Representatives from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the New Mexico Department of Health updated the Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee on e‑cigarette marketing, youth vaping prevalence and state prevention and cessation efforts.

Linda Siegel of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network told the committee that a Truth Initiative analysis and industry marketing data show heavy advertising pressure: nearly $22,500,000 per day nationally on tobacco product marketing in 2019, with $860,000,000 spent on e‑cigarette promotion in 2021. Siegel said New Mexico still spends far less on prevention than the tobacco industry spends on marketing.

Nut graf: Committee members heard that youth vaping remains the dominant form of nicotine use among New Mexico students, the state will receive phased payments from a JUUL settlement that require legislative appropriation, and the Department of Health is using settlement and remaining federal funds to relaunch media campaigns and expand quitline and school‑based programs.

Mahesh Sita of the American Heart Association told the committee that JUUL settlement proceeds — a multi‑year payment stream — are being routed to the Department of Health (DOH) and urged lawmakers to appropriate the funds annually to a tobacco prevention account (NUPAC). He noted the state has already received a first allotment of settlement funds that are being allocated to NUPAC; the settlement agreement narrows allowable uses and the legislature must appropriate those dollars in House Bill 2 language.

The Department of Health’s NUPAC team described a relaunch of outreach and cessation services. Josh Swiatek, policy and performance director, and Anthony Garcia, NUPAC director, said the new team has rebuilt staffing and contractor relationships, rebranded outreach and launched two media campaign waves promoting 1‑800‑QUITNOW and a youth‑focused LiveVapeFree program. Garcia summarized the NUPAC mission: “to improve lives by eliminating the harm from tobacco use and nicotine addiction,” and emphasized equity and research components that will guide the program.

DOH presenters reported FY25 metrics and program changes: 5,346 calls to the quitline and 2,580 enrollments in cessation services in FY25; an increase in quitline enrollments of about 22.5% during the recent media push compared with the prior 12 weeks; expanded nicotine replacement therapy to 12 weeks of combination therapy; and a new arrangement under which all Medicaid managed‑care plans now promote and support the state quitline rather than offering disparate programs. The DOH said it has FY26 tobacco settlement funding of $5,435,000 from the Tobacco Settlement Program Fund and is supplementing work with JUUL settlement dollars and leftover CDC no‑cost extension funds.

Committee members asked for comparisons, data and enforcement help. Representative Liz Thompson and Senator Linda Lopez said parents and schools are seeing vaping in middle schools and urged increased prevention and enforcement. DOH said it will conduct New Mexico‑specific youth surveys and focus groups in FY26 in partnership with UNM and the Office of School and Adolescent Health; DOH also plans to work with school‑based health clinics on cessation and alternatives to suspension.

Ending: Department officials requested continued legislative appropriation of settlement funds for prevention and cessation, and committee members signaled support for continued oversight and possible future funding requests.