My name is Hannah Dixon and I am a junior at Portales High School. I have been working with Evolvement for 3 years now trying to create tobacco-free schools 24-7. Tobacco-free schools aren’t truly tobacco-free unless the policy applies to everyone at all times. Students are not allowed to have any type of tobacco on … Read More
Hello, my name is Rio Romero and I am a senior at Los Lunas High School. This is my 4th year being apart of Evolvement and my 3rd year on the Leadership Team. One of the campaigns we work on is 24/7. 24/7’s main goal is to get schools and school districts across New … Read More
My name is Katie Webb, and I am a Senior at Portales High School as well as an advocate for tobacco-free schools and the 24/7 campaign through Evolvement. This is my second year in Evolvement, but my first on the Leadership Team. I have participated in so many 24/7 events and have met personally with … Read More
Tags: policy change, tobacco, youth activism
My name is Shaylee Seright. I am a student at Portales High School, and a youth advocate for 24/7. 24/7 is an Evolvement campaign that helps stop the use of tobacco products in school. For a school to be tobacco free 24/7, no one including students, staff, or visitors are allowed to use tobacco products … Read More
Hi, my name is Billy Haskey. I’m a freshman at Newcomb High School and earlier this year I joined Evolvement with No Minor Sale and 24/7. Evolvement is a program in which we talk about the danger of tobacco in our youth and our goal is keeping tobacco away from schools. Evolvement is an effort … Read More
Greetings, my name is Maxamillion. I attend Grants High School and I have been in Evolvement for 1 year. 24/7 works to achieve a tobacco free school in all aspects, whether it be possession, use or distribution. Throughout my year with 24/7, I hosted events for various occasions in my school cafeteria with other 24/7 … Read More
My name is Kyana, I am in 10th grade. I go to Rio Rancho High School. I have been in Evolvement for almost a year now. With the 24/7 campaign, we advocate for tobacco free schools 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This means no tobacco use for students, staff, and visitors. Most … Read More
Tags: Youth Perspective
I am Payton Binion and I am an upcoming junior at Cuba High School. I have been in Evolvement for just under a year, along with the leadership team. 24/7 is a campaign within Evolvement that advocates for 100% tobacco free schools. Currently, there are only 16 school districts that have adapted the 100% comprehensive … Read More
My name is Kat, I am a senior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School and this is my third year in Evolvement. 24/7 is a campaign through Evolvement that works to keep New Mexico schools tobacco-free 7 days a week. Now that my brother is entering High school, this cause is even more important … Read More
By Kris M. Greetings, fellow New Mexicans! I’m Kris, a senior at Gadsden High School, and I am a 3rd-year Evolvement member. Through Evolvement, I am able to work with the 24/7 campaign, which helps school districts adopt, implement, and enforce comprehensive tobacco-free policies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One of the … Read More
Hello, my name is Lauren and I’m a Senior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. This is my 4th year in 24/7. 24/7 is a program that is working on making all New Mexico schools 100% tobacco free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The reason I’m writing this post is because … Read More
Changing your school district’s tobacco policy may seem daunting, but 24/7 is here to provide the tools and resources to make this journey easier, offering support at every turn. Read below to learn more about the road map to achieving 100% tobacco-free school environments in your district. First, assess your district’s current status. You can … Read More
By Adrianna Casaus, 2022 Youth Advocate of the Year Award Winner I have been involved in tobacco control for 4 years. I got involved in the fight against tobacco in 2018, my freshman year of high school. I remember the first time I saw a vape, and I also remember them becoming exponentially popular. People … Read More
My name is Genoveva Gallegos. I am from Tucumcari, New Mexico and I am a senior at Pecos Cyber Academy. I would like to share about my experience with Take Down Tobacco Day. Take Down Tobacco Day is a day where myself, and other Evolvement members, held a special event, filled with games and activities. … Read More
Hi, my name is Shandiin W. I am in 10th Grade, I attend Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, NM, and I have been a part of Evolvement for three years now and two years on the Evolvement leadership team. 24/7 deals with helping schools become completely 100% tobacco free. It is important for schools in … Read More
Continue honoring and empowering Black students and staff members beyond February… It is 24/7’s wish to help all school campuses be safer and more supportive of our students and faculty members of color, and we believe tobacco prevention and control is a crucial area to make a lasting difference. Did you know that “African Americans bear the … Read More
Hello, my name is Katie W. and I am currently a Junior at Portales High School. This is my first year in Evolvement, but I have been very busy and involved this year. So far I have led an event at a play in my school’s auditorium, spoke at a school board meeting, and completed … Read More
Hi! I’m Ayanna M. and I am currently a sophomore at Capital High School in Santa Fe, NM. This is my first year with Evolvement and being able to take part in making a change in my community. Evolvement works with two campaigns, one of which is 24/7. The 24/7 campaign works towards the progress … Read More
My name is Emilia C. I am a senior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. I have been in Evolvement during all four years of high school, and this is my second year on the leadership team. During my time in Evolvement I have learned how essential it is for schools to be tobacco-free. … Read More
Hi! I am Rabiya K. and I am currently a senior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. This is my second year working with Evolvement and my first year on the Leadership Team, and I have mostly worked with the 24/7 campaign. 24/7 works to make schools and districts across New Mexico 100% tobacco-free, … Read More
Hello! My name is Jazelle, and I’m currently a Junior at Los Lunas High School, and this is my first year being part of the Evolvement leadership team. Evolvement is divided into two campaigns 24/7 and No Minor Sale. 24/7 helps prevent tobacco use, possession and distribution within school grounds and property with our 100% … Read More
Hello, my fellow New Mexicans! My name is Kris M. and I’m currently a junior at Gadsden High School located in Anthony, New Mexico. This is my second year in Evolvement and my first year as part of their leadership team. Evolvement works with two campaigns, one of which is 24/7. The 24/7 campaign works … Read More
Hi! My name is Lauren T., and I’m a Junior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. This will be my 3rd year in Evolvement and my 2nd on the Leadership Team. Just as the title suggests, discreetly of course, I’m going to share about my experiences with school board meetings for 24/7. During my … Read More
The new policy will go into effect for the 2021/2022 school year for students, staff and visitors MCKINLEY COUNTY – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign recognize the Gallup McKinley County Schools’ Board of Education for their recent vote on June 14 to … Read More
EPS becomes the first in Rio Arriba County to adopt stronger standards RIO ARRIBA COUNTY – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign, in collaboration with the American Heart Association, recognize the Española Public School’s Board of Education for their recent vote on June … Read More
My name is Ellianna M., and I am an upcoming junior at Mora High School. During the beginning of my sophomore year, I unknowingly made one of the best decisions in my life. It was a commitment to help stop the sale and prevent further use of tobacco products by minors. Being an activist with … Read More
Tags: Success Story, Youth Perspective
Hello, I am Adrianna C. I am a junior at Cuba High School. I have been in Evolvement since my freshman year. I was chosen to be on the ENM Leadership team twice, and for that I am grateful. As an Evolvement leader, I have changed policies and worked to make my school a safer … Read More
Hi! I’m Violet R., a member of Gadsden High School’s Evolvement chapter. This is my third year in Evolvement, and, although I am not an ENMLT member, I hope to be next year for my final year as I am currently a junior in high school. I have participated in many of Evolvement’s events for … Read More
20 Chaves County schools to benefit from improved campus guidelines CHAVES COUNTY – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign recognize the Roswell Independent School District’s board for their recent vote on January 12, 2021 to adopt a comprehensive, tobacco-free school policy. The vote … Read More
MISD School Board partners with local youth in the fight against teen nicotine addiction MORA COUNTY – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign recognize the Mora Independent School District’s board for their recent vote on February 16, 2021 to adopt a comprehensive, tobacco-free … Read More
Hello to all the fantastic readers of this blog. My name is Andres U., and I am currently a sophomore this year at Arrowhead Park Early College High School. This is my second year working with Evolvement, and I truly feel all the benefits of it. I was so happy when I was given the … Read More
The district joins Farmington in their commitment to improve student health and safety SAN JUAN COUNTY – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program (TUPAC) and the 24/7 campaign recognize the Bloomfield School District’s board for their recent vote on January 12, 2021 to adopt a comprehensive, tobacco-free school … Read More
For the past couple of months, the 24/7 campaign manager, another student advocate from Evolvement named Brittany and I have been working profusely with the Mora Independent School District to adopt 24/7’s policies that help keep campuses tobacco-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At last, on February 16th at the monthly board … Read More
Hello, my name is Brittany Romero. I live in Mora, New Mexico. I am a sophomore at Mora High School. This is my first year in Evolvement. This year has been a bad time for many people, but I distracted myself with Evolvement and giving back to my community. One thing I learned during this … Read More
Hello, my name is Joseph V.! I am in the eleventh grade at Pecos Connections Academy, and this is my first year in Evolvement! I’m here to talk to you today about the importance of a tobacco-free school! You might be asking, “Why is it important that schools go tobacco-free?” Well, the first thing that … Read More
Hello, my name is Thomas S. and I’m a 9th grader at Arrowhead Park. This is my first year in Evolvement and hopefully the start of more to come. I got into Evolvement because I believed in the cause – many minors like myself are smoking, and it’s hard seeing teens like me ruining their … Read More
Tags: Youth Perspective
Hello, my name is Aracely, and I am a senior at Valencia High School in Los Lunas. I have been in Evolvement for two years, and this is my first year on the leadership team. I have made so many important connections to people around the state while discussing youth tobacco use. As a student … Read More
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
