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$166,000 in Healthy Incentive Grants Awarded
to Communities and Schools in Muskogee County
 Pictured
Above: Healthy Schools Incentive Grants Program Manager Sharon Howard;
Secretary of Health and Human Services and Commissioner of Health Dr. Terry
Cline; Rep. George Faught, Warner Elementary Principal Tracey McMullen; TSET
Executive Director John Woods; Sen. Dewayne Pemberton
Eight communities and two school districts were honored in March for their efforts to improve health and quality of life in their communities.
The communities of Boynton, Braggs, Council Hill, Haskell, Oktaha, Summit, Taft and Wainwright were recognized for their achievement of the Gold level in the Healthy Communities Incentive Grant Program.
They were each awarded $20,000 for putting a variety of health-promoting policies in place. These communities plan on using their grant funds for projects such as farmers markets, walking trails and sidewalks to local schools.
Porum and Warner school districts each received $3,000 Healthy Schools Incentive Grants and will use their funds for new water fountains, physical education equipment and playground equipment.
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 With the youth-targeted hashtag of #iKickButts, the 2017 Kick
Butts Day celebration encouraged youth across Oklahoma to stand up for
tobacco-free environments by attending events and exploring the resources
offered by Tobacco Stops
With Me.
TSET grantees partnered with organizations across the state to
hold events for Kick Butts Day. The TSET Healthy Living Program in Cherokee
County hosts an annual event with local youth from Students Working Against
Tobacco (SWAT) action groups who join forces with community and coalition
members to pick up cigarette butts in the city parks.
“When we started, it was just a few youth picking up thousands
of nasty cigarette butts,” said Carol Choate, grant coordinator for the TSET
Healthy Living Program in Cherokee County. “Now, our small group has become
much larger and includes a lot of other local organizations.
Choate added, “In
fact, the cigarette butts collected from our parks have been presented to city
councils by our youth to show that it’s time to look at whether we should even
allow smoking in our parks. That’s how big of a difference a few youth can make
on our communities.”
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 Are you between the ages of
14 and 21? Are you a parent of a 14-17 year old?
Dr. Francesco Versace, Ph.D. of the Oklahoma Tobacco Research
Center and his research staff are looking for eligible participants between the
ages of 14 and 21 for a study to assess differences in the brain responses of
adolescent and young adult smokers and non-smokers. The whole procedure is safe
and non-invasive and will take about 2 hours. There is no cost to you and if
eligible you will be compensated for your time.
Created in 2008 with TSET funding, OTRC provides research to
identify, evaluate and disseminate best practices in tobacco control and
translate research into practice.
Call 405-271-1389,
e-mail brain@ouhsc.edu, or click this link for more information.
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 This year, National Public Health Week will be April 3-9.
National Public Health Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the power of
prevention and public health initiatives.
In Oklahoma, TSET is partnering with groups and organizations across the state
to address the most pressing public health issues and creating healthier places
for all Oklahomans to live, work, learn and play.
Because of TSET, smoking rates have dropped 10 times faster than states with
similar cigarette taxes and clean air laws – that means there are 127,000 fewer
smokers in Oklahoma and 42,000 lives have been saved in our state, according to
a recent analysis by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and the
University of Oklahoma.
By awarding grants to schools, communities, state agencies and
partner organizations, TSET works to improve the health of Oklahoma's citizens.
It also funds research and emerging opportunities in the public and private
sectors.
Be sure to follow
TSET social media during National Public Health Week to learn more about how
TSET policies and strategies are making a difference and improving the health
of all Oklahomans.
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