New Tobacco Stops With Me messaging emphasizes nicotine’s harmful impact on young mind
OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 19, 2022) – Tobacco Stops With Me (TSWM), a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), has released a new educational campaign, “Nicotine = Brain Poison,” informing Oklahomans about the dangers of the addictiveness and mental health impacts of nicotine.
The educational campaign includes TV and radio, now live on-air statewide, a dedicated web page, social media posts, print ads, blog, tips for how parents can talk to kids about vaping and a flyer on how to protect youth from tobacco and vaping.
As mental health professionals sound the alarm, a vaping epidemic is sweeping middle schools and high schools across the state. Teens and young adults who vape are filling their bodies with harmful chemicals and putting their mental health in danger, often unknowingly. Recent studies indicate most minors either don’t know that vapes contain nicotine or they aren’t aware of the damaging effects nicotine is having on their brain.
“Young people may not understand the damaging impact nicotine has on their minds and their bodies,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Many Oklahoma youth are caught in a spiral of nicotine dependence that impairs mental health and sets them up for a lifetime of addiction. The sooner we end this dangerous cycle, the healthier future generations will be. We cannot allow the tobacco industry to harm another generation of our children.”
The public health messaging is the latest effort from Tobacco Stops With Me to reverse the vaping epidemic. The “Nicotine = Brain Poison” campaign will fill gaps in understanding and educate about nicotine’s effects on teen and young adult brains. In teens, nicotine causes new and worsening emotional problems, including symptoms of anxiety, depression and ADHD. Memory, learning and behavior problems are more likely to erupt later in life for people who use nicotine at a young age.
A recent study found that 98.7% of all flavored e-cigarette products contain nicotine. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, vape products contain other harmful ingredients in addition to nicotine, including ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead.
Following in the deceptive footsteps of Big Tobacco companies, the vape manufacturers target a new generation of non-smokers with a spectrum of sweet flavors. They intensified these efforts with youth-oriented social media campaigns and even boosted the level of nicotine in vape products to ensure kids became hooked on the drug.
For teens ready to quit vaping, FREE help is available with My Life, My Quit. Quit help is offered via text, phone or online with trained staff utilizing proven methods for quitting. To start, simply text “Start My Quit” to 36072. Tobacco Stops With Me offers resources and information for Oklahomans who want to fight back. For parents, talking tips, informational downloads and more are available at StopsWithMe.com.
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Tobacco Stops With Me is a statewide campaign, funded through the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Trust, that provides an efficient, emotional and highly recognizable tobacco-free message for Oklahomans to rally around. By educating the public about the negative effects and impact of tobacco, the goal of Tobacco Stops With Me is to prevent and reduce tobacco use, and improve the health and quality of life of every Oklahoman. Tobacco Stops With Me aims to inspire individuals to make positive changes—not only for their own health, but for the health of the entire state as well. Free resources and more information at StopsWithMe.com.
My Life, My Quit is a free program to help Oklahoma teens, ages 13-17, quit tobacco and e-cigarettes. By offering free live texting, web chat and phone calls, My Life, My Quit supports teens through the steps of quitting tobacco. Funded by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, these free services for Oklahoma teens can be found at MyLifeMyQuit.com or by texting “Start My Quit” to 36072.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, visit TSET.ok.gov.