For the last 22+ years, Tobacco Education & Advocacy of the Midlands (T.E.A.M.) has been educating, advocating, and fighting big tobacco to address the multiple negative impacts of tobacco in our Sarpy and Cass Counties. 

 

Do you know how tobacco affects our community

 

Our Health: Smoking is still the #1 cause of preventable death, killing 8 million people a year, including 2,500 Nebraskans. In addition, at least 75,000 Nebraskans are suffering from at least one serious smoking-related illness. 

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Our Youth: The tobacco industry spends over a million dollars an hour on marketing.  Internal tobacco marketing documents prove that the industry spends those dollars specifically marketing to ages 12-15.  In Nebraska – 500 youth under age 18 become daily smokers each year. 

 

Our Budget: Businesses lose $605.5 million worth of productivity due to smoking, plus Nebraska spends $795 million on smoking-related health care costs per year.  That means state tax payers are annually spending $692 per household on smoking-related health care expenses and lost productivity. Nebraska also has the 9th lowest cigarette taxes in the U.S at 64 cents a pack. 

 

Our Environment: Cigarette waste is the #1 littered item on the planet.  These butts are filled with cancer causing chemicals that get into our soil, groundwater, lakes, streams, sidewalks, and playgrounds.

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T.E.A.M meets every 4th Thursday of the month from 11:30-12:30pm, via zoom  Please join us next month. For registration link please  call 402-593-3022 or email info@teamtobaccofree.org