Tobacco use: Nebraska 2026

Cigarette use: Nebraska*

• In 2024, 12.2% of adults in Nebraska smoked. Nationally, the adult cigarette smoking prevalence was 11.6%. 
• In 2018-2019, 27.6% of adults who smoked in Nebraska smoked menthol cigarettes. Nationally, 32.3% of adult smokers used menthol cigarettes during this period. 
• In 2023, 1.9% of high school students in Nebraska smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the cigarette smoking prevalence among high school students was 3.5%. 

Other tobacco product use: Nebraska* 

• In 2024, 8.3% of adults in Nebraska used e-cigarettes. Nationally, the adult e-cigarette use prevalence was 8.0%. 
• In 2024, 4.9% of adults in Nebraska used smokeless tobacco some days or every day. Nationally, adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence was 3.4%. 
• In 2023, 6.9% of high school students in Nebraska used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the e-cigarette use prevalence among high school students was 16.8%. 
• In 2023, 1.9% of high school students in Nebraska used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the smokeless tobacco use prevalence among high school students was 2.3%. 
• In 2021, 3.0% of high school students in Nebraska smoked cigars, cigarillos or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the cigar use prevalence among high school students was 3.1%. 

Economics of tobacco use and tobacco control 

• Nebraska received $102 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2026. 
• Of this, the state allocated $2.6 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2026, 12.4% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual spending target.  
• Smoking-caused health care costs: $924 million per year.  
• Smoking-caused losses in productivity: $651.9 million per year.  

Nebraska tobacco laws

Tobacco taxes 

• Nebraska is ranked 42nd in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of 64 cents per pack (enacted October 2002), compared to the national average of $2.05. (New York has the highest tax at $5.35 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)  
• Moist snuff is taxed at 44 cents per ounce and a proportionate rate on all fractional parts of an ounce. All other tobacco products are taxed at 20% of the purchase price.  

Clean indoor air ordinances 

• Smoking is prohibited in all government workplaces, private workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, restaurants, bars (except cigar shops), casinos/gaming establishments (except tribal establishments), and retail stores. 
• E-cigarette use is prohibited in places of employment and public places, with some exceptions. 
• E-cigarettes are included in the state’s indoor air laws and the state’s definition of smoking and tobacco products. 

E-cigarette Registry Laws 

• Effective October 1, 2025, only products from e-liquid manufacturers and alternative nicotine product manufacturers that are listed in Nebraska’s state directory (having provided state certification of compliance) will be allowed for sale in the state.

Licensing laws 

• Retailers and wholesalers are required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.  
• A license is required to sell e-cigarette products.  

Youth access laws 

• In December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale of all tobacco products to 21, effective immediately. 
• People under 21 are prohibited from buying e-cigarettes. 
• The sale of tobacco products through self-service displays is prohibited. Self-service displays of electronic nicotine delivery systems is restricted to tobacco specialty stores and cigar bars.  

Quitting statistics and benefits 

• The CDC estimates 43.8% of daily adult smokers in Nebraska quit smoking for one or more days in 2019.  
• In 2014, the Affordable Care Act required that Medicaid programs cover all tobacco cessation medications.^** 
• Nebraska’s state quit line invests $0.92 per smoker, compared to the national median of $2.62.  
• Nebraska does not have a private insurance mandate provision for cessation. 

Notes and references 

* The datasets for both adults and youth prevalence were used to make direct comparisons at the state and national levels. National prevalence reported here may differ from what is reported in our national-level fact sheets. The numbers here also reflect the most recent data available. Dates of available data may differ across state fact sheets.  

**The seven recommended cessation medications are NRT gum, NRT patch, NRT nasal spray, NRT inhaler, NRT lozenge, Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban).  

Fiore MC, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service: May 2008. 

Updated March 2026 

1. CDC. (2024). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 

2. CDC. (2024). State Menthol Fact Sheets. 

3. CDC. (2023). High School Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System. 

4. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2026). Broken Promises to Our Children: A State-by-State Look at the 1998 Tobacco Settlement 27 Years Later. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/us/statereport 

5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2024). The Toll of Tobacco in the United States. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 

6. American Lung Association. (2024). State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI). 

7. American Lung Association. (2026). State of Tobacco Control. https://www.lung.org/research/sotc 

8. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2024). State Cigarette Excise Tax Rates & Rankings. https://assets.tobaccofreekids.org/factsheets/0097.pdf 

9. Public Health Law Center. (2024, June 15). U.S. E-Cigarette Regulations: 50 State Review. https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/us-e-cigarette-regulations-50-state-review 

10. State E-Cigarette Registry Bill Map | Public Health Law Center. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2025, from https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/state-e-cigarette-registry-bill-map 

11. FDA. (2024). Tobacco 21. https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/retail-sales-tobacco-products/tobacco-21 

12. CDC. (2024). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System.