June 2020 Newsletter

Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust sent this bulletin at 06/26/2020 01:28 PM CDT

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June Newsletter

June 26, 2020

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Health educators and staff members of the Oklahoma State Health Department District 4 recently distributed COVID-19 literature in bags provided by TSET.

Helping Oklahomans One Bag at a Time

The TSET Healthy Living Program recently played a small but important part in disseminating important COVID-19 information at testing sites and training events in eight northeast Oklahoma counties. After county health departments in the region started to conduct COVID-19 testing, Johnna Sue Blair of the Wagoner County Health Department – and TSET HLP lead coordinator for that county – asked TSET for 1,800 plastic bags that featured Shape Your Future on one side and the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline on the other. The bags were put to use for holding printed information on the coronavirus pandemic.

The bags were disseminated during curbside testing in Oklahoma State Health Department District 4, which is composed of Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Wagoner and Washington counties. By late April, health educators and other staff members handed out nearly 1,600 bags; mostly to clients of drive-thru testing and scheduled testing appointments, but also at education sessions for nursing home nurses and first responders.

Shape Your Future recently joined forces with the OSU-OKC Farmers Market at Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City.

TSET, Farmers Market Dish Up Nutrition

Shape Your Future, a program of TSET, recently joined forces with the OSU-OKC Farmers Market at Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City. As part of the weekly farmers market, Shape Your Future now co-sponsors a local chef who gives a live recipe demonstration. Due to COVID-19, these step-by-step videos are being recorded and posted at syfok.com/scissortail. However, live recipe demonstrations will occur every Saturday on the main stage at Scissortail Park. The time for these demos is still to be determined.

The market is at the corner of Oklahoma City Boulevard and South Robinson Avenue. Hours are Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through October, rain or shine. View a complete list of registered farmers markets throughout the state of Oklahoma here.

Episode 4 of the TSET Better Health Podcast talks about recipes using fresh, local ingredients.

TSET June Podcast Fresh From the Market

This month, episode 4 of the TSET Better Health Podcast brings healthy, local food to listeners. Hosted by TSET employees James Tyree and Cate Howell, the latest episode delves into farmers markets and summer nutrition.

In this episode, listeners can learn about TSET’s partnership with the Scissortail Farmers Market, as well as hear about the Oklahoma Nutrition Information and Education (ONIE) Project. An exclusive interview with Shelby Sieg, of Lua Mediterranean and Bottle Shop in Oklahoma City's Plaza District and a featured chef with Shape Your Future, talks about healthy recipes using fresh, local ingredients. Find the TSET Better Health Podcast at tset.ok.gov/podcast or anywhere podcasts are found.

Several bars and nightclubs throughout the state of Oklahoma have gone smokefree this year.

Smokefree Nights Better for Oklahoma

The Free The Night momentum is building. Free The Night, a program funded by TSET, is an organization that works with bar owners to assist them in voluntarily changing their business environment to make it smokefree. This year, several bars and nightclubs have gone smokefree including Edna’s and Blue Note, both in Oklahoma City, and Christie’s Bar, in Altus. For a complete list, click here.

Oklahoma is one of the only states that still allows smoking indoors and currently does not have a law that protects workers, patrons and business owners from secondhand smoke exposure in bars. TSET is committed to working with businesses, schools, churches, and municipalities across the state to improve health and protect all Oklahomans from the dangers of tobacco.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation raising Oklahoma's tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21.

A Step in the Right Direction

In May, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation raising Oklahoma’s tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21 into law. The legislation ensures Oklahoma's statutes align with the federal Tobacco-Free Youth Act, which was signed by President Donald Trump in December 2020. The law prohibits the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.

In 2018, Tobacco Stops With Me, a program of TSET, brought attention to Oklahoma's need for common-sense, proven tobacco control policies. The campaign informed Oklahomans about the benefits of tobacco control and prevention policies such as comprehensive smokefree places, raising the minimum tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21, prohibiting smoking in cars with children present and more. Learn more about the policies here.

“I'm pleased to see this law has passed both federally and in Oklahoma. Aligning our state policies with the new federal regulations ensures proper enforcement of this important law in Oklahoma. This is a step in the right direction to reduce tobacco’s burden on Oklahomans, especially our youth,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director.

Visit the TSET newsroom today!

Searching for more news about TSET and its programs? You'll find information about rural health care, tobacco use, childhood obesity, research, TSET grants and more on our website. Check out the newsroom here.

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