First Cibola County Health Council meeting since 2019
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – More than a dozen community members, who represent various entities, participated in the Cibola County Health Council meeting. The session relied on YouTube to allow people from across the county to join the conversation.
Laura Jaramillo, who had served as Future Foundations Family Center director for more than a decade, facilitated the onehour meeting on March 18. She provided an overview of the Council’s role in the community and highlighted its previous accomplishments. Jaramillo acknowledged that the Council’s responsibilities include assessing needs, planning response strategies, and coordinating with various entities to mobilize community efforts in resolving critical health challenges that area residents face. Two topics, obesity and substance abuse have been past priorities.
Coordinator Michael Kelly, No Minor Sale, provided information on the statewide initiative. The New Mexico Department of Health developed the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control program, which has trained more than 4,000 students since 2010. The No Minor Sale initiative is part of this endeavor. The organization advocated for the New Mexico Tobacco Retail Licensing legislation, which passed in 2020 and came into effect January 2021.
Kelly introduced the NMS presentation which featured two Grants High School students. The GHS Evolvement members talked about No Minor Sale's transition from advocating for statewide tobacco retail licensing to educating people of all ages about the dangers youth face when confronting choices about flavored tobacco products.
Teens are three times more likely to use flavored e-cigarettes than adults, Eighty percent of all youth who use tobacco products started with flavored products, according to NMDOH data.
It is more difficult to quit menthol products said the presenters who reported that 93 percent of all Black adult users started with menthol cigarettes.
New Mexico does not have a flavored-tobacco product ban, but five other states have prohibited the sale of these items. The No Minor Sale organization supports forbidding the sale of these items in New Mexico.
Participants in last month’s Council meeting identified various concerns and described some future activities. Grants Municipal Judge Elise Larsen said that plans are underway for restarting the Teen Court program, which will begin accepting referrals from the youth parole office and Grants/Cibola County School District. Current COVID restrictions mean that Teen Court community service activities must focus on outdoor events.
Nadine Jiron, Grants Public Library director, commented that she hopes the library’s indoor courtyard could become one of the G/CCSD summer food program distribution sites. Joanne Pena, county DWI coordinator, noted the ongoing revamping of the DWI program. Partnering with Teen Court and law enforcement are the focus, according to Coordinator Pena.
Chief Steve Chavez, GPD, reported a decrease in underage vaping incidents during the pandemic. He said that reports on other criminal activities have increased. The library director responded that the lack of parental supervision while students were at home utilizing distancelearning formats makes it likely that a lot of illegal vaping activities were not reported to GPD.
Fourteen people took part in last month’s meeting including representatives from healthcare entities, Grants municipal court, state Workforce Development, Grants/Cibola County School District, directors of City of Grants departments, county DWI coordinator, NMSU-Grants county extension, and law enforcement.
March 18 was the first time that the CCHC has met since the onset of the pandemic. The Council schedules quarterly meetings explained Facilitator Jaramillo. Joaquin Jiron, Future’s director, will lead upcoming CCHC meetings. (Jaramillo served as City of Grants manager until April 12.)
“This is a great group – all working together to help our community,” said Facilitator Jaramillo at the end of the meeting.
Call 505-285-3542, Ext. 119 or 106, or email jjiron@grantsnm.gov for more information.