NEW: CDC Releases Webpage on Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine pouches have risen in popularity and sales, increasing from 126 million pouches in August 2019 to 808 million in March 2022. This product comes in many different flavors. The FDA has not approved any nicotine pouches to help people quit tobacco. Researchers need more information to understand the potential effects that nicotine pouches may have on quitting smoking. Nicotine is highly addictive, which can make it hard to quit using tobacco.
The bottom line: there are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches. This is especially true for youth, young adults, and people who are pregnant. The CDC developed a webpage with information about what nicotine pouches are, who uses them, and the health effects of using nicotine pouches.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) – Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024
On Oct. 17, the CDC and FDA released the following tobacco-related article in the journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024.
Youth tobacco product use is at a 25-year low, yet disparities persist.
- To assess the use of tobacco products among youth, the CDC and the FDA used data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a cross-sectional, school-based, self-administered web-based survey of U.S. middle (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12) students.
- During 2023–2024, among all middle school and high school students, current (previous 30-day) use of any tobacco product declined by an estimated 550,000 students, largely driven by the decline in high school e-cigarette use (from 1.56 million to 1.21 million), and reaching the lowest level ever measured by the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Despite these declines, approximately 2.25 million (8.1% or 1 in 12) middle and high school students reported current use of any tobacco product during 2024; this included 10.1% of high school students and 5.4% of middle school students.
- Youth use of tobacco products — in any form — is unsafe.
- Preventing and reducing youth tobacco use requires a comprehensive approach, including actions at the national, state, and local levels.
NEW: Won’t You Be My Tobacco-free Neighbor?
The National Behavioral Health Network (NBHN) is pleased to share a newly published resource titled, “Won’t You Be My Tobacco-free Neighbor?”
This guide supports organizations and their neighbors in collaborating on tobacco-free initiatives by providing meaningful engagement strategies, effective messaging and solutions for addressing common barriers.
Quit & Thrive Challenge: Community-Derived Solutions to Reduce Menthol Cigarette Smoking
The National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are excited to announce the launch of the Quit & Thrive Challenge: Community-Derived Solutions to Reduce Menthol Cigarette Smoking. Submissions open November 1, 2024!
The goal of this Challenge is to showcase promising and innovative community-derived solutions to reduce menthol cigarette smoking among groups with disproportionately high rates of menthol cigarette use, including youth, racial and ethnic minorities, SGM populations, and people with lower incomes. These solutions can then be used to inform future federally funded research initiatives or demonstration projects to enhance the evidence base, as well as to encourage broader adoption of best practices to reduce menthol cigarette smoking.
Organizations are invited to submit entries showing what has worked in their communities to effectively:
Decrease menthol cigarette sales or consumption; and/or
Increase the use of smoking cessation resources or attempts to quit smoking.
Submissions open November 1, 2024, and all entries are due by February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Awardees will be announced in July 2025.
Up to nine prizes of $100,000 each will be awarded to organizations with the most successful or innovative community-led strategies. Eligibility requirements, competition rules, and submission instructions are available at Challenge.gov and the ODP website.
Contact ODP at ODP-QuitThriveChallenge@nih.gov with any questions.
NEW: CDC Foundation Monitoring
Tobacco Product Use Website
CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health collaborated with the CDC Foundation in monitoring e-cigarette sales and use among U.S. youth and young adults. CDC Foundation has launched a new website (https://tobaccomonitoring.org/) with the latest figures on U.S. e-cigarette sales and tobacco trends. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this new website provides interactive charts and other visualization tools offering access to sales figures nationally and in select states, survey results on e-cigarette use, and the latest public health research.
FDA Updates
- Beginning Sept. 30, retailers must verify with photo identification the age of anyone under the age of 30 who is trying to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. FDA has developed a factsheet on these new requirements and resources available to assist retailers in calculating the age of customers.
- In a new commentary in the Annals of Internal Medicine, leaders at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the FDA highlight recommendations and opportunities to promote innovation in research and development of smoking cessation therapies.
- Current tobacco product use among U.S. middle and high school students has dropped to the lowest recorded level in 25 years, according to data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS).
- On Oct. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced the administrative seizure of approximately 3 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products, with an estimated retail value of $76 million.
Public Health Law Center: Tracking Behavioral Health and Tobacco Use
The Public Health Law Center recently updated its two 50-state scans of laws that capture variations between laws by including
- whether or not the state requires tobacco dependency treatment at mental health and substance use facilities;
- state tobacco dependency treatment laws and definitions of various facilities as they apply within each state’s commercial tobacco scheme;
- exemptions and any incentives for voluntary adoption; and
- enforcement/penalty/timeline information as applicable.
This map and chart constitute a partial overview of U.S. state laws requiring mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities to include tobacco dependency treatment in their clinical practice. The information is based in part on an overview of state policies summarized in a 2015 article published in Tobacco Induced Diseases and a 2018 article published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Brett P.
Brett lives in New Mexico and started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 16 to impress a girl. He kept it up for 30 years, smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day. By his mid-30s, Brett had gum disease—a danger for all people who smoke. Because of his gum disease, the tissues and bones holding Brett’s teeth in place were breaking down. During each visit, his dentist asked, “Are you still smoking?”
By age 42, Brett had lost most of his teeth, including 16 during one surgery. With his mouth still swollen, Brett continued to smoke. “There I would be, standing outside having a cigarette,” he said. “I was still completely addicted and in denial.”
Brett has now been smoke-free for 4 years. “Life is so much better without smoking,” he says. “You’re not constantly thinking about your next cigarette.”
Tobacco Cessation and Behavioral Health Workgroup
October 28, 2024 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT
During these quarterly virtual meetings, individuals will focus on the workgroup’s mission to collaborate, establish projects for the workgroup, share resources and align goals across the state of Nebraska, with the aim of increasing tobacco cessation programming in behavioral health services.
Nebraska Asthma Conference
November 1, 2024 | Omaha, NE
This conference, presented by the Children’s Nebraska Asthma Center of Excellence and Sponsored by the Nebraska Asthma Coalition will be held at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at Omaha, and will examine current asthma topics, treatments, and the effects of social determinants of health on asthma.
View more information here.
Nebraska Tobacco Disparities Partnership
December 24, 2024 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT
The Nebraska Tobacco Disparities Partnership is a vibrant network of people and organizations from across the state that focuses on reducing tobacco-related disparities among Nebraska’s diverse populations. The Nebraska Tobacco Disparities Partnership works to provide the information, resources and support that these populations need to prevent youth from using tobacco, and to help current tobacco users quit.
SAVE THE DATE: National Conference on Tobacco or Health
Aug. 26-28, 2025 | Chicago, Illinois
The National Conference on Tobacco or Health is one of the largest, long-standing gatherings for top United States tobacco control professionals.
This convening attracts a diversity of attendees committed to best practices and policies to reduce tobacco use, which is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States.
FREE Resources Available through the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline Order Form
This online order form provides the option to preview, order, download and print free and updated promotional resources such as brochures, window clings, magnets, information sheets and more with information about the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline. Most materials are available in Spanish and English. Please order or use these free materials as needed.
Upcoming Monthly Health Observances and Awareness Days
December
- Quit Season
- World AIDS Day, December 1, 2024
- National Influenza Vaccination Week, December 2-6, 2024
- New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2024
Nebraska Tobacco Quitline Offers Resources for Healthcare Providers
Accredited courses are available online through the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline for providers looking to receive CME, CNE or CPE credits. Every year, providers in Nebraska support patients quitting tobacco by referring them to the Quitline. The courses offered help providers discuss how cessation can increase quit success and reduce the risks associated with tobacco use, including vaping. Several courses are offered and cover a variety of topics, such as Tobacco Use Disparities for People with Behavioral Health Conditions, Myths About Quitting, Vaping and E-Cigarette Devices, and more.
Additionally, providers can refer patients using the new online web referral option or the updated fax referral form. Go online to access tools, resources, and education modules, plus the web and fax referrals for providers ready to help patients quit, at QuitNow.ne.gov/providers.
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit QuitNow.ne.gov to reach a trained quit coach, get access to free quit-smoking medication, and make a plan to quit tobacco for good.