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The TSET Board of Directors passed resolutions expressing support of local and statewide policies that would decrease obesity, reduce youth access to tobacco and vaping products, expand access to lifesaving cancer screening programs and ensure wise investment of funds in the TSET endowment.
The unanimous votes came at the Board's regular meeting in August.
Resolution 1 calls on state and local leaders to embrace policies that reduce obesity by encouraging active lifestyles, promoting healthy food choices and supporting programs that teach wellness and healthy behaviors.
The board recommended repealing the state sales tax on healthy foods, supporting farmers markets and funding active transportation methods like sidewalks and bike lanes, among other policies.
Resolution 2 calls for the adoption of local and statewide policies and strategies to strengthen retailer compliance on tobacco policies, including increased compliance checks and higher fines for businesses that sell to underage individuals.
Resolution 3 encourages the state to adopt policies to increase access to cancer screenings. TSET is focused on lowering Oklahoma’s cancer mortality rate, which currently is seventh highest in the nation. Early cancer detection through increased screening would reduce cancer deaths in the state.
Resolution 4 expresses support for the autonomy of the TSET Board of Investors to make the investment decisions they feel are in the best interest of the fund. Under the constitutional amendment approved by Oklahoma voters, only the TSET Board of Investors is allowed to oversee and direct investment decisions.
A full list of TSET Resolutions can be found HERE.
TSET honors and remembers Susanna Gattoni, who served on the TSET Board of Directors for three years before her passing on Sept. 11 at age 51.
Gattoni was the deputy general counsel at the University of Oklahoma and joined the TSET Board of Directors in 2020, following her appointment by Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd. Gattoni was appointed vice chair of the board earlier this year.
“Oklahoma is a better place because of Susanna Gattoni and her lifetime of public service,” Byrd said. “She was a brilliant attorney who truly understood the importance of fiscal oversight and responsibility. She was a lovely woman; she did an outstanding job representing the State Auditor’s Office on the TSET Board and we will miss her.”
Gattoni loved her roles and passions of mother, daughter, sister, lawyer, runner and reader, and she was a relentless fighter for the health and well-being of Oklahomans.
“Her kindness and dedication will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “Susanna was a fierce advocate for cancer research, increasing access to cancer screening and a champion of improving health.”
Our thoughts go out to Gattoni’s family and closest friends during this difficult time, and we will always deeply appreciate her leadership and service to TSET and the state of Oklahoma.
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Retail stores selling tobacco have until the end of this month to comply with a court order to display statements with information about the risks of smoking as a corrective measure to the industry's practice of misleading the public.
Last year's court order on the statements concluded the U.S. government's decades-long racketeering lawsuit against major tobacco manufacturers, including Phillip Morris and R.J. Reynolds.
These statements, provided by tobacco companies, are part of a larger judgement that aims to curb Big Tobacco's practice of large-scale deception. The signs are posted in both Spanish and English and must remain up for 21 months.
On September 25, Tobacco Stops With Me launched a new campaign, "Corrective Statements," that will tell the whole truth, taking the court-ordered statements and showing the human toll behind the devastation of tobacco products.
Read more HERE.
Perspective: Julie Bisbee in the Journal Record
We spend more than half of our waking hours at work. Employers play an important role in reducing risk factors for preventable disease and death, including cancer, diabetes, lung disease and heart disease.
Smokefree policies and workplace wellness programs contribute to a culture of health among employees and save companies money.
Read more HERE.
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The TSET Healthy Living Podcast is now every other month. On the months without a new release, we invite you to revisit earlier episodes you may have missed.
Such as Episode 40, where we examined the state tobacco plan and federal court-ordered tobacco corrective statements at stores. Both aim to reduce tobacco use. Guests include Elizabeth Chery-Mullen of the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Chase Harvick, TSET campaign manager.
"The end goal of the state plan is to decrease the tobacco burden and disparities in
Oklahoma, which will lead to a decrease in chronic disease morbidity and mortality, and
of course, reduce of our healthcare costs," said Chery-Mullen. The plan " shows the collaborative effort that partners in tobacco control will take to ensure all Oklahomans live in a tobacco-free state."
Available on TSET's website and everywhere podcasts are listened to: Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, PodBean, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
TSET is staffed by a dedicated and passionate group of people. This month, we would like to introduce Nafees Rashid.
Nafees Rashid is the Accountant IV at TSET. Prior to joining TSET, she worked for the State Treasurer of Oklahoma as a Property Claims’ Auditor and then moved on to the Accounting Department as an Investment Accountant.
Rashid has a bachelor’s in Accounting, Finance, and minor in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Read about the rest of the team HERE.
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