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Let's Talk about the impact of alcohol on New Mexico

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Let's Talk New Mexico, 8/04 8a: We hear a lot about drugs like opioids, fentanyl and meth in New Mexico. But another substance is involved in more deaths than all of those drugs combined: alcohol. It kills New Mexicans at a higher rate than anywhere else in the country, but laws taxing or limiting alcohol have been tough to pass. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss a new multipart series, Blind Drunk, by New Mexico in Depth that explores the toll alcohol is taking on our citizens and we want to hear from you. Have you or a loved one struggled with alcohol use? What was finding help like? What changes do you think need to happen to address alcohol use disorder? Email us at LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live on Thursday morning at 505-277-5866.

Many may assume the high mortality rates are due to drunken driving, but as reporter Ted Alcorn found in reporting for New Mexico In Depth, the state has tackled intoxicated driving but not necessarily the broader harms brought on by alcohol. That includes its role in our high rates of violence and trauma. There are also widespread assumptions that alcohol kills mostly Native Americans, when in fact Anglos and Hispanics account for the vast majority of the state’s casualties. And while many blame “drunks” or “alcoholics” for our dismal statistics, alcohol use disorder has a spectrum of behaviors that affect many people in the state.

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