New campaigns will educate about health risks to kids and families living in multiunit housing
OKLAHOMA CITY (September 25, 2023) — Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), will launch two new campaigns this week to build awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke in Oklahoma.
One campaign, titled “Apartments,” uses stop-motion animation to show the adverse health effects of secondhand smoke in shared living spaces. It explains how smoke can travel through multiunit housing, endangering unsuspecting residents.
“The dangerous effects of secondhand smoke are numerous and, unfortunately, unsuspecting multiunit housing residents are often exposed,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET Executive Director. “Every Oklahoman deserves to breathe clean air. This starts with education on the many ways these toxic fumes can travel.”
Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of toxic chemicals, including 70 that can cause cancer. Smokefree multiunit housing benefits both residents and property owners, as 71% of residents prefer to live in smokefree spaces. However, there is still a lack of clean-air laws in Oklahoma which offer minimal support in public places and multiunit housing.
“Implementing a smokefree policy creates a cleaner and healthier environment for residents, staff and guests,” said Alexis Burris, manager of health promotions for the American Lung Association (ALA) in Oklahoma. “It can be stress-free — and you don’t have to do it alone.”
Information for residents and property owners on how to create smokefree living spaces is available through StopsWithMe.com.
The second campaign, titled “The Cloud,” highlights how Oklahoma’s lack of comprehensive smokefree laws leaves children unprotected.
Exposure to secondhand smoke is detrimental to a child’s development and is linked to children becoming addicted to tobacco. It only takes 30 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure for kids to feel its harmful effects, including increased risk for ear infections, lung infections, asthma attacks, bronchitis and more. Learn how to protect our youth here.
Learn more about these campaigns and the dangers of secondhand smoke and find information on how you can help make Oklahoma a safer and healthier environment at StopsWithMe.com.
###
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.
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