The New Mexico Department of Health announced on May 29 that while cigarette smoking among adults in the state has declined to its lowest rate in years, vaping is becoming more common. The department said this shift represents a new public health challenge as people move from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes.
According to data from the New Mexico Department of Health, the percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes dropped from 15% in 2022 to 11.7% in 2024. In contrast, adult use of e-cigarettes increased from 7.3% to 8.2% during the same period.
Anthony Garcia, Director of NMDOH’s Nicotine Use Prevention and Control office, said, “New Mexicans have made progress quitting smoking, but it remains a significant public health problem. More people are vaping, especially youth, because it’s sold as a safer choice to cigarettes, but e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer along with brain, cardiovascular, and respiratory harm.”
Tobacco use continues to have serious consequences for residents’ health. The department reports that tobacco kills approximately 2,600 New Mexicans each year and is responsible for nearly 24% of cancer deaths in the state.
There are signs of improvement among younger populations: high school cigarette smoking fell from 8.3% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2023; high school e-cigarette use dropped from 33.4% to 18.8%; and middle school e-cigarette use decreased from 15.1% in 2019 to a record low of 10.4% in 2023.
The department encourages all New Mexicans who use any form of nicotine—including vaping—to seek free help quitting through resources such as QuitNowNM.org or DejeloYaNM.org and phone hotlines available statewide.
