Talk about life imitating art. In the 1970 movie Cold Turkey, an
entire California town tries to quit smoking in order to collect a $25
million prize. A small village in Fiji has attempted the same feat. But
unlike their celluloid counterparts, the residents of Nabila were
successful.
How'd they do it? For years, an international team of public health
experts tried to get the villagers to quit via Western strategies like
counseling--and failed spectacularly. The turning point came when the
Nabila elders made tobacco taboo. In a special ceremony, the villagers
drank a sacred potion and called for supernatural retribution against
anyone who violated the cigarette ban. Twenty-one months later, Nabila
was smoke-free, except for the four octogenians given official permission
to inhale.
Several factors contributed to the community's success, reports
Australian psychologist Gary Groth-Marnat, Ph.D. Media attention on the
"village that quit smoking" added incentive, as did Fiji's cultural
emphasis on social cohesion. But perhaps the best motivation came
courtesy of the three smokers whose resolve faltered. Within days of
giving in to their urge for cigarettes, one lacerated his scalp, another
suffered swollen testicles, and a third was attacked by a dog. In a
society where mystical beliefs hold sway, the other villagers got the
message.
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