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Home News Binge Drinking and Cigarette Smoking Down
Kenny Vigil
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Binge Drinking and Cigarette Smoking Down

July 19, 2016 - Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey - Awareness

Department of Health Releases 2015 Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey Results.

The 24/7 Campaign is a movement to make all schools in New Mexico 100% tobacco-free. Schools are places where youth learn, inside and outside the classrooms. Schools need to send the right message to students, which is why a 100% tobacco-free policy is important. A 24/7 tobacco-free school policy means prohibiting the use of any tobacco products anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Today, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that binge drinking and cigarette smoking is down among New Mexico high school students. Binge drinking (consuming five or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion in the past 30 days) has fallen by half in the last ten years, from 28.6 percent in 2005 to 14.6 percent in 2015. Current cigarette smoking (smoking cigarettes on at least one of the past 30 days) dropped to 11.4 percent in 2015 from 25.7 percent in 2005.

“It’s encouraging to see a decline in alcohol and cigarette use among our high school students, We must continue working hard to cut down on alcohol, drug and cigarette use among teens,” said Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher. “We have to build on our efforts at the state and community level to prevent students from engaging in behaviors that can impact their health now and later in their lives.”

The New Mexico Department of Health 24/7 project is a voluntary program that aims to make all schools in New Mexico 100 percent tobacco free. The program helps schools work to eliminate the use of any tobacco products anywhere on campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information, please visit the Twenty-Four-Seven New Mexico program website.

The data about binge drinking and cigarette smoking comes from the 2015 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS), a collaboration between the New Mexico Department of Health and New Mexico Public Education Department. The YRRS was conducted in New Mexico public high schools during the fall of 2015 by the Department of Health and the Public Education Department, with assistance from the UNM Prevention Research Center.

“This is encouraging news for our students and communities across New Mexico. Reducing these behaviors is an important part of keeping more kids engaged in school and on the path to reach their full potential,” said Education Secretary Hanna Skandera.

More results from the New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey will be released over the coming months. The YRRS is the New Mexico component of the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which is designed and sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More information about the YRRS is available on the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey section of our website or from the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey website.

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Versión en Español

En un esfuerzo para hacer que nuestros comunicados de prensa sean más accesibles, también tenemos disponibles una versión en español. Por favor presione el enlace de abajo para acceder a la traducción.

Disminución en el Consumo Excesivo de Alcohol y Uso de Cigarrillos