• About one in six New Mexico adults smokes cigarettes and about two-thirds of them made a quit attempt in the past year; however, most people who try to quit smoking try to quit on their own.
• Historically, about 2.5% of adult smokers in New Mexico will get help through QUIT NOW cessation services. It is important to make quitting support services available to smokers since they can double or triple their chances of quitting versus ‘cold-turkey.’ Benefits such as free nicotine medications and quit coaching significantly increase the chances of quitting for good.
• An estimated 2,269 adult tobacco users enrolled in QUIT NOW or DEJELO YA (Spanish) tobacco cessation services in FY18 Q4, bringing the FY18 cumulative total to an estimated 7,350.  Through Q4, 2.8% of adult smokers in the state accessed cessation services, exceeding the FY18 target of 2.5%.
• Progress in Q4 was achieved through expanded TV promotion of QUIT NOW and DEJELO YA (Spanish-language) tobacco cessation services. In Q4, NMDOH-funded promotional efforts were complemented by Tips from Former Smokers, which is a national-reach campaign run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Promotion efforts through TV, web, health care provider outreach, Spanish-language TV, publications, and niche marketing to specific populations will continue in FY19. Promotional efforts will also be updated to reflect availability of new self-selected cessation service options (à la carte) that began in March 2018.

• Optum Health (tobacco cessation services provider)
• Media Matched (media contractor)
• Tobacco Use Prevention and Control (TUPAC) Evaluation Team
• TUPAC statewide contractors
• Health care providers
• Federally-Qualified Health Centers and other clinics

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

• Increasing the unit price of tobacco products.
• Mass media campaigns when combined with with other interventions.
• Multi-component cessation interventions that include telephone support.
• Health care provider reminder systems for tobacco cessation.
• Reducing client out-of-pocket costs for cessation therapies.
• Smoke-free policies to reduce tobacco use.

• Develop and implement a Health Systems Change Training and Outreach Program for Tobacco Use with New Mexico Community Health Centers (CHCs) to increase CHCs’ and their providers’ ability to consistently identify tobacco users.
• Advise tobacco users to quit and refer those ready to make a quit attempt to appropriate treatment resources.
• Mass media campaign targeting populations with higher rates of smoking to promote cessation services.

FY18 Milestones (cumulative): FY18 Target = 2.5%

• Q1: 0.6% of NM adult cigarette smokers accessing services. Met and exceeded - 0.7%.
• Q2: 1.2% of NM adult cigarette smokers accessing services. Met and exceeded - 1.4%.
• Q3: 1.8% of NM adult cigarette smokers accessing services. Met and exceeded - 1.9%.
• Q4: 2.5% of NM adult cigarette smokers accessing services. Met and exceeded - 2.8%.

NMDOH’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program successfully reached 2.8% of adult smokers through its QUIT NOW and DEJELO YA tobacco cessation services in FY18, better than the annual target of 2.5%. Although cigarette smoking continues to decline in the state, there are still over 260,000 adult cigarette smokers. Of the remaining smokers, about 2 in 3 have attempted to quit in the past year and 8 in 10 say that they plan on quitting in the next 6 months.  The strong interest in smoking cessation among remaining smokers points to a continued need and opportunity to reach and serve additional people through QUIT NOW and DEJELO YA. Activities in FY18 included consistent availability of cessation services through the entire fiscal year, mass media and targeted media to promote use of the services, training of health care providers, and the ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and tailoring of services. NMDOH Tobacco Cessation Services include quit coaching/counseling, free nicotine medications, phone- and web-based support, as well as services in Spanish.