• Youth cigarette smoking is at a historic low in New Mexico (11.4%), comparable to the national youth smoking rate (10.8%).
• Reducing smoking among youth is important because it is the leading cause of preventable death, and 90% of adult smokers start before age 18.
• The total number of youth trained in FY17 was 356, and the target for FY18 is 350 youth.
• Progress in Q2 included training 208 youth in nine high schools, more than half of the target of 350 youth trained for the fiscal year.
  
• An additional 12 youth were trained in Evolvement in Q3, lower than the initially projected of 75 for this quarter. However, Q2’s extra training activity increases the total for FY18 so far to 220 youth trained (FY18 target=350). Q3 activities primarily focused on special events where previously trained youth used their skills to present at several Days at the Capitol (American Cancer Society Day and New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco Day) and nine statewide Kick Butts Day events in March.
• Due to challenges in recruiting additional schools to participate in Evolvement in FY18, Q4 activities will focus on providing more targeted types of in-depth training to selected youth around the state. Trainings will focus on meeting the increased demand from school districts in pursuing tobacco-free policies, whereby Evolvement youth from those schools would educate peers, school staff, and school boards. In-depth trainings will also take place with Evolvement youth leadership team to build their skills in educating policy makers. Q4 efforts will also include early recruitment of schools for Evolvement participation in FY19.

• Rescue (The Behavior Change Agency)
• New Mexico School Districts
• New Mexico Public Education Department
• Community-based Organizations
• New Mexico Department of Health – Health promotion teams

The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends the following interventions to reduce adolescent smoking:

• Increasing the unit price of tobacco products.
• Mass media campaigns in combination with other interventions (e.g., youth engagement).
• Smoking bans and restrictions.
• Restricting minors' access to tobacco products through community mobilization with additional interventions.

• The program will implement a statewide youth engagement strategy (Evolvement), in combination with specific tobacco counter-marketing campaigns targeting high school youth.
• Youth leaders statewide will be trained on tobacco control efforts, develop tobacco control projects within their schools and communities, and assist in the development of culturally-appropriate campaigns that will reach their peers.

• Q1: Plan and recruit schools and youth into the Evolvement youth engagement program. Completed.
• Q2: Training 75 youth leaders. 208 youth trained. Exceeded.
• Q3: Training 75 youth leaders. Completed. 12 youth trained. Complete. Q3 target was 75, but year-to-date is now 220 for FY18.
• Q4: Train 150 youth leaders.