Tobacco Prevention and Outreach Program

The Creighton University Tobacco Prevention and Outreach Program has been consistently funded by the Tobacco Free Nebraska Program since 2002. This program is geared towards promoting a healthy, tobacco-free lifestyle through educating the community on the dangers of tobacco and exposure to secondhand smoke while promoting smoke-free homes & apartments as well as making public places and spaces smoke-free. The program seeks to prevent and reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in children, youth, and adults, and it has demonstrated success using a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach. 
The program focuses on the following areas:

• Clean Air: Smoke-Free Public Places and Spaces
• Youth Tobacco Prevention
• Community-Capacity Building

In addition to tobacco prevention, the program advocates for healthcare issues related with tobacco use including tobacco-related diseases, disparities in access to healthcare, and health literacy. Creighton University works closely with community agencies, businesses, faith-based organizations, anti-smoking groups and coalitions, to educate, collaborate, and promote a tobacco-free society through social norm change.

The Creighton Tobacco Prevention and Outreach Program coordinates tobacco retailer and vape shop compliance checks for the Omaha Police Department. It also provides technical assistance is  available to help businesses reduce advertising of tobacco and vape devices and other nicotine product to minors.

Tobacco Compliance Checks are performed by youth 15-18 years of age under the supervision of the Omaha Police Department. Tobacco compliance checks are conducted quarterly on retailers and vape shops with tobacco licenses in the city of Omaha and in Douglas County to help reduce the sale of tobacco to minors.

 Creighton’s tobacco outreach & prevention program includes:

• Tobacco Retailer Compliance Checks
• Positive Promotion Tobacco Retailer and Vape Shops
  • Encourage Retailers to reduce tobacco/vape and other nicotine products advertising voluntarily
• Participation in Community Activities
  • The tobacco outreach and prevention program regularly participate in local and national events such as:
    • Black Family Health and Wellness Health Fair
    • No Limits Kick Butts Youth Advocacy Legislative Day
    • National Public Health Week
    • Earth Day
    • World No Tobacco Day
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Juneteenth
    • Native Omaha Day
    • National Night Out
    • Corporate Cup
    • The Great American Smoke Out Week

The Tobacco Prevention and Outreach Program is an active member of the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC).  For more information about MOTAC, please visit the MOTAC website.