Breathe Easy Lane County

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Welcome to Breathe Easy Lane County

You can Breathe Easy, knowing that Lane County Public Health is always working to improve the health of our community, as well as the health of the people and places within it! The county’s Tobacco Prevention and Education Program’s (TPEP) mission is to improve lives by preventing and reducing tobacco and nicotine usage in our county.

What is Breathe Easy Lane County?

Breathe Easy Lane County is a health campaign intended to reach communities within Lane County that have been historically underserved or targeted by the commercial tobacco industry. Commercial tobacco companies, also known as "Big Tobacco", have exploited communities of color, youth, LGBTQIA2+, and other marginalized groups by promoting harmful tobacco products while exploiting the cultures of these communities to generate profit. It is no mistake that menthol-flavored tobacco products are popular among Black communities in the United States. This is a result of commercial tobacco companies promoting mentholated products for decades specifically advertising in Black neighborhoods, through Black cultural events, and even giving free samples in predominately Black neighborhoods. The percentage of Black smokers using menthol products increased from less than 10% in the 1950s to 85% today due to the tactics used by the commercial tobacco industry (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2023).

The Purpose of Breathe Easy Lane County

Breathe Easy Lane County focuses on the social determinants of health and the importance of promoting healthy behaviors to reduce the influence of commercial tobacco in our communities. Through education and outreach efforts, we are actively engaged with community-based organizations (CBOs) and leaders in our county who are inspired to take action in addressing health inequities caused by commercial tobacco. When we develop strong and trusting relationships with people and organizations in Lane County, ultimately programs like ours can create real sustainable change in improving our community's health.

Examples of our Media Outreach

Ditch the Vape

Kick Nicotine - LCPH x Eugene Emeralds

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between commercial and traditional tobacco?

Commercial tobacco refers to mass produced tobacco or nicotine sold for consumption. Traditional tobacco refers to the use of tobacco as a sacred and culturally important plant that is used by some American Indian/Alaskan Native nations and communities in Oregon.

What is the Work of Lane County Tobacco Prevention and Education Program (TPEP)?

Lane County TPEP is involved in education, community engagement, policy, Indoor Clean Air Act enforcement, and technical assistance. All of this work comes back to our primary mission, which is to improve the lives of people in Lane County through improved health. Not everyone smokes, but smoking has an impact on everyone.

To learn more about our work visit the Lane County TPEP webpage for other resources and information.

Can the Lane County TPEP help my organization with tobacco work?

Yes! Our goal is to connect with organizations and leaders in Lane County to work towards eliminating commercial tobacco in our county. We can provide technical assistance, share and develop resources, explore programming, provide access to cessation services, in addition to a number of other things. To reach us contact: [email protected]

What are the works cited for this page?

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (2023, February 21). Stopping Menthol, Saving Lives. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/industry-watch/menthol-report

Resources

Get Help to Quit Tobacco

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit www.quitnow.net/oregon/ to get started.

TTY: 1-877-777-6534

A guide to help you quit tobacco. Resources Available in Lane County, Oregon.

Click the image for additional resources to help you quit tobacco.

Dejar el tabaco

Llame al 1-855-DEJELO-YA (1-855-335356-92) o visite www.quitnow.net/oregonsp/ para más información.

TTY: 1-877-777-6534

Guía para Ayudarle a Dejar de Consumir Tabaco

Youth Vaping Prevention

Resources are available for helping teens interested in quitting nicotine and vaping. Teens can text "DITCHVAPE" to 88709 (Truth Initiative) or call 1-800-784-8869 (1-800-QUIT-NOW) to access confidential counseling and resources to help quit. For other resources available to teens wanting to quit, click here.

Flavored vaping and nicotine products are popular among today's youth. A flavor ban is an effective policy option to help reduce tobacco and nicotine for both youth and adults in Lane County. To learn more about flavors bans, click here.