The TSET Better Health Podcast

Vaping is a source of curiosity for many underaged persons and concern among parents, educators and public health experts. Episode 45 of the TSET Better Health Podcast delves into the rise of youth vaping and efforts that are underway to reduce it. State Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, speaks on her bills that aim to reduce youth retail access to vape products and why she is passionate about it, and two high school students discuss how and why teens vape and the actions they suggest to help prevent it. And Kelli Brodersen, director of TSET Strategic Communications, describes new ad campaigns that speak to youth about the dangers of vaping and how to quit when they are ready.

This year, American Heart Month in February gets an added Leap Day of observance and a TSET Better Health Podcast episode dedicated to heart health and disease prevention. Cardiologist Tim Daly explains how disease develops in the heart and blood vessels over time and how to avoid it, and we’ll visit a county wellness center where people of all ages gather for classes and activities that are great for both heart and spirit.

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is celebrating 20th anniversary, and the TSET Better Health Podcast is highlighting the free TSET-funded service that has helped hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans quit tobacco. Tune in to Episode 43 and hear from Michelle Lynch, president and CEO of the North American Quitline Consortium; Christin Kirchenbauer, Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline director, and three TSET staff members who share their own personal journeys to quitting tobacco.

Staying physically active can be a walk in the park – or to school, the workplace or around the town. The newest episode of the TSET Better Health Podcast features Stroud City Manager Bob Pearman speaking on the town's new attractions aimed at improving the health and longevity of residents; a wellness coordinator for state employees who shares tips and resources to help any workplace become a healthier environment, and a return to Webbers Falls, where students are gearing up for National Walk or Roll to School Day in early October.

TSET has reorganized departments within its agency, and Executive Director Julie Bisbee provides details on the restructure and how it will help TSET better serve Oklahomans. Episode 41 also looks at local innovations that are helping more Oklahomans enjoy access to healthy foods, including a produce store that gardener and farmers market champion Loretta Merritt opened recently within a shipping container in rural Cherokee County.

Tobacco use in Oklahoma costs thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care and lost productivity each year, but a newly released state plan and federal court-ordered tobacco corrective statements at stores both aim to reduce tobacco use. Podcast episode guests Elizabeth Chery-Mullen of the Oklahoma State Department of Health tells us about the five-year state plan and what it means for Oklahomans, and TSET Communication Manager Chase Harvick discusses the history and impact of the upcoming corrective statements.

TSET has invested millions of dollars into cancer, tobacco cessation and wellness research – and Oklahomans are reaping the benefits. From the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center’s (SCC) renewed recognition as a National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Center, to the scores of tobacco- and wellness-related studies currently underway at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC), TSET’s research funding is improving Oklahoma’s long-term health and economy. Learn how in this TSET Better Health Podcast episode from SCC Director Dr. Robert Mannel and Dr. Darla Kendzor, co-director of the HPRC.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, but you don’t have to be a top athlete to join the fun. Physical activity is great for Oklahomans of all ages and abilities! Episode 38 of the TSET Better Health Podcast explores how, from Bike, Roll and Walk to School Day for students in early May through free workout videos from Shape Your Future that help beginners bust their yoga, dance and barre exercise moves. Listeners also will hear from an Oklahoma Department of Transportation official on the makings of an active transportation plan that will help cities and towns of all sizes improve access and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and others.

As National Nutrition Month draws to a close, this TSET Better Health Podcast episode examines nutrition and obesity prevention in our state, especially among youth. Jae Morrison of the Oklahoma State Department of Health discusses findings in the state’s newly released Obesity Prevention Plan, and what we can take from it for our own well-being. Listeners also will hear from Christy White, the innovative child nutrition director of Hinton Public Schools who explained how and why healthy food options have become popular among students in her rural western Oklahoma district. And we visited Jenks Middle School, where students joined thousands statewide on March 22 in participating in the Swap Up Day of Action, a hands-on nutrition education day.

Tobacco companies have long used deceptive marketing in ever-changing ways to lure new customers into buying and becoming addicted to their dangerous products. They know how to appeal to different populations, and it has worked with deadly results. TSET is launching a new media campaign that exposes how the tobacco industry uses “shapeshifting” marketing to make tobacco and vape products seem appealing to people of different ages and communities. Episode guests will include TSET Health Communication Manager Chase Harvick, who will speak about the Shapeshifter campaign; Donald Richardson of Guiding Right, a local agency that helps African Americans and others break free from tobacco use and other health threats, and Purcell High School students Carter Goldston and Alexis Wenthold on the influences that draw teens to vaping and tobacco use, and how to counteract those influences.

Governing by the will of the people is assumed in democracy – unless preemption is involved. Such is the case with local tobacco laws in Oklahoma cities. Preemption is when a higher level of government limits or eliminates the power of a lower level of government to regulate on a particular issue. Since 1987, Oklahoma cities and towns have been prohibited from adopting tobacco restriction ordinances that go beyond state law. So local municipal leaders who want to further protect residents from harmful tobacco use in public places cannot do so. This TSET Better Health Podcast episode explores the public health and local governance issue with Doug Matheny, a policy expert at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Tahlequah City Councilman Stephen Highers, and Thomas Larson, TSET director of public information and outreach.

Smoking rates in Oklahoma are dropping to historic lows, but they continue to rank high among the 50 states and vaping is still a persistent problem, especially among youth. This TSET Better Health Podcast episode takes a look at efforts to lower tobacco and vape use in our state heading into 2023 with guests Matt Glanville of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, Paola Klein of the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, and Mayra Amezcua and Lacey Laymon with TSET Healthy Youth Initiative's YAHL program who discuss their motivations for tackling tobacco and vape use in their local schools and communities.

We hear it every holiday season – it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s not for those who are grieving a loss or are feeling stressed out or alone during the holidays. It can also be a challenging time for our physical health, when time off and holiday gatherings can make it easy to let healthy habits slide by the wayside. Check out the next episode of the TSET Better Health Podcast and find ways to boost your mental, emotional and physical wellness during the holidays, so this truly can become the happiest time of the year. Find out how from Executive Director Erin Engelke and Clinical Director Heather Gaglio of Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, who will offer great ways to boost mental and emotional well-being during the holidays; Kym Hardin of Healthy Schools Oklahoma, who will help us stay physically active into the new year; and TSET’s own Dylan Jasna, who will share new and tasty nutritional resources from Shape Your Future.

As few as 1.5 percent of Oklahomans who are eligible to get a lung cancer screening actually get them – 1.5 percent. Episode 32 of the TSET Better Health Podcast will explore who qualifies for lung cancer screenings, reasons why rates are so low in our state, the high importance of getting screened, and the programs in place to increase awareness of, and accessibility to, these lifesaving tests. Speaking on this will be Dr. Mark Doescher of the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson Cancer Center and College of Medicine, and Eric Finley of the Oklahoma Hospital Association. In addition, Dr. Lurdes Queimado, of the TSET Health Promotion Research Center at the OU Health Sciences Center, will explain encouraging new research results that show much higher rates of remission of head and neck cancers among smokers who quit before starting their treatments compared to those who continued smoking. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

“It’s easy to quit,” Ken Allen, a Muscogee Creek, said of tobacco. “I quit every day, probably 20 times. It was just staying quit is the problem.” The Perkins resident finally quit smoking after more than 35 years with help from the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline – and no help from a commercial tobacco industry that markets heavily to Native Americans. Allen shares his long journey toward better health in Episode 31 of the TSET Better Health Podcast, which also includes Aaron Williams, tobacco program coordinator of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. Williams offers a wider perspective on commercial tobacco use and cessation among Native Americans in Oklahoma, and how commercial tobacco differs from ceremonial tobacco use and traditions. During the interview, Williams referred to BRFSS, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) phone survey system for learning about rates of health-related risk behaviors and chronic health conditions at national and state levels. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

Oklahoma students are back in school, where kids and teens often get the nutrition and energy they need to learn and stay active from meals and snacks served in the cafeteria. In fact, school nutrition is crucial for the health and well-being of Oklahoma kids both during and outside of school hours. With school in session and Child Obesity Awareness Month arriving in September, Episode 30 of the TSET Better Health Podcast will focus on school and child nutrition with Jennifer Weber, executive director of child nutrition at the Oklahoma State Department of Education; Heather Steele and Sheila Russell with Tulsa Public Schools’ Child Nutrition, and Valarie Carter, a classically trained chef, food writer and mom who shares her knowledge on Shape Your Future Healthy Kitchen segments on KJRH in Tulsa.

We Oklahomans often find ourselves behind the wheel or behind a desk, causing us to fall behind on physical activity. When our built environment lacks sidewalks, trails, bike lanes – in other words, walkability and active transportation – it becomes even harder to get up and be physically active. Efforts are underway within communities of all sizes to make them easier and safer to walk, jog, run and bike – not only in residential neighborhoods, but also in business districts that profit from increased foot traffic. In this episode, hear from Ron Frantz and Shane Hampton of the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities on how walkability and placemaking – making public spaces more appealing – is happening throughout Oklahoma and why it’s good for our physical and economic health. You'll also hear from Kelly Martin, an elementary school principal. She explains how community partnerships led to walking trails that benefit numerous students and community members. Doug Walton, TSET Healthy Living Program coordinator in Muskogee County, also joins us to talk about Connect Muskogee and its plan to tie together every aspect of transportation system, including sidewalks, trails and bikeways. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

We all know that eating well-balanced nutritious meals is important for energy and good health. But that can be difficult for Oklahomans who rely on dollar and convenience stores for their groceries because they lack access to faraway supermarkets. Fortunately, families and individuals can shop for healthy foods at smaller stores, and this episode’s guests provide resources, strategies, and services available to help. Pat Dehart, a diabetes educator nurse, walks us through what healthy options are available in dollar and convenient stores. Lydia Kelley, executive director of Loaves & Fishes, details the services her client-choice food pantry provides, who can qualify, and why it’s so meaningful. And Dylan Jasna, new member of the TSET Health Communication team, shares the wealth of resources available through Shape Your Future, a healthy lifestyle promotion program of TSET. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

TSET’s commitment to healthier communities throughout Oklahoma bears repeating. So the TSET Better Health Podcast will present an encore presentation of the “TSET Community Impact” episode that featured stories of partnerships between TSET Healthy Living Program grantees and local community members that helped bring new school playground equipment to Prague, sidewalks to Newkirk for pedestrian safety, increased healthy food access to small and large communities in Cleveland County and a host of healthier environments in Muskogee. The episode presents a great opportunity to look back at community impacts as TSET and its grantees look forward to both new and continuing opportunities for better health in Oklahoma in the months and years ahead. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.

We all know that nicotine addiction is bad for the body, but what about the mind? This month, the TSET Better Health Podcast takes a deep dive into how tobacco impacts mental health with three special guests: Tony Stelter from ODMHSAS discusses the toxic relationship between nicotine addiction. Krysten Isaac of Rescue Agency and Dr. Thomas Ylioja of National Jewish Health talk about two innovative tobacco cessation programs aimed toward helping youth and young adults quit smoking or vaping. All music licensed through PremiumBeat. Full transcripts and music credits available at tset.ok.gov/podcast.