TSET Healthy Living Program

Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust

Established by voters, the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) is a state grantmaking trust devoted to preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, Oklahoma's leading causes of death. TSET's mission is to improve Oklahomans' health and quality of life by achieving targeted improvements in the health of Oklahomans.

TSET accomplishes this by:

Preventing and reducing the leading risk factors for those diseases, tobacco use, and obesity.
Investing in high-priority research with an emphasis on reducing the toll of tobacco-related cancers.

To achieve this objective, TSET funds accountable programs and services that address the hazards of tobacco use and other health issues. TSET employs an evidence-based strategic plan to achieve our objectives and evaluate the effectiveness of our grants and programs. To learn more about TSET's grants and programs, please visit tset.ok.gov.

Healthy Living Program Grants

TSET Healthy Living Program grants are designed to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease by preventing and reducing tobacco use and obesity on a local level. By awarding grants to schools, communities, state agencies, and partner organizations, TSET works to improve Oklahoma's citizens' health. TSET's Healthy Living Program grants have been issued to 35 organizations working in 30 counties.

Wichita Mountains Prevention Network (WMPN), serving as the lead agency for the Carter County TSET Healthy Living Program, works locally to encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco-free lifestyles. WMPN, in partnership with the Carter County TSET Healthy Living Program and the Carter County Healthy Living Coalition, has completed a Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment (CCNA) of Carter County as a means to ascertain the best strategies to implement in Carter County to help prevent and reduce rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease in the county. Preventing and reducing these diseases can be accomplished by facilitating environmental changes that encourage healthy behaviors. The following nine strategies have been selected for implementation in Carter County in order to facilitate environmental changes that will encourage healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco-free lifestyles:

Preventing youth access to tobacco in Carter County.
Working with worksites to create voluntary policies to restrict tobacco use indoors and outdoors.
Collaborating with out-of and after-school programs to create policies to ensure that children have adequate nutrition and physical activity.
Partnering with Ardmore, Gene Autry, and Springer retail food locations to increase access to healthy foods.
Assisting food banks with the implementation of changes that increase the availability of donated healthy foods and beverages.
Adopting safe routes to school policies in Ardmore, Healdton, and Wilson, making walking and biking to school safe and accessible for all children.
Creating opportunities for physical activity by sharing existing public and private spaces.
Promoting social support groups that encourage physical activity in Ardmore, Healdton, and Wilson.

To partner with the Carter County TSET Healthy Living Program, please contact Nikayla Guardado at nguardado@wmpn.org.

TSET's Impact on Oklahoma

TSET has positively impacted Oklahoma by:

Raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.
Establishing smoke-free environments on school and university campuses.
Creating the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, which has served more than 400,000 Oklahomans since 2003. It has been ranked among the top quitlines for reaching tobacco users seeking treatment for the last ten years by the North American Quitline Consortium.
Investing in research at the Stephenson Cancer Center gives Oklahomans access to cutting-edge phase one clinical trials and was crucial in the center being awarded the National Cancer Institution designation in 2018.
Partnering with the Physician Manpower Training Commission to fund a medical loan repayment program. Currently, it is funding 26 physicians in rural and underserved areas of the state. Thirty-seven doctors have participated in that program, and 54% of them continue to practice medicine in rural Oklahoma.
Providing funding for programs aimed at reducing tobacco use, poor nutrition, and sedentary lifestyles, and thus lessening the burden on the state's health care infrastructure.
Saving more than 42,000 lives and helping the state avoid $1.24 billion in medical costs.

Health Communication Interventions

When combined with other programs, customized public education interventions are the most effective strategies for promoting healthy behaviors. Through rigorous evaluation, TSET interventions are proven to effectively change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to support healthy lifestyle choices by Oklahomans.

Tobacco Stops With Me

Tobacco Stops With Me focuses on the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke, impacts on health, and the tobacco industry’s manipulative marketing practices. By educating the public about the negative effects and impact of tobacco, this campaign aims to prevent and reduce tobacco use, improving the health and quality of life of every Oklahoman. In addition, the campaign aims to inspire individuals to make positive changes —not only for their own health but for the health of their loved ones and fellow citizens.

Shape Your Future

Shape Your Future supports Oklahomans’ efforts to eat better, move more, and be tobacco-free. This public education intervention employs informative, aspirational, and motivational messaging and free online tips and tools. It is designed to help Oklahomans embrace health where they live, work, learn, and play.

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline offers free nonjudgmental services to help Oklahomans quit tobacco.

Helpline services include text and email support, phone and web coaching, patches, gum, lozenges, and more.

TSET Healthy Youth Initiative

The Healthy Youth Initiative is led by TSET to improve the health of Oklahoma teens. Through a series of research-based campaigns, TSET is helping Oklahoma's youth live longer, healthier lives through reduced tobacco use and improved nutrition and physical activity.**

To learn more about these free services, resources, and campaigns, please click on the logos below.

* Source: Content on this page is from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Website - https://tset.ok.gov/

** Source: Content provided by the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative Website - https://www.tsethealthyyouth.com