Tobacco Free Lancaster County (TFLC) (Tobaccofreelancastercounty.org/NCTOH2025/) brought local tobacco and vaping prevention initiatives to the national stage this summer at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) in Chicago, Illinois. Held August 26 – 28, and organized by the National Network of Public Health Institutes, NCTOH is one of the nation’s largest and longest-running tobacco control gatherings.
As a premier forum for sharing proven strategies and policies to reduce tobacco use, NCTOH brings together experts nationwide to highlight impactful initiatives, like those led by TFLC in Lancaster County.
TFLC delivered two panel presentations at the conference, including one in partnership with Tobacco Free Nebraska. The joint session focused on how paid and earned media, combined with strong community partnerships, have boosted outreach during the annual Tobacco Cessation Week and Great American Smoke Out (GASO) events, expanding cessation messaging to rural, urban, and suburban communities statewide.
In a separate session, TFLC highlighted local success with its “Safer Schools, Cleaner Communities” vape disposal initiative. Launched in Lincoln Public Schools in 2024, the initiative focuses on providing a procedure and disposal containers for the safe handling, storage, and disposal of vape devices, thus helping to reduce environmental waste and improve school safety.
Presentation slides are available at Tobaccofreelancastercounty.org/NCTOH2025/. Community members can also explore other TFLC projects on the website and learn how to get involved. Funding provided by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/Tobacco Free Nebraska Program as a result of an appropriation by the Nebraska State Legislature.