Two new spots tackle teen tobacco use in Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 8, 2024) – The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust’s (TSET) Healthy Youth Initiative is launching two new campaigns aimed at teenage tobacco prevention and cessation: "What Finally Worked,” a message from My Life, My Quit and “The Difference Shows,” a rural tobacco prevention message from Down and Dirty.
“The messages behind these two campaigns are based on real Oklahoma teens who are dealing with the vaping epidemic,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “We strive to meet teens where they are, sharing relatable stories and inspiring them to live healthier, tobacco-free lives.”
“What Finally Worked” launches March 11 and is based on real-life testimonials of individuals enrolled in My Life, My Quit, a free program connecting teens 13-17 who vape or use tobacco to personalized live texting and web chat cessation support. The video shows a teen sharing the challenges of quitting vaping, expressing disappointment and embarrassment after previous unsuccessful attempts. The teen shares how My Life, My Quit offers a judgment-free program with one-on-one support and individually-tailored plans, which helped her finally quit.
“The Difference Shows” launches March 12 and shows how the physical consequences of vaping can prevent people from doing the things they love. In the spot, a young female musician complains about shortness of breath and anxiety, with her friend linking the symptoms to vaping. When tested with Oklahoma teens last spring, focus group participants said this messaging was believable and motivating, and some teens even noted they experienced similar symptoms, which now make them feel uneasy about vaping.
Both “What Finally Worked” and “The Difference Shows” will run across Oklahoma on multiple social media platforms including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube as well as television and cable networks.
To view “What Finally Worked” and “The Difference Shows” as well as 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