TFLC Monthly Newsletter

Don’t miss the next TFLC Coalition Meeting - May 21!

Meeting details and the invite will be shared soon so you can RSVP and save it to your calendar.

We’ll be discussing progress on the current work plan and any changes.

If you weren’t able to attend the latest Tobacco Free Lancaster County Coalition meeting, no worries! You can catch up on what was discussed by reviewing the [meeting minutes] below. We appreciate everyone who continues to stay engaged and support our efforts.

TFLC began planning for the Green Light Project, a mental health awareness campaign launching in May for Mental Health Awareness Month. Planning has involved coordination with MHA, NAMI, Region 5 Talk Heart2Heart, and the Army and Air National Guard. Activities include social media content development, yard signs, and community activation. TFLC also supported 8 LPS schools with resources for the Hope Day Celebration to raise awareness about suicide prevention, aligning with the Green Light Project’s mental health awareness goals.

This May, show support for mental health awareness by participating in the Green Light Project.

Free green light bulbs and yard signs are available at the Mental Health Association of Nebraska office, 1500 S. 70th St., Suite 201, Lincoln, NE 68506. Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while supplies last. Materials are available in both English and Spanish.

Light your homes or businesses in green, display a yard sign, and share your support on social media using #GreenLightProjectNE and also engage on LLCHD Facebook page and social media handles of partner organizations.

TFLC partnered with Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) Operations in March to sort confiscated vapes from middle and high schools across the district. A total of 581 vape devices, including nicotine vapes, THC vapes, and cartridges, were sorted across 13 middle and high schools. LPS was able to collect a significant volume of confiscated vape devices for proper sorting and disposal, reinforcing the need for continued prevention efforts in schools.

Community cessation support continued across both months. TFLC restocked 54 mini quit kits in the Health To Go vending machines since its launch, shared quit kits with Assurity Life, distributed quit kits during a presentation at St. Monica Behavioral Health Center, and provided quit kits to clients at The Bridge Behavioral Health. These efforts helped expand access to quit support in community and behavioral health settings.

TFLC connected with students, families, professionals, and community partners through several outreach events.

• SCIP Spring Conference: TFLC exhibited at the SCIP Spring Conference, sharing tobacco prevention resources and connecting with school and community partners.
• YMCA Healthy Kids Day: At the YMCA Healthy Kids Day event in April, TFLC engaged 178 parents and children with tobacco prevention education and resources.
• Nebraska Public Health Conference 2026: TFLC attended the Nebraska Public Health Conference and presented a breakout session titled “Safer Schools, Cleaner Communities: Tackling Vape Waste with Community Partnerships, in Lancaster County, Nebraska,” with 42 public health professionals in attendance.
• Nebraska Cancer Summit: TFLC exhibited at the Nebraska Cancer Summit to highlight tobacco prevention work and connect with statewide cancer prevention partners.
• UNL Campus Outreach: TFLC partnered with the UNL Recreation Team during their Pop-Up event on UNL City Campus to engage college students with tobacco and vape prevention education.

• Wine, Chocolate, Tango: TFLC was pleased to support this year’s Wine, Chocolate, Tango event. A special thank you to El Centro for putting together such a wonderful and successful evening, and to the Asian Community Cultural Center for joining in and making use of the two tickets provided through TFLC's sponsorship. Events like these strengthen the connections across our coalition partners and the broader community.

Thank you to everyone who showed support so far this session. We remain committed to educating our community and stakeholders on the critical benefits of tobacco prevention and cessation funding.

April

• 25: Earth Day

May

• 2: AAPI Heritage Month
• 13: City/County Wellness Fair
• Tobacco Free Lancaster County Coalition Meeting
• 30: Marvilee’s All School Graduation

June

• 3: Nebraska Tobacco Control Conference
• 5: Hop, SCIP, Jump, and Run
• 12 & 13: Star City Pride events
• 19: Juneteenth
• June Jam

• Lung Cancer Risks and Resources Infographic highlights tobacco use and radon exposure as the two leading risk factors for lung cancer and presents the best ways to reduce risk are screening, quitting tobacco, and testing for radon.
• Who is Using the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline? breaks down who is using the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline by demographics, those with chronic illnesses and behavioral health conditions, and displays stats from the Quitline.
• What's Tobacco Costing Nebraska? shows the true cost of tobacco in Nebraska, including current tobacco use rates, deaths related to tobacco use, the number of those experiencing tobacco-related illness, and the economic costs.
• The Truth About Menthol - Menthol alters how the brain registers taste and pain, creating a cooling sensation that masks the harshness of tobacco, making it easier to start and harder to quit. Read about the dangers of menthol and how it affects Nebraskans in this infographic.
• Tobacco and Behavioral Health: Break the Cycle to Improve Treatment Outcomes breaks down the relationship between tobacco use and behavioral health conditions and talks about best practices for treating tobacco dependency in treatment.
• Going Smoke-Free in Your Home shows the dangers of secondhand smoke, how smoking in your home can increase the risk of tobacco-related house fires, and the benefits of having a smoke-free home.

Please check out the content from these social media influencers who have partnered with Tobacco Free Nebraska to promote the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline.

• Natalie Menichetti https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzgfwvid6g/?img_index=1
• Cami Merickel https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9xi5kgg8J/
• Katelynn Nekola https://www.instagram.com/p/DWz22yMDc7h/
• Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik https://www.instagram.com/sarahinnebraska

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