As we close out 2024, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to all coalition members, community partners, supporters, and local community members for your unwavering dedication and involvement this year. Your collaboration has been instrumental in advancing our shared mission to reduce tobacco use and exposure, while promoting health in Lancaster County. A special thank you to organizations that hosted our TFLC meetings in 2024: CenterPointe, OutNebraska, El Centro de las Americas, the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, and the April Sampson Cancer Center for your generosity and support. We look forward to continuing our partnerships and hosting hybrid meetings in 2025!

As we begin planning for the next grant cycle (July 2025 – June 2027), we need your input to ensure we’re addressing the needs of our community. Below is a link with more information about the planning process and a survey where you can share your thoughts. This survey is the first step in a series that will help shape local initiatives and strategies aimed at providing education, resources, and support to prevent tobacco use, help people quit, and reduce exposure. While we still have some strategies to complete in the current workplan, your input is crucial in guiding our efforts moving forward. Click the link below to learn more and stay tuned for additional opportunities to share your feedback!

Committee meetings will resume in 2025 as we work to complete the remaining tasks from our current grant cycle’s workplan. These meetings are essential in advancing our goals and ensuring that we remain on track with our strategies. We look forward to collaborating with you all again in the new year!

Email Sadie at sjjensen@lincoln.ne.gov or Eunice at eoladeji@lincoln.ne.gov to join!

Please let us know if you have interest in assisting with any community events or if you have any events you would like us to participate in!

January

22: TFN Quarterly Meeting

February

28: MHDI Health Equity Conference

March

19: Nebraska Cancer Coalition Conference

27-28: Nicotine Dependence Conference

Nebraska's Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) payments have been strategically invested since 2001, thanks to the foresight of the state legislature. These funds, managed by the Health Care Cash Fund (HCCF), support vital health initiatives across the state.

Key Takeaways:

• Significant Impact: Over the past decade, the HCCF has received an average of $39.3 million annually.
• Strong Reserves: Currently, the fund holds a substantial balance of $616 million.
• Supporting Critical Areas: The legislature allocates approximately $56 million annually from the HCCF to various health programs, including tobacco prevention and control, biomedical research, children's health insurance, and behavioral health services.
• Long-Term Sustainability: An analysis by the Nebraska Investment Council projects that the HCCF is financially sustainable through 2035, ensuring continued support for essential health programs.

Note: For detailed information, please refer to the 2023 HCCF report and the 2024 Nebraska Investment Council report below.

Throughout December and January, our media campaign highlights how nicotine may seem to help manage stress during the holidays, but quitting provides actual relief. The campaign features a radio spot on 94.5, streaming ads, and digital ads, all designed to encourage a tobacco-free holiday season. Their is also a blog article on the TFLC website linked to the campaign offering more detailed information and tips - check it out here: Tobacco-Free Holiday Blog.

Let Tobacco Free Lancaster County Health Department Help You Start the New Year off Right

The Division of Behavioral Health (DBH) is offering a funding opportunity to provide quit medication for mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities. The grant addresses that these facilities often do not have NRT on-hand to provide to patients.

Any request for NRT products must be sent in by the end of January 2025. The sooner that a request is sent in, the more likely the product will be sent in time. There is no limit on what can be requested, but please keep requests reasonable for what will be used.

All requests must be sent to DHHS.DBHPREVENTION@Nebraska.gov

• Requests should contain:
• The exact product and amount needed
• Agency Contact Information (Contact name, phone number, email)
• Agency shipping address

Please see the attached PDF for available products and more information.

Please share this opportunity with SUD/MH provider facilities!

Subscribe to the Tobacco Free Nebraska newsletter, here.

The Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Explorer is an online portal that visualizes youth data on the national, state, and local school district levels. Users can sort by topic and question to view graphs and tables displaying data for specific years or trends over time.

Quitting nicotine can be challenging, but with the right resources, anyone can break free from addiction. The Truth Initiative's new Outsmart Nicotine campaign offers young people the tools and support they need through the enhanced EX Program, a digital quitting resource developed with the Mayo Clinic.

Check out the Statewide and Lancaster County infographics providing the data from the tobacco retailer checks completed in 2023. We will chat more about these infographics during our next coalition meeting and as we move forward with strategic planning.

• FDA Warns Nine Online Firms for Illegally Selling Flavored, Disposable E-Cigarettes
• Spotlight on Science: NYTS 2024 Findings Released, Upcoming PATH Webinar, and More!External Link Disclaimer
• Working with States, FDA Warns More than 100 Retailers for Illegal Sale of Youth-Appealing E-Cigarettes, including Geek Bar

Zyn and Nicotine Pouches: What Local Tobacco Control Officials Need to Know

(Recording)

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