Statewide efforts raise awareness and fight against tobacco’s deadly impact
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 28, 2022) – Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), encourages Oklahomans to participate in the “Take Down Tobacco” National Day of Action on March 31. This national effort empowers people to join thousands of youth advocates across the country as they stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry.
This year, students, teachers, parents, health professionals and leaders from across Oklahoma and the United States are organizing events that stand up for tobacco-free environments and speak out against the harm caused by the tobacco industry.
“Our actions and voices create meaningful change,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Educating the public about Big Tobacco’s tactics and youth-focused marketing strategies can help bring an end to the harm caused by tobacco. We encourage all young people to build healthy futures free from tobacco.”
The event, originally known as “Kick Butts Day” before changing its name to reflect tobacco’s negative impact beyond smoking cigarettes, celebrates its 27th anniversary this year. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in Oklahoma, resulting in 7,500 lives lost each year. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates that 88,000 kids in Oklahoma will ultimately die prematurely because of smoking.
Events for this day of action aim to:
- Raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use in their community
- Encourage youth to reject the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing and stay tobacco free
- Urge decision-makers to take action to protect kids from tobacco and e-cigarettes
Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL), a youth-led program of the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, will offer opportunities to participate in an event at 40 schools and organizations across Oklahoma.
For more information about e-cigarettes, commercial tobacco products and ways to fight against Big Tobacco, visit StopsWithMe.com. Oklahomans ages 13–17 who want to quit vaping, smoking or chewing tobacco can receive free quit help by texting "Start My Quit" to 36072.
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Tobacco Stops With Me is a statewide campaign funded through the 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 are available at StopsWithMe.com.
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