No
Schools are at the forefront of the youth vaping epidemic and are uniquely positioned to implement evidence-based approaches for preventing tobacco use among youth and young adults and for guiding those who are tobacco users to resources to help them quit.
What schools can do:
- Adopt or update tobacco-free policies to address the latest products and trends, prevent nicotine addiction, and provide 100% tobacco-free campuses.
- Educate on the dangers and trends of tobacco use, using both student-to-student and parent education strategies.
- Support students and staff who want to quit using tobacco.
On this site, you will find model policies for K-12 schools and for colleges and universities, links to quit tobacco resources, and alternatives to suspension.
Information and resources related to the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act (NCIAA) can be found at Smoke-Free Nebraska. Smoking and electronic smoking device use is always prohibited inside all Nebraska schools.
Additional information on the dangers of e-cigarettes for youth is available on the E-Cigarettes and Vaping webpage.
The purposes of a tobacco-free school policy are to:
- create a healthy school environment by ensuring consistency in implementing procedures aimed at banning nicotine and tobacco use on school premises;
- contribute to preventing the initiation of nicotine and tobacco use among students and reducing health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke;
- provide early intervention and support young people at risk of developing nicotine addiction and preventing harms related to tobacco use;
- create an environment that will prompt quitting attempts by nicotine and tobacco users and generate requests for quit services.
- guide the school administration in managing incidents related to nicotine and tobacco use.
- raise awareness and increase knowledge of the health risks associated with nicotine and tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
- increase understanding of the tobacco industry's manipulations and marketing tactics that target young people.
- discourage nicotine and tobacco use throughout the entire school community; and
- promote awareness and provide support to school staff, teachers, students, and families in advocating for a generation free from nicotine and tobacco use.*
*Adapted from “Nicotine- and tobacco-free schools: policy development and implementation toolkit." Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2023. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO, page 5.
- The American Heart Association's Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit
Assists schools in creating a tobacco-free environment that helps prevent students from using tobacco products and support students who need help quitting, and includes model language for the adoption, implementation and enforcement of a 100% tobacco-free school district policy. - Commercial Tobacco-Free K-12 School Model Policy
A comprehensive model policy that school districts and schools may adopt to promote an environment free of commercial tobacco in primary and secondary schools.
- General:
- Adopting Tobacco-Free Policies on Campuses
Explains why tobacco-free school policies should be adopted for the entire school campus, including buildings and school grounds. - Leveraging School Policies to Promote Student Health
Offers resources to help educators, policymakers, and other school partners understand how they can use school policies to promote student connection, create supportive learning environments, and improve student health outcomes. - Nicotine- and tobacco-free schools: policy development and implementation toolkit
Provides practical advice on developing nicotine- and tobacco-free school policies, offering examples related to communication, education and policy enforcement. - Guides to E-Cigarettes and Vapes Presentations
Intended for adults who educate or serve youth ages 11-18, such as teachers, coaches, youth ministers, scout leaders, etc. - Youth Tobacco Use in Nebraska Infographic
View how youth use tobacco in Nebraska.
- Quitting Resources:
- Tobacco users who want to quit tobacco should do so in consultation with a healthcare provider. This could be a physician, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, counselor or other healthcare provider.
- The Nebraska Tobacco Quitline:
- Visit QuitNow.ne.gov
- Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) to speak with an English-speaking counselor or 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (335-3569) to speak with a Spanish-speaking counselor
- Individuals under the age of 18 can text “START MY QUIT" to 36072 to receive quit tips or start chatting with a live quit coach over text messaging.
- Free. Confidential. Available in multiple languages.
- Alternatives to Suspension:
- Signage/Resources Available:
- Quitline Youth Poster – “Say Game Over to Vaping" (English Only)
- Youth Vaping Quitline Brochure –
“Clear the Air: Your Path to a Tobacco Free Future" in English and Spanish - 11"x18" Aluminum Signs – “Welcome to Our Tobacco Free School"
- Available upon request after submission of comprehensive tobacco-free school policy to Tobacco Free Nebraska at DHHS.TFN@nebraska.gov.
- “No Smoking including Electronic Cigarettes" Window Clings – Available in English or Spanish: