- Around a dozen North Omaha churches will participate in the campaign on May 17 to raise awareness about the dangers of menthol cigarettes.
- Close to 14 million people in the U.S. smoke menthol cigarettes, and in 2024, 1 in 4 Nebraska adults smoked them.
- Health leaders say younger people are shifting away from vaping and back toward cigarettes, raising new concerns about nicotine addiction in the next generation.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A dozen churches in North Omaha will take part in "No Menthol Sunday" on May 17, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of menthol cigarettes, which contribute significantly to smoking-related deaths.
According to the American Lung Association, close to 14 million people smoke menthol cigarettes. In 2024, 1 in 4 Nebraska adults smoked menthol cigarettes.
Erin Smith, Health Promotion Manager at the American Lung Association, says minorities and teens are often the primary targets of menthol cigarette marketing.
"Traditionally, tobacco in cigarettes can be quite harsh. So the menthol that is added to cigarettes in particular, makes it a little bit more soothing," Smith said.
Kristee Nash, Health & Wellness Ministry Leader at Joy of Life Ministries, is a former cigarette smoker who hopes to spread the word about smoking to a new generation showing renewed interest in cigarettes.
"I used to smoke cigarettes years ago, and it's very addictive and is being targeted to a certain sectors of people, and it's important for us to be aware of what's going on," Nash said.
Nash says she hasn't touched a cigarette in 7 years. She says younger people are moving away from vaping and back toward cigarettes.
"They don't think vaping is cool. They want to smoke cigarettes. So they want to interact with each other, so now they think it's cool to smoke, so now they're switching back," Nash said.
"I got older in my 20s, you know, and not knowing who I was or where I was going, you know, we still smoking cigarettes, it's just a cool thing to do, but trying to get off of it, the tobacco and the nicotine, that was the hard part," Nash said.
Smoking, whether long term or short term, affects all systems of the body. While data around the long-term impact of vaping is less known, Smith says there are signs parents can look out for.
"Someone may experience more colds. They may be more susceptible to things like flu. A little bit more often than versus someone who doesn't, doesn't vape," Smith said.
Nash says the stakes are high for young people.
"It's detrimental to our lungs and it's killing our young," Nash said.
