Tobacco Use Prevention and Reduction Programs
The vast majority of Oklahoma's 538,979 adult tobacco users want to quit, but have been unable to do so. Training and technical assistance is provided to bring together clinicians, insurers, providers of specialized treatment services and other interested parties to facilitate advances in tobacco dependence treatment in Oklahoma. (Oklahoma Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014)
The clean indoor air program supports smokefree environments within indoor workplaces and public places throughout Oklahoma by providing information and technical assistance to elected officials, communities, local and state organizations, businesses and agencies, news media, and the general public.
Training and technical assistance is provided to communities across the state to help support local coalitions and organizations to reduce tobacco use. Also, community involvement is essential to address the needs of special populations disproportionately affected by tobacco-caused death and disease.
Training and technical assistance is provided to schools across the state to help support school-based tobacco use prevention and cessation programs. School-based programs begin with creating and maintaining a tobacco-free atmosphere throughout the school system and continue with classroom education.
The Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey (OYTS) is a statewide school-based survey of public school students in grades 6-12. It was conducted in the spring of 1999, 2002 and every two years since 2005 by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, and numerous partners from local health agencies, community organizations and school districts. This comprehensive survey of tobacco use, knowledge and attitudes among Oklahoma youth provides important data for tracking changes and to guide youth tobacco use prevention programs.
The Evaluation and Surveillance component of the Tobacco Use Prevention Service tracks statewide progress towards goals and monitors the activities of programs. A wide range of short-term, intermediate and long-term indicators are documented, including changes in knowledge, attitudes, policies, and behaviors, as well as tobacco-related health status and costs.
