My name is Genoveva G. I am a junior at Pecos Connections Academy, and I am from Tucumcari, New Mexico. I have been supporting the 24/7 campaign for about three years through the student organization Evolvement. Today, I am going to share with you my personal experience recording a virtual school board meeting. Because of … Read More
Hello! My name is Lauren T. and I am a sophomore at Arrowhead Park Medical Academy in Las Cruces, NM. I’ve been a part of Evolvement for two years and a member of the Evolvement Leadership Team for one year. I’m here to write about my recent experience in hosting principal meetings. We meet with … Read More
The #2 public high school in New Mexico leads the charter example for prioritizing campus health ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Department of Health’s (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign recognize the Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School’s board of education for their recent vote to adopt a comprehensive, tobacco-free school … Read More
My name is Dounyai W., I’m a junior at V. Sue Cleveland High School. I have been in Evolvement for 1 year and this is my first year to do ENMLT. It is important for schools to go tobacco free so that they can support and promote a healthy lifestyle for staff and students. If … Read More
A new schoolyear is coming up, and every school district has a different strategy for going back to school. Even though these are uncertain times, tobacco should never be something to turn to for relief, and 24/7 wants to equip YOU to do your part in helping your students avoid addiction. We know that 1 … Read More
My name is Adrianna C. I am a sophomore at Cuba High School. I have been in Evolvement for two years and a member of the Leadership Team for one year. Tobacco, in my opinion, is a very dangerous substance that is currently consuming the lives of young people. 24/7 is a campaign I support … Read More
Hello, my name is Loree F., and I am a sophomore at Aztec High School. This is my second year in Evolvement, and soon I will also be a volunteer firefighter here in San Juan county. It’s my passion to keep people healthy and safe, and that’s why I felt the need to address the … Read More
In a recent blog, we discussed the widespread prevalence and addiction of tobacco, along with the dangerous health consequences associated with prolonged use. 24/7 works every day to fight the influence of tobacco in New Mexico schools by helping districts adopt, implement and enforce comprehensive tobacco-free policies. In fact, part of our model policy dictates … Read More
By: Emilia Coombs My name is Emilia C. I am a sophomore at Arrowhead Park Early College High School and have been in Evolvement for two years. I joined Evolvement with the goal of learning leadership and communication skills while pursuing the great cause of promoting a tobacco-free New Mexico. This week alone, I was … Read More
Is tobacco still a problem in 2020? There are a lot of dangerous substances and addictions in the world today, many emerging in popularity for the first time. Because of that, many people are disillusioned into thinking that old school tobacco isn’t much of a problem anymore as it was a few decades ago. After … Read More
My name is Aaliyah Barragan. I am a junior at Silver High School, and I’ve been in Evolvement for about four months. On January 28, 2020 I had my very first principal meeting. I was so nervous that I had butterflies! I video-chatted with the campaign manager to prepare for the meeting, and she was … Read More
My name is Cali, and I am a sophomore at Portales High School. This is my second year in Evolvement, and my first on the Leadership Team. When it comes to the role of policy, I believe that it can build plans of action for how we deal with issues. In order to maintain a … Read More
Hi, my name is Allyssa Wright and I am involved in Evolvement at Arrowhead Park Medical Academy in Las Cruces, NM. As an Evolvement advocate there has been many opportunities for me to speak to the press, to other students and even to school board members. Kick Butts Day is a day of action across … Read More
Hello, my name is Aileen, I am in the 11th grade at V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. I am active member of the Evolvement New Mexico Leadership Team. Evolvement is a youth engagement movement working on making a healthier New Mexico. This is my second year working with the 24/7 … Read More
Ya’at’eeh! My name is Sky Harper and I am a Junior at Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, New Mexico. This is my third year in Evolvement, but my first year on the Evolvement Leadership Team. I recently conducted a meeting with my principal pertaining to statistics tobacco about tobacco use and tobacco policy awareness in … Read More
Hello, my name is A’Leaya and I am a sophomore at Tucumcari High School. I am a member of Evolvement and have participated in several events in my school and community. On March 21, I participated in Kick Butts Day, a national day of action, by hosting a 24/7 campaign event. It felt great being … Read More
The momentum continues! On February 15th, Central Consolidated Schools became the third district in New Mexico to adopt a 100% comprehensive tobacco-free policy, followed by Las Cruces Public School District on February 20th! Thank you to the districts, the school boards, and Evolvement youth Thomas Hosteen, and Chriss and Allyssa Wright, for coming together to ensure the healthiest … Read More
On January 23, Pecos Independent School District became the SECOND district in New Mexico to adopt a 100% comprehensive tobacco-free policy, as recognized by the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) and 24/7. “We are thrilled that Pecos has prioritized the health of students, staff, and visitors to their school by adopting this 100% tobacco-free policy,” says … Read More
Written By: Kevin Pulido, 15 – Roswell High School Hello my name is Kevin Pulido, I am in the 10th grade at Roswell High School. I am an active member with Evolvement New Mexico, a youth led movement promoting a healthier New Mexico. I have been working with the 24/7 campaign for the past … Read More
Last year two students from Roswell High School, Kevin Pulido, 15, and Adrian Rodriguez, 15, approached the local school board to ask them to update the district’s tobacco policy. On December 12th the Roswell Independent School District’s (RISD) School Board voted to adopt the first comprehensive tobacco-free school policy in the state. “We are happy … Read More
The 24/7 campaign is here to be a partner and resource to schools across New Mexico, and that doesn’t stop with free resources like our signs and toolkit. We also want to help you increase compliance with and enforcement of your policy, and having us do a faculty training is a great way to do … Read More
If you’re in a district that needs a few updates made to your tobacco policy, how can you make sure you end up with a comprehensive policy? Here are 5 easy steps to reach this goal (all the resources mentioned can be found on our resources page): Step 1: Contact us here and let us know … Read More
Enforcement of school tobacco-free policies makes a positive impact on reducing youth initiation of tobacco use. The success of policy compliance depends on a number of factors, including understanding cultural and situational differences among students. This is especially important in those most likely to use tobacco products. Providing support to students and staff who are … Read More
My name is Kevin Pulido and I’m a sophomore at Roswell High School. Since I joined Evolvement a year ago, I have been working on the 24/7 campaign to help make my school and all New Mexico schools truly tobacco-free. Throughout the year, I have participated in 24/7 events at my school, met with … Read More
Schools are places where students learn inside and outside the classroom – that’s why it’s important to send the right message about tobacco: it is not part of a bright, healthy, and educated future. Allowing tobacco in schools can lead to a number of other negative behaviors, including: Smoking marijuana Binge drinking Fighting on school … Read More
When implementing a tobacco policy at school, communication is key in establishing a truly tobacco-free school environment. Taking the necessary steps to generate awareness increases the likelihood that everyone within the school community will follow the policy. It also makes it easier for staff on the ground to enforce it. If you’d like assistance in … Read More
For a tobacco policy to be comprehensive, the discipline plan must be specific and progressive. Many policies focus on suspension as a form of disciplinary action, however, progressive discipline plans start with supportive actions. Supportive actions include educational opportunities, counseling, and student-parent conferences. As a progressive policy, we recommend only recommend suspension be utilized after … Read More
Promoting a tobacco-free school environment can be challenging. Fortunately, 24/7 is able to provide schools with useful tools to help create a truly tobacco-free school environment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One of the resources available to schools is the New Mexico Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit. The toolkit equips school staff and administrators … Read More
Effective communication plays a key role in successful policy implementation. All New Mexico schools have tobacco policies in place and no matter where you are on the road to becoming a district with a truly comprehensive policy, 24/7 is here to help reinforce these tobacco-free school environments at no cost. One great resource 24/7 offers … Read More
When updating your tobacco-free policy, it’s important to include all tobacco products. Unfortunately, with all the new and emerging tobacco trends quickly catching on in popularity, it can be difficult to ensure all products are captured. Here is an easy way to include all tobacco products in your policy: Tobacco E-cigarettes Liquid nicotine containers Specifically listing … Read More
Tags: Youth Perspective
My name is Destiny Zukevich, and I’m a senior and Tucumcari High School. I have been an Evolvement member for one year, and throughout that time I’ve worked on Evolvement’s Clear The Haze campaign, attended events, joined the Evolvement Leadership Team, and most recently began working on Evolvement’s 24/7 campaign. The 24/7 campaign works to … Read More
Tags: Campaign Updates
In December 2015, the State of New Mexico revised the 6.12.4 NMAC Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Free School Districts rule to require all public schools to prohibit the use, possession, and distribution of all tobacco products on school premises. This is a huge step forward in creating truly tobacco-free schools in New Mexico. But what … Read More
