In the lead up to World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the New Mexico Department of Health on Friday announced smoking rates have decreased across the state. At the same time, however, vaping rates have increased.
In 2022, 15% of New Mexicans smoked, according to NMDOH, and two years later in 2024 — the latest year for which there is complete data — the rate dropped to 11.7%. During that same period vaping increased from 7.3% to 8.2%.
The World Health Organization established World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to raise awareness about tobacco’s health risks and advocate for policy change that results in lowered tobacco consumption.
Anthony Garcia, director of the Nicotine Use Prevention and Control program for NMDOH, said his department works to help eliminate and reduce the harms of nicotine use in all its forms. That means doing outreach at schools and communities around the state, advocating for prevention efforts, and working with apartments or other multi-family housing units to develop policies that reduce second- and third-hand smoke.
But a big part of what they do, Garcia said, is providing individualized assistance to New Mexicans trying to quit. All one has to do is call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
“They will get connected with a coach who will develop a personalized quit plan for them,” he said, “and help them do things like manage cravings, get access to 12 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches, gum, or lozenges, and help them along that journey, so that way they can hopefully be successful in quitting.”
The state receives money from a legal settlement with tobacco companies that provides funds to help eliminate the harms caused by tobacco, which means the service is free.
“It's really wonderful service and staffed by wonderful folks who are very aware of how difficult it is to quit tobacco, to quit nicotine,” he said. “And so I would just highly encourage anybody who's considering it to to give them a call and to try the service”
Garcia said although the number of adults vaping has increased, there’s actually been a drastic reduction in the number of kids using tobacco products in general.
Smoking among New Mexico high school students dropped from 8.3 % in 2019 to only 3.3% in 2023. E-cigarette use during the same time period dropped from 33.4% to 18.8%. Middle-school e-cigarette use also dropped during that timeframe from 15.1% to a record low of 10.4%.
And for those kids who are vaping, the state offers its Live Vape Free program specifically for people ages 13 through 26.
NMDOH has more information about their cessation program at QuitNowNM.org or DejeloYaNM.org and at 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669).
