Cessation program provides live texting and web chat support to help ages 13-17 quit
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 4, 2020) – Building on its success with the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) has launched a new service to help even more Oklahomans quit tobacco and reclaim control of their lives. My Life, My Quit is an evidenced-based cessation program that offers free live text support, web chat and phone coaching designed specifically for teens 13-17 years old.
“Young Oklahomans have their own stressors and unique situations, so it is important for them to have their own way to quit tobacco as well,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of death, disease and disability in our state. For the first time, TSET is able to provide specialized quit services that can help our kids live longer, healthier lives. My Life, My Quit is part of our commitment to building a brighter future.”
The My Life, My Quit specially trained youth coaches listen and understand teens, provide personalized support, and build relationships that promote quitting tobacco. To sign up for services, teens 13-17 can text “Start My Quit” to 855-891-9989 for real-time coaching or visit MyLifeMyQuit.com to enroll online. Registration and use of services are confidential, and nicotine replacement therapy is not provided.
In Oklahoma, 1 in 5 students use some form of tobacco. Each year, 1,500 kids under age 18 become daily smokers. The rise of ecigarette and vape use among youth has been declared an epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General, with a quadrupling of Oklahoma high school students reporting e-cigarette use in the last three years.
Because of these staggering numbers, TSET brought My Life, My Quit to Oklahoma. The program is developed and operated by National Jewish Health, a leading respiratory hospital and academic research center based in Colorado. My Life, My Quit combines best practices for youth tobacco cessation adapted to include vaping and new ways to reach a coach, using live text messaging or online chat. The free program also includes educational materials created with youth input and through discussion with subject matter experts.
There are few widely available and accessible resources designed specifically for teens to help them break free from the effects of tobacco use like nicotine addiction and impaired brain development. While the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline – also a program of TSET – can provide quit services to Oklahomans as young as 13, the current Helpline protocols are designed for adults. Through My Life, My Quit, TSET aims to decrease teen vaping, smoking and chewing tobacco use by providing cessation services tailored to their needs through platforms that teens use.
To further support youth tobacco prevention and cessation, TSET’s Board of Directors recently invested in a new statewide youth education campaign focused on Oklahomans ages 13-18. The campaign, which will also encompass obesity prevention and reduction, will launch in fall 2020.
If you’re an adult wanting to quit tobacco use, contact the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT NOW and OKhelpline.com for free coaching and support. Oklahomans ages 18 and older can access cessation services and resources as well as free patches, gum and lozenges.
The My Life, My Life agreement will be overseen by Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline staff. For questions about services, contact Paola Klein at 405-271-8001, ext. 50474 or Paola-Klein@ouhsc.edu.
My Life, My Quit is a free program to help Oklahoma teens, ages 13-17, quit tobacco, including e-cigarettes. Offering tools most utilized by teens, free live texting, web chat and phone calls, My Life, My Quit supports teens through the steps of quitting tobacco to be able to live tobacco free. Funded by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), these free services for Oklahoma teens can be found at MyLifeMyQuit.com or by texting “Start My Quit” to 855-891-9989.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is a free service for Oklahomans wanting to help themselves, loved ones, patients or employees live tobacco free. Funding is primarily provided by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), in partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline has served nearly 400,000 Oklahomans since 2003 and has been ranked among the top quitlines for reaching tobacco users seeking treatment for the last 10 years by the North American Quitline Consortium.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, visit www. ok.gov/tset. TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health.