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When it comes to health, prevention is one of our most powerful tools, and that’s especially true for Oklahoma’s youth. Research shows early access to tobacco products can lead to lifelong addiction and long-term health problems. That’s why TSET is launching TSET Targeted Achievement Grants: Tobacco 21 (TAG-Tobacco 21), a new grant program aimed at keeping tobacco out of the hands of minors.

This new funding opportunity focuses on reducing youth access to tobacco through community collaboration, education, policy and enforcement. By working with local governments, law enforcement and retailers, communities can create environments that protect young people from the harmful effects of nicotine and tobacco products.

What does this grant support?

TSET will provide up to $30,000 per year for three years to support local efforts such as:

• Assessing the local tobacco retail environment
• Educating retailers and community members about laws that prevent people under the age of 21 from obtaining tobacco
• Helping communities pass and enforce laws that prevent youth from accessing tobacco products
• Ensuring retailers follow existing laws by making sure the public is aware of Tobacco 21 laws and retailers are trained on how to follow the law
• Encouraging use of Validate, Oklahoma’s merchant education program

Whether it’s through passing local ordinances or increasing public education, communities can choose the approaches that make the most sense for them. Each grant can serve one or more towns or cities, depending on the need.

Where is this grant available?

This new opportunity is available to organizations working in the counties listed below:

Why it matters

Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease in Oklahoma. By focusing on retail access, local policy and education, communities can reduce early tobacco use and help set young people on a healthier path. This grant is a direct investment in Oklahoma’s future.

Looking ahead

For more than two decades, TSET has led the way in protecting Oklahomans from the harms of tobacco, especially our youth. This new funding opportunity is the next chapter in that legacy.

By working directly with municipalities, law enforcement and local businesses, this grant empowers communities to build healthier futures. It supports efforts that help educate retailers, pass meaningful ordinances, and ensure our youngest Oklahomans are protected from the dangers of tobacco.

This approach builds on past successes, including TSET’s support for statewide policy changes, award-winning public education campaigns like Tobacco Stops With Me, strong partnerships with enforcement agencies and youth-led programs like YAHL (Youth Action for Health Leadership) and S.W.A.T. (Student Working Against Tobacco). It’s a strategy rooted in what we know works: prevention, community engagement and accountability.

We’re not just funding programs. We’re investing in local leadership to protect the next generation. Every store that checks an ID, every ordinance passed, it all adds up to fewer youth getting hooked.

This grant is another tool in TSET’s ongoing work to create a tobacco-free future, and every community that participates takes us one step closer.