American Lung Association of New Mexico

State of Tobacco Control Report Card
The American Lung Association in New Mexico provides leadership in convening partners and guiding public policy efforts to continue the state’s success in reducing the impact of tobacco use among New Mexicans. Together with our partners, the Lung Association works to ensure tobacco control and prevention remains a priority for state legislators and local decision makers.

The 2009 legislative session saw intense pressure to allocate tobacco settlement dollars for other purposes. The Lung Association was successful in working with the legislature to protect this funding for state tobacco control and prevention programs. State funding will remain at about $9.5 million for fiscal year 2010, with $9.116 million for the state Department of Health’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program and $400,000 for the Indian Affairs Department tobacco control programs. An increase in funding is needed to move closer to the $23.4 million level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Legislation requiring fire-safety standards for cigarettes was also approved by the state legislature in 2009, and it took effect on January 1. New Mexico joins 49 other states and the District of Columbia with nearly identical laws. A measure was also approved that changed the definition of cigarettes to include cigars that look like cigarettes, along with roll-your-own tobacco, bidis and kreteks. As a result, the tax on these products will be equal to the tax on cigarettes.

We continued to educate legislators, legislative staff, and the general public about smoking, the importance of providing cessation programs for adults and youth and the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Moving forward, the American Lung Association in New Mexico will once again make it a priority to increase tobacco taxes as an effective way to prevent and reduce smoking, especially among teens. According to the CDC’s 2007 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, New Mexico’s high school smoking rate stands at 24.2 percent, down from 25.7 percent recorded in 2006. Beginning in July 2008, the American Lung Association in New Mexico implemented the Not On Tobacco (N-O-T) program in New Mexico high schools statewide. It reached 146 teens. Another top priority for the American Lung Association in New Mexico is to work with tribal communities to make Native American-owned casinos smokefree.

Click here to view New Mexico ’s report.

For the full report or to view reports from other areas in the United States, click here.