My name is Sam, and I’m the campaign manager for 24/7 where I have been working to help make New Mexico schools nicotine-free. I grew up with a mom who had a serious cigarette addiction which tended to put a strain on her relationship with me and my siblings. I remember being embarrassed when my clothes smelled like cigarettes, in addition to fearing for my mom’s health, and concocting new plans with my twin and my sister that we thought would finally get her to quit. It seemed like our attempts only pushed her further away from quitting and made it worse. I would ask myself why she couldn’t just stop so we didn’t have to worry anymore. That was when I began to learn about just how deep addiction could be, and how much of a hold it can have on people. 

Luckily she ended up quitting on her own, but it took decades of trying before she was ready. Had she not been pressured into her first cigarette at 9 years old, a lot of that effort and pain could have been avoided. That is why I am so passionate about my work to make New Mexico Schools nicotine-free.

Use of nicotine products typically starts in adolescence. In fact, according to the CDC “Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first try smoking by age 18.” (CDC, n.d.) A huge place kids are exposed to these products outside of their home is school, and it is also where they experience peer pressure. Previously, many school districts had loopholes in their policies regarding nicotine and tobacco products. With the help of our students across the state, 24/7 worked with the New Mexico Public Education Department to get a new and improved rule passed. This new rule ( 6.12.4 NMAC) requires every public school district in New Mexico to prohibit nicotine products by anyone including faculty and staff, anywhere on school grounds or where school events occur, and at all times including non-school hours. This is a big step in the right direction! Now we need every district to hop on board and update their policy.

A lot of my work moving forward will be reaching out as a resource to districts, educating them on the new policy requirements and offering our resources to help. The 24/7 Campaign offers free signage, free toolkits, and direct help with policy language.

If we keep nicotine products out of schools, we have one less place where students will be pressured or tempted to start forming a lifelong addiction. Students spend so much of their time at school, and we can help make their environments more safe and healthy, one district at a time. Reach out to me at sam@247newmexico.com for help making your school environment nicotine-free!

References

Center for Disease Control (n.d.) Youth and Tobacco Use. Retrieved August 2, 2024 https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm#:~:text=Tobacco%20product%20use%20is%20started%20and%20established%20primarily%20during%20adolescence.&text=Nearly%209%20out%20of%2010,them%20more%20appealing%20to%20youth.

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