Virtual panel focused on youth vaping prevention and cessation
OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 31, 2024) — On January 30, the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) hosted a live virtual panel with experts to discuss the dangerous rise in teen vaping in Oklahoma and explore strategies to address this critical issue. The event provided insight on the unique challenges associated with youth vaping and how TSET and its partners are fighting for a healthier future for all Oklahomans.
Event panelists included:
- Representative Rhonda Baker, Oklahoma House of Representatives
- Charlie Gagen, Director of Advocacy, American Lung Association
- Amy Cohn, Associate Professor in the TSET Health Promotion Research Center and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
- Dr. Erin Vogel, Assistant Professor in the TSET Health Promotion Research Center and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
- Two youth participants, TSET’s Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL)
The panel was moderated by TSET’s executive director, Julie Bisbee, and covered key topics related to the prevention and cessation of teen vaping in Oklahoma.
“Addressing the prevalence of teen vaping in Oklahoma is a critical step to improving the mental and physical health of our state’s youth,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s high school vaping rate is higher than the national average. TSET, along with our partners, is committed to exploring strategies, facilitating conversation and supporting initiatives that seek to combat this issue. Together, we can work to confront the realities of teen vaping and take decisive steps toward prevention and intervention.”
A group of expert panelists participated in the discussion to share their unique perspectives on the issue and explore ways state and community leaders, advocacy groups and the medical community can work to reduce teen vaping in Oklahoma.
“To enact real change on this issue, it’s important to support policies, programs and resources that share a common goal of prioritizing the health and well-being of Oklahoma’s youth,” said Representative Rhonda Baker. “By educating our youth on the risks of vaping and exploring evidence-based solutions to lowering the vaping rates across the state, we can help build a healthier Oklahoma.”
A full recording of the panel discussion is available online on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
To learn more about TSET and some of its programs, please visit oklahoma.gov/tset and check out Behind the Haze, My Life My Quit and the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative.
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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.