Medicine" is a new feature on Northland Morning.Dr. Arne Vainio is an enrolled member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a family practice doctor on the Fond Du Lac reservation in Cloquet.His essays on life, work, medicine and spirit are published in "News From Indian Country," and you can find the link to his stories and more on our website at KUMD.org.In the Spirit of Medicine on KUMD is made possible by University of Minnesota Medical School- Duluth Campus, Ampers, and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

In The Spirit of Medicine: Mashkikiwinini - Let’s talk about dealing with your smoking habit

By Dr. Arne Vainio, Chris Harwood | The North 103.3 FM

Published December 6, 2021 at 11:16 AM CST

Our kids tend to do what we do. Don’t let smoking be one of them.

According to the American Indian Community Tobacco Project [www.aictp.umn.edu] 3 out of every 5 American Indian adults smoke, and nearly 2 out of every 5 American Indian deaths are due to cigarette smoking and breathing secondhand smoke. Teens whose family members smoke are 3 times more likely to smoke themselves. Question: So what do we do about this? Answer: Prevention!

In the Spirit of Medicine features the essays of Dr. Arne Vainio, an enrolled member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and a family practice doctor on the Fond Du Lac reservation in Cloquet.