The TSET Healthy Youth Initiative is launching a new educational message aimed at preventing and reducing tobacco and vape use among rural Oklahomans ages 13–18.
The initiative is funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.
Studies show that rural teenagers are disproportionately at risk for using tobacco and vape products. The new ad, titled “Ain’t Runnin’ Right,” is part of the Down and Dirty campaign.
"Most tobacco users start before they turn 18,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “Educating today’s youth about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine is vital toward supporting future generations of healthy and tobacco-free Oklahomans.”
“Ain’t Runnin Right” features two male teenagers in a garage working on a truck. They use their mechanical knowledge to create an analogy to vaping. They explain how nicotine in vapes contaminates a brain like dirt in car oil, which makes you feel like your mind and body aren’t working properly.
“Ain’t Runnin’ Right” will air on broadcast TV, cable and radio starting November 14. It is the first of a set of educational messages that explain the harms of tobacco use through car analogies. Teens can also interact with the campaign on social media. “Ain’t Runnin Right” and other youth tobacco prevention messages can be viewed at TSETHealthyYouth.com.
Teens struggling with vaping or other tobacco use are encouraged to enroll in My Life, My Quit — a free quit program designed just for them. My Life, My Quit offers free live text support, web chat and phone coaching to Oklahomans ages 13–17. To sign up for services, teens can simply text “Start My Quit” to 36072 or visit MyLifeMyQuit.com to enroll online.
Educators and healthcare professionals can supplement these messages by ordering free healthy youth resources at TSETHealthyYouth.com/order. These items, including flyers, bookmarks and posters, focus on healthier eating options as well as tobacco prevention.
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The TSET Healthy Youth Initiative is a statewide media effort focused on preventing and reducing tobacco use and obesity for Oklahomans ages 13–18. The initiative promotes healthy lifestyle choices for teens and gives parents resources to support their children in maintaining or developing healthy habits for a lifetime. Visit TSETHealthyYouth.com to learn more.
My Life, My Quit is a free program to help Oklahoma teens, ages 13–17, quit tobacco, including e-cigarettes. Offering tools most utilized by teens — free live texting, web chat and phone calls — My Life, My Quit supports teens through the steps of quitting tobacco to be able to live tobacco free. Funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), these free services for Oklahoma teens are at MyLifeMyQuit.com or text “Start My Quit” to 36072.
The 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 Oklahoma.gov/TSET.