YTS data has been used by governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies and groups, and schools to address issues at both the state and community levels. Below is a description of some of the ways that the YTS has been used or is useful in Nebraska:
- Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in our state. The impact tobacco has on Nebraskans and the need to monitor progress and the effectiveness of our intervention in reducing tobacco use warrants a need for surveys such as the YTS. Tobacco Free Nebraska has used the YTS to design, implement and evaluate youth tobacco control and prevention programs in the state.
- Tobacco Free Nebraska’s subgrantees have used the YTS to design, implement and evaluate local youth tobacco control and prevention programs. Local subgrantees are located in the following counties: Buffalo, Cass, Colfax, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Lincoln, Platte, and Sarpy as well as the Panhandle area.
- The Tobacco Free Nebraska Program applies annually for grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health. Evaluation measures in the application are based on the YTS data so the data demonstrates to the CDC whether or not Nebraska is meeting our goals and objectives.
- Health and education officials use YTS data to plan, evaluate, and improve state programs to prevent and control youth tobacco use. Tobacco control advocates have used these data in presentations to their state legislators to demonstrate the need for funding comprehensive tobacco-control programs, including tobacco prevention programs for youth. The current appropriation to the Tobacco Free Nebraska Program is $2.579 million dollars annually. Over half of this amount is granted to local communities.
- The YTS data are used as an integral component of identifying and eliminating disparities in tobacco use. The YTS can highlight the need for tobacco control activities, programs, and monitoring to achieve progress toward Nebraska’s tobacco control and prevention goals and objectives.
- State and local health educators have shared YTS data at national, state and community public health conferences and events to educate others on tobacco use trends among youth in Nebraska.
- The Nebraska YTS data are used to evaluate the effectiveness and reach of media campaigns geared at reaching youth.