June Newsletter

Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust sent this bulletin at 06/28/2019 10:00 AM CDT

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TSET Newsletter

June 28, 2019

Legislation adding vapor products to the 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools Act goes into effect July 1

A law that adds vapor products to the list of tobacco products prohibited at public schools takes effect July 1.

Governor Stitt signed a bill into law in April that adds vapor products to the 24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools Act that bans tobacco and vapor products at any Oklahoma educational facility, in school vehicles and at any school-sponsored or school-sanctioned event or activity. This is a huge step forward in protecting Oklahoma kids from the pervasive use of vapor products, e-cigarettes and Juul devices.

The 24/7 tobacco-free and vapor free law creates an environment that supports healthy and safe choices for Oklahoma’s children. Adults play an important role in modeling behavior and when children see adults using tobacco or vapor products it sends the wrong message.

E-cigarette use has grown dramatically in the last five years and are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students and in Oklahoma alone, 16.4 percent or 1 in 6 high school students use e-cigarettes, compared to 13.2 percent nationally.

This new law supports TSET’s efforts to work with school districts across the state to put voluntary policies in place and provide education on the dangers of vaping.

TSET’s program Tobacco Stops With Me currently offers resources and education about the harms of flavored tobacco and vaping devices. TSET also funds the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT NOW, a FREE service available 24/7 to all Oklahomans.

Stephenson Cancer Center announces new cancer treatment option

Researchers at the TSET-funded Stephenson Cancer Center announced a new cancer treatment, CAR-T therapy, is now available. CAR-T therapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer and is an important advancement in cancer treatment options. As a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center, Stephenson Cancer Center is a leader in improving cancer treatment and care in Oklahoma.

“CAR-T therapy is a major breakthrough for patients who have not improved with standard treatments,” said George Selby, M.D., director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at the Stephenson Cancer Center. “It is an immune therapy in which we’re harnessing our own cells to recognize cancer cells. That’s what a normal immune system does – it acts in a surveillance capacity so that when a malignant cell arises, it is killed by our immune system. CAR-T therapy is a way of ‘rebooting’ the immune system when it has failed.”

TSET Founding Board Chair retires from Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center

Congratulations to Dr. Robert McCaffree on his retirement from the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center (OTRC) at the Stephenson Cancer Center. McCaffree was the founding Board Chair of the TSET Board of Directors, appointed by then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Most recently, McCaffree served as the Director of State & Local Policy as well as a Professor of Medicine at the OU College of Medicine. He has also served as President of the Oklahoma County Medical Society and the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

We wish to thank him for all of the important work he has done to improve health in Oklahoma and wish him well in his retirement.

Pictured above: Dr. Robert McCaffree and TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee

Summer Adventures from Shape Your Future help keep kids active this summer

Are you excited for a summer adventure? Shape Your Future’s Summer Adventure Series helps kids eat healthy, stay active and enjoy it! Summer Adventure features weekly themes that include a download with a delicious recipe and physical activity idea.

For more fun and healthy resources visit ShapeYourFutureOK.com.

TSET offices move to the Department of Agriculture

We are excited to continue serving Oklahoma from our new location at the Department of Agriculture building, 2800 N. Lincoln Blvd., Ste 202, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105.

In Case You Missed It:

The Oklahoman: Former journalist leads TSET in reducing tobacco use, obesity

TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee was recently featured in The Oklahoman where she discussed her passion for TSET’s mission as well as her life and career.

You can continue reading Julie’s Executive Q&A here.

Pictured above: Julie Bisbee, TSET Executive Director. Photo courtesy of Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman

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