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The New Mexico Department of Health issued a health advisory Monday to those who have captured or consumed wildlife from Holloman Lake in southern New Mexico. The warning follows a report on record levels of PFAS chemicals found in wildlife and plants in the area.
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It’s commonly thought that suicide rates increase over the winter holidays, but that’s not the case. Still, the lead suicide prevention coordinator with the New Mexico Department of Health says it’s never the wrong time of year to talk about suicide and practice prevention.
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The state Department of Health says only about 10% of New Mexicans got the updated vaccine last year, this year they are trying to smooth the process and clarify the messaging.
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Though summer doesn’t officially begin until next week, temperatures are already hitting the triple digits across parts of New Mexico. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Thursday in the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley. A shelter in Socorro is seeking volunteers to help keep its cooling center open on these sweltering days.
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A state fund for keeping members of the birthing workforce in their jobs is open for applications. The goal is to ensure there are enough practitioners to serve the state, which has struggled to provide accessible care.
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Despite a decline in the number of flu cases in New Mexico at the start of the year, the state still has some of the highest levels in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Firearm deaths are increasing in New Mexico, nearly doubling in the course of a decade. That’s according to a new report from the New Mexico Department of Health, which released a report on gun violence that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called for in her executive order regarding gun violence in September.
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Earlier this summer, the state’s nicotine prevention and cessation efforts were halted when money the state gets from a settlement with tobacco companies fell millions short of what the Department of Health had projected. Lawmakers overseeing the funds questioned the department about the issue and got a fiscal update Wednesday and said they plan to reintroduce legislation to give nicotine prevention work in New Mexico the stability it needs.
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While New Mexico has long struggled with the nation’s highest rate of alcohol-related deaths, the pandemic has inflamed the issue, according to a report released Thursday. The state saw an average of six people die each day from alcohol in 2021, and few living with the addiction are getting treatment.
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New Mexicans trying to quit smoking and vaping have had less help recently. The state’s prevention and outreach efforts were cut off in May and the Quitline went down at the end of June after state funding fell short. While 1-800-QUIT-NOW is up and running again, community groups helping some of the people most at risk still aren’t able to help.