 TSET Healthy Incentive Grant applications open September 1, 2021 for public schools and school districts in Oklahoma. The application period will run through Friday, October 1, 2021.
“Schools play a vital role in promoting health to the next generation of Oklahomans,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Through the school incentive grants, TSET supports our partners in education and recognizes those schools that are taking steps to teach students about eating right, moving more and being tobacco-free.”
For more information and guidelines about the TSET Healthy Incentive Grants, visit our resource page or contact Laura Matlock, program manager, at lauram@tset.ok.gov.
 The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors passed three resolutions Thursday affirming TSET’s mission and structure and calling for action on emerging nicotine products and tobacco control laws. The unanimous votes came at the Board’s regular meeting on August 26.
In one resolution, the TSET Board resolved to continue its commitment to act in accordance with the will of Oklahoma voters, who reaffirmed their support of TSET’s mission and independence by an overwhelming majority in November 2020.
In a second resolution, the TSET Board called on the Oklahoma Legislature to include new and emerging products in Oklahoma’s statutory definition of tobacco products and to limit advertising of all tobacco products, especially on social media and at retail locations that target youth.
Finally, the TSET Board called on the Oklahoma Legislature to repeal a law that prohibits local governments from adopting smoke-free workplace ordinances that are stricter than state law. Second-hand smoke can lead to heart disease, lung cancer and stroke, and there is no safe level of exposure.
The full resolutions can be found here.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister appointed Tulsa pediatrician Dr. Runako Whittaker to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors.
“I am honored to be appointed to the TSET Board of Directors and look forward to making an impact on the health of all Oklahomans,” Whittaker said.
Dr. Whittaker has practiced pediatrics in the north Tulsa community for more than two decades and has served as the pediatrician and medical director of Westview Pediatric Care since 2012. She is a member of the Metropolitan Baptist Church, the Oklahoma Black Physicians Alliance, the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a board member of the Heather Burns Memorial Scholarship Fund. Whittaker is also the recipient of numerous honors, including the Women of Color Expo - Tulsa Woman of The Year in 2018.
Read more here.
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 North Carolina reached a settlement agreement in June against e-cigarette maker Juul Labs. In a victory for the state, Juul must pay $40 million and adhere to stringent marketing and retail regulations intended to curb their marketing to youth. This lawsuit is one of many that challenge the company, with nine states pursuing legal action and 39 more investigating their practices.
Two Oklahoma entities have also filed lawsuits against Juul. The Cherokee Nation filed suit claiming that Juul targeted Cherokee youth and used deceptive marketing practices to fuel addictions among native populations.
“Juul created a vaping epidemic throughout this country, but Native American teenagers in the Cherokee Nation and others were used by these companies in a way that was truly evil," said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.
Likewise, Shawnee Public Schools joined 90 school districts across the nation in a lawsuit alleging Juul purposefully encouraged children to become addicted to their products through social media campaigns and by creating student-aimed products, such as flavored nicotine and e-cigarettes masked as flash drives.
Read more here.
FROM THE JOURNAL RECORD:
Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research (OCASCR), a program of TSET, is accepting grant applications for research, equipment and travel/education. Proposals are due September 10, 2021 and will be awarded January 1, 2022.
Read more here.
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Episode 17 of the TSET Better Health Podcast explores the Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL), a program of TSET's Healthy Youth Initiative that inspires and incentivizes young people to become advocates for public health. Jessica Davis, TSET Assistant Director of Programs, and Caryle Hausbeck, Senior Program Manager at Rescue Agency, give us an inside look at this innovative approach to youth engagement and generational impact.
“The voices and actions of youth are powerful and impactful, which is one of the reasons why the YAHL program was created… It's important for youth to have seats at the table to make [healthy living] decisions,” said Jessica Davis. “YAHL creates that platform for them to be invested in those decisions and to be heard.”
Learn more here.
Available on TSET's website and everywhere podcasts are listened to: Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, PodBean, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
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