Tobacco Free Nebraska Shares 2023-2028 Nebraska State Tobacco Control Plan
The Nebraska Tobacco Control 2023-2028 State Plan has been released and is now available here!
The plan was developed in collaboration with Tobacco Free Nebraska (TFN) staff, statewide partners, and stakeholders. It reflects the intentions of the statewide tobacco control community to work together toward the goals of:
- Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke
- Promoting quitting among adults and youth
- Preventing initiation among youth and young adults
- Advancing health equity by identifying and eliminating commercial tobacco product-related inequities and disparities
A one-page summary can be found here.
NEW: Tobacco Free Nebraska Releases The Truth About Menthol Infographic
Tobacco Free Nebraska (TFN) proudly announces the release of a new menthol infographic, The Truth About Menthol. It is an educational tool to inform Nebraskans about menthol’s hidden risks and unequal impacts.
View The Truth About Menthol and TFN’s other infographics here.
Download The Truth About Menthol
REPORT: The Economic Effect of Cigarette Sales and Flavor Bans on Tobacco Retail Businesses
A new report from economists John Tauras, Ph.D. and Frank Chaloupka, Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago analyzes tobacco sales and various measures of convenience store business to assess several economic trends related to tobacco retailers. The report finds that:
- Tobacco retail stores, including convenience stores, continue to thrive despite ongoing declines in cigarette sales.
- Policies restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products have little to no effect on overall tobacco retail businesses.
It concludes, “Taken together, the data demonstrate that tobacco retail businesses have successfully adapted to changes in market conditions, including the implementation of tobacco product flavor bans. Claims of significant negative impact of tobacco control policies that reduce demand for tobacco products are exaggerated.”
Nebraska Tobacco Quitline Offering Training on Tobacco Cessation and Behavioral Health
Tobacco Free Nebraska is hosting another series of Quitine webinars. This series of trainings will focus specifically on the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline’s services, assisting tobacco users with mental illness and substance use disorders, and integrating tobacco cessation treatment into behavioral health treatment plans.
While training would be helpful for anyone who wants to learn more about the Quitline, this training would be beneficial for professionals and healthcare providers working in behavioral health settings.
Upcoming training dates:
- June 22, 2023; 12:00-12:45 PM CT
Email kyla.scott@nebraska.gov to register
NEW: Tobacco Free Nebraska Releases New, FREE Maternal Health and Tobacco Cessation Materials
Tobacco Free Nebraska is excited to announce three new free cessation resources that focus on maternal health. The resources provide updated evidence-based information and practical tools and tips that are specific to women before, during, and after pregnancy.
- The Maternal Health Quitline Poster can be hung up anywhere to get the conversation about quitting started.
- The Maternal Health Quitline Brochure can help encourage and inform women who want to quit.
- The Maternal Health Quitline Healthcare Provider Flyer helps medical providers with best practices and an easy-to-read guide about cessation resources.
The resources can be ordered from the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline Order Form or downloaded from the Downloadable Resources page for free.
View and download the materials:



ARTICLE: Big Tobacco: Top music videos in the hottest genres frequently feature tobacco imagery
Nearly 20% of music videos for top 10 billboard songs from 2018 to 2021 featured tobacco products, according to a new Truth Initiative study published in Preventive Medicine Reports. The research finds that popular music videos featuring tobacco imagery garnered more than 38 billion views, including Cardi B’s “I Like It,” Bad Bunny’s “Mia,” and Post Malone & Swae Lee’s “Sunflower,” which each received over 1 billion views. Videos from “Hot 100” and “Hot R&B/Hip Hop” genres, categories that are popular with young people and with racial and ethnic minorities who are already at greater risk of cigarette use, contained the most tobacco imagery.
The research – the first to look at all tobacco products across several music genres over multiple years – underscores an overall problem with the glamorization of tobacco products in popular entertainment. High levels of tobacco imagery persist across TV shows, movies, and music videos, according to the latest Truth Initiative report analyzing tobacco imagery in popular on-screen entertainment.
Mark A.
Mark grew up in California and started smoking as a teenager to fit in with friends. At 19, he joined the Air Force, where he continued to smoke. He used cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, and sometimes both, through two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf. Mark smoked until 2009, when he developed rectal cancer at age 42. Mark was no longer in harm’s way on active military duty. But he faced the fight of his life against a cancer that is linked to smoking.
“Everything just—it came to a grinding halt,” said Mark. “I realized, ‘I have cancer. I could die!’” Treatments lasted for months, including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Mark needed an ostomy bag taped to a hole in his abdomen to collect waste for another 6 months. Mark hopes his story will inspire others to quit as soon as possible, especially young people. “There’s nothing good that comes from smoking.”
Today, Mark has been cancer-free for 5 years. He’s passionate about the importance of getting regular screenings for colorectal cancer and seeing a doctor if you have any symptoms of colorectal cancer. As for smoking, Mark hopes his story will inspire others to quit as soon as possible, especially young people. “If you really feel like you’re old enough to make your own choices, then be that man, be that woman, and stop smoking.”
Tobacco Free Nebraska is hosting another series of Quitine webinars. This series of trainings will focus specifically on the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline’s services, assisting tobacco users with mental illness and substance use disorders, and integrating tobacco cessation treatment into behavioral health treatment plans.
While training would be helpful for anyone who wants to learn more about the Quitline, this training would be beneficial for professionals and healthcare providers working in Behavioral Health settings.
See the event flyer for more details.
- June 22, 2023; 12:00-12:45 PM CT
Email kyla.scott@nebraska.gov to register
Tobacco Free Nebraska is hosting a statewide tobacco control conference.The event will be held on August 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT, at the 100% non-smoking Country Inn and Suites, 5353 N. 27th St., Lincoln, Nebraska.Sessions will include:
- Commercial tobacco-related inequities and disparities
- Coalition Building
- Topic-Centered Networking
- An Overview of Behavioral Health in Nebraska
- An Update on Nebraska Tobacco Control Surveillance and Evaluation
Information on registration will be available soon.
Questions? Email Bonnie McCord at Bonnie.McCord@nebraska.gov
- August 2, 2023; 10 AM-3 PM CT
- August 3, 2023; 10 AM-3 PM CT
- August 10, 2023; 10 AM-2 PM CT
This convening attracts a diversity of attendees committed to best practices and policies to reduce tobacco use—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 both Spanish and English. Please order or use these free materials as needed.