Story by Community Connections Tobacco Free Lincoln County
(North Platte, NE) – The week of November 15-21, 2026, Community Connections Tobacco Free Lincoln County (TFLC), Tobacco Free Nebraska, the American Cancer Society, the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline, and other partners across the state are celebrating Quit Tobacco Week. This week focuses on encouraging Nebraskans to quit tobacco and promoting available resources to help them quit commercial tobacco.
Supporting the effort again this year is North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher, who will be doing a reading of the “Quit Tobacco Week” Proclamation on November 12th at 2:30pm at City Hall with members of the TFLC Coalition in attendance.
In 2024, 12.2% of Nebraskan adults still smoked cigarettes, 8.2% used e-cigarettes, and 4.9% used smokeless tobacco products, the Nebraska Adult Cigarette Smoking Prevalence was 20.4% for the West Central District Health Department’s jurisdiction (includes Lincoln County), but over two-thirds of adults who smoked said they want to quit. The Quit Tobacco Week and the Great American Smokeout on November 19th are great opportunities for those who use commercial tobacco to set a quit date and find resources to help them quit – for good.
“Even if you have tried to quit in the past but slipped up, you’ve learned something from that experience,” TFLC Coalition Coordinator Ted Pucylowski said. “Quitting is hard, but that knowledge can be put toward another try, and there are resources, such as the Nebraska Tobacco Quitline, out there to help you quit and to stay quit. The Community Connections TFLC Coalition also has free Start Your Tobacco Quit Starter Kits available, kits that contain Nebraska Tobacco Quitline info, a small dental hygiene kit, and lollipops/mints, available at the following locations: West Central District Health Department, Region II Human Services, Lutheran Family Services, Frontier House, and the Community Connections offices.”
Available resources include:
- Your doctor or health care provider
- Individual, group, or telephone counseling
- Safe and effective medications to help you quit—either over the counter or prescription
- Prescription, non-nicotine medications
- Nebraska Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW)
The Nebraska Tobacco Quitline offers a free supply of quit medication, such as nicotine gum, patches, or lozenges, to all qualified callers after completing the first coaching session. Utilizing cessation counseling and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved quit medications can double the chances of successfully quitting tobacco.
"By calling the Quitline, those who use tobacco have a whole team of support on their side," added Ted. “You can get tools to help you be successful by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or by talking with your healthcare provider and building your support network. You do not have to quit alone.”
The Nebraska Tobacco Quitline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers free, confidential coaching sessions with a qualified quit coach and quit medication such as nicotine patches,
gum, or lozenges at no cost to the participant. Coaching is available online as well as over the phone. To get connected with the Quitline, participants can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or visit www.QuitNow.ne.gov for additional resources and to learn more about free quit medication. Spanish-speaking participants can call 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (335-3569). Translation services are available in over 200 languages.