Tobacco Prevention

If you'RE READY to quit smoking/tobacco use, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW OR VISIT the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. 

Oklahoma acknowledges the traditional and sacred use of tobacco among American Indian/Native American people living in Oklahoma. Any mention, hereafter, to tobacco refers to the use of commercial tobacco unless otherwise stated.

Approximately 7,500 Oklahomans die each year from tobacco-related causes, with more than 700 caused by exposure to secondhand smoke alone. The Oklahoma State Department of Health's Chronic Disease and Prevention Services works to prevent tobacco initiation and reduce existing tobacco use through systems-level and social norm change. Tobacco control efforts in Oklahoma work in partnership among many organizations and agencies to ensure adherence to the best practice strategies that have been proven to work.

Tobacco use harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and affecting the health of smokers in general. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth. Tobacco related disparities also continue to impact the health of groups defined by race, ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic status and across Oklahoma.

The 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s report on the Health Consequences of Smoking recommends enhancing implementation of proven tobacco-control strategies, including:

• Fully funding statewide tobacco control programs at CDC-recommended levels
• Raising the average price of tobacco products
• Extending comprehensive smokefree indoor protections (prohibit smoking in indoor worksites and public places to include restaurants and bars)
• Mass media campaigns that shape social norms around preventing tobacco use initiation, encouraging cessation among current users, and encouraging support for smoke-free environments

Specific tobacco control efforts include:

• Monitor clean indoor air regulations
• Policy implementation to reduce secondhand smoke exposure 
• Promote cessation services that are currently available to every Oklahoman through the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline (okhelpline.com)
• Support the Oklahoma State Department of Health MPOWER program
• Support for local community partners working on tobacco control

For additional information on the Best Practices for Tobacco Control Programs, please visit: Smoking and Tobacco Use | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC