public health

Scientists from the University of New Mexico discussed their recently published research paper Monday wherein they found microplastics are steadily increasing in our bodies over time. The research looked at brains going all the way back to 1997 from different parts of the country, and found a consistent rise in levels that doubles every 10 to 15 years.

For the third straight year, lawmakers are trying to raise taxes on alcoholic drinks, in an attempt to reduce New Mexico’s worst-in-the-nation alcohol-related death rate.

Cities and counties are joining forces in hopes of making a bigger impact together than they could alone in fighting the Opioid epidemic using funds from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Lawmakers heard arguments from the state's behavioral health administrator that the Legislature should use updated real-time data systems to inform their decision making, and improve access to behavioral health across the state.

Representatives of the New Mexico Medical Society recently spoke to state lawmakers about a growing issue in the state: Attracting and retaining medical providers. KUNM's Daniel Montaño reports the state’s short about 5,000 health care workers.

NM Health, formerly the Department of Health, announced late last month whooping cough has struck twice as many people in New Mexico than it did last year at the same time, prompting NMHealth to issue a warning. It’s even worse at a national level, with five times as many cases across the country.

Some lawmakers want to make another attempt to increase taxes on alcohol sales in the upcoming legislative session. Industry leaders met with some lawmakers Wednesday to state their case against the tax.

The cannabis business is booming in New Mexico, according to the industry's top officials, so much so that compliance officers are struggling to keep up.

Lawmakers met Thursday to discuss the role of private equity in New Mexico’s health care industry. They talked about what a permanent law establishing oversight of hospital mergers and acquisitions would look like.

In the fight against the opioid epidemic, Medication Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is widely considered the most effective treatment for opioid use disorders. Now, research from the University of New Mexico shows when given to people behind bars, it’s less likely they’ll end up going back once released.