SENATE MEMORIAL 63

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Joseph Cervantes

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNING BODIES OF EVERY PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN NEW MEXICO TO IMPLEMENT A TOBACCO-FREE CAMPUS POLICY.

     WHEREAS, the federal centers for disease control and prevention report that cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for approximately four hundred forty-three thousand deaths, or one out of every five deaths, in the United States each year; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health reports that nearly one-fourth of New Mexico high school students smoke, a rate significantly higher than the national rate for this age group; and

     WHEREAS, approximately twelve percent of New Mexico's youth chew tobacco or use snuff, which is also higher than the national rate of eight and nine-tenths percent; and

     WHEREAS, the department of health also reports that nearly one-fourth of young adults in New Mexico between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four smoke; and

     WHEREAS, since most smokers began smoking before the age of eighteen, policies that create smoke-free environments have been shown to decrease youth smoking; and

     WHEREAS, according to the American lung association, two hundred ninety colleges and universities prohibit smoking and all forms of tobacco use everywhere on their campuses; and

     WHEREAS, effective August 1, 2009, the board of regents of the university of New Mexico adopted a policy to prohibit the use of tobacco products on all university property except in a small number of designated smoking areas; and

     WHEREAS, according to the American lung association, no other public post-secondary educational institutions in New Mexico have adopted tobacco-free campus policies;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governing bodies of each public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico join the university of New Mexico and be requested to adopt a tobacco-free campus policy, effective July 1, 2013; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any governing body of a public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico that does not have a tobacco-free campus policy in place effective July 1, 2013 be requested to report the reasons for the lack of such policy to the legislative health and human services committee and the tobacco settlement revenue oversight committee by July 1, 2013; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the presidents and the governing bodies of each public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico, except for the university of New Mexico.

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