TSET campaign addresses smokeless tobacco use among youth country culture
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 09, 2023) – Rural teenagers are at higher risk for using tobacco and vape products, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. This month, the Down and Dirty educational campaign is launching new messages aimed at preventing rural youth from taking up smokeless tobacco.
Down and Dirty is funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and is part of the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative. A main component of the initiative is tobacco prevention and cessation among Oklahoma youth.
The new ad, “No Fix for Dip,” shows viewers several “country quick fixes” for problems, like using duct tape for a broken car mirror. The main character then pivots to talk about how there is no quick fix for tooth loss or gum disease caused by chewing tobacco.
“The research behind “No Fix for Dip” shows country teens love to find creative, quick fixes to common scenarios. However, the hard truth is no amount of ingenuity can fix the damage dip does to the body,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “We want to break the association between rural life and tobacco use, so the next generation of rural teens don’t grow up to suffer the pain and addiction caused by tobacco products.”
According to the latest numbers from the CDC, 5.7% of Oklahoma high school students used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip in the past 30 days – above the national rate of 3.8%.
“No Fix for Dip” launches on statewide TV, cable and radio March 13. Oklahoma teens can also interact with the campaign online through digital and social media channels, including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube, starting March 21.
To view “No Fix for Dip” and other youth tobacco prevention messages, visit the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative website at TSETHealthyYouth.com. Additionally, TSET has free healthy youth resources for educators and health care providers available for order at TSETHealthyYouth.com/order.
Oklahoma teens struggling with tobacco use can connect to free quit services through My Life, My Quit at MyLifeMyQuit.com or by texting “Start My Quit” to 36072.
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The TSET Healthy Youth Initiative empowers Oklahoma youth to improve health outcomes for themselves and future generations. The initiative includes statewide public health education messaging, a youth-led advocacy program and character-building to reduce tobacco use and obesity. The initiative also 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 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 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, go to Oklahoma.gov/TSET.
TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health