Educational Materials

Dr. David H. Jernigan's overview emphasizes that alcohol is linked to over 200 diseases and causes approximately 2.6 million deaths each year. The data reveal that while alcohol-related harms are greatest in higher-income areas, the effects per liter consumed are most severe in lower-income communities, highlighting the need for effective public health strategies.

Sindy Bolaños-Sacoman, Owner & CEO of SBS Evaluation & Program Development Specialists, emphasizes the urgent need to reignite community conversations about alcohol-related harms, highlighting that alcohol causes more deaths in the U.S. than opioids. She advocates for equity in alcohol policy research and discussion.

New Mexico has had the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths of all U.S. states since 1997, and has ranked 1st,
2nd, or 3rd since 1981. Harms from alcohol cost our state billions every year, cut lives short and exacerbate health disparities... Increasing the price of alcohol is one of the most impactful public health policies around alcohol, yet alcohol taxes in the state haven’t been raised since 1993

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This infographic from Change Lab Solutions describes some considerations to take into account when implementing alcohol taxes as a public health strategy.

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Excessive drinking cost the nation almost $250 billion in 2010. Two of every $5 of the total cost was paid by government, and three quarters of the costs were due to binge drinking. Several evidence-based strategies can help reduce excessive drinking and related costs including increasing alcohol excise taxes...

A report by the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee Program Evaluation Unit describes how the state continues to struggle to leverage data in a timely way to better estimate SUD needs and treatment utilization. They emphasize that New Mexico risks duplicating or under-leveraging available resources without coordination. ​

Dr. David H. Jernigan's analysis shows that excessive alcohol consumption costs New Mexico about $2.2 billion each year, with taxpayers shouldering nearly 41% of the burden. Increasing alcohol taxes has proven effective in reducing consumption and related harms, as demonstrated by success in states like Maryland and Alaska.

Ireland and Australian states, brought in minimum unit pricing, and today the policy saves lives and reduces consumption and hospital admissions. After Scotland introduced a minimum unit price, the biggest reduction in alcohol related deaths was seen among the most deprived groups.

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Although times have changed, New Mexico is still under the influence of the liquor industry. This report examines the changing shape of the alcohol industry’s influence on lawmakers and statewide officials in New Mexico, including a look at major players in the industry, lobbyists, political action committees and industry allies. 

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This whitepaper by Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority examines some of the known impacts of alcohol misuse, and how one “policy lever” – increasing taxation of alcohol – has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption and have positive impacts on other social, public health, and economic indicators.

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Population-aggregate analyses based on 194 state-year strata showed a positive correlation between state adult binge drinking and youth binge drinking. Taxes were strongly inversely related with adult and youth drinking measures, and the effect of tax on youth drinking was attenuated after controlling for adult binge drinking.

Lindsay Smith Rogers talks with researchers from the JH Center for Gun Violence Solutions. They discuss how alcohol use and gun violence are leading causes of preventable injury and death in the U.S., and the issues are most deadly when they intersect...few policy attempts have been made to address this intersection.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) describes the damage to our communities (statewide & McKinley County) caused by excessive alcohol use. NMDOH lists some specific ways to these reduce alcohol-related harms: increasing alcohol taxes, regulating outlet density, increasing alcohol screening and brief intervention, limiting the days and hours alcohol sales occur.​​​​

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a large school-based survey carried out every four years in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe used to gain new insights into adolescent health and well-being and inform policy and practice to improve young people’s lives.

The proposal to increase alcohol excise tax and impose a 12% alcohol sales tax aims to reduce alcohol consumption by 5-10%, address health disparities exacerbated by alcohol-related harms, and generate $200-250 million annually for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, prioritizing support for disproportionately affected communities.

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The information provided in this document
addresses one of the leading causes of early death for New Mexicans – the misuse of substances including alcohol and drugs.
This report aims to provide an overview of
substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services currently available across the state and by county for individuals, families, and communities.

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A study by Guindon et al. showed overwhelming evidence that higher alcohol prices and taxes were associated with lower total alcohol consumption and that price responsiveness varied by beverage type. Total own-price elasticities of alcohol demand were consistently negative and substantial enough to be policy meaningful...

This document is a tool for substance use prevention planners at the state,county, and community level. Its primary purpose is to support efforts related to the Statewide Epidemiological and Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW). The necessity for this report arises from the fact that ll of the ten leading causes of death in New Mexico are at least partially attributable to the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.