Thursday, April 9, 2020; Deming, NM: The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent quarantine efforts to stem the spread of the virus, have threatened the required community’s participation in the New Mexico Community Survey (NMCS), a vital statistical tool used by the Coalition Against Teen Substances (CATS).
“The New Mexico Community Survey provides the Coalition Against Teen Substances with valuable guidance on where to focus our resources to best serve the community’s needs,” said John Costilla-Gonzalez, CATS program specialist. As a subcommittee of the Luna County Health Council, CATS is composed of invested community members and service providers dedicated to reducing alcohol use among youth and prescription drug misuse in the region.
Usually, the NMCS is administered throughout Luna County, and the state, at local events during the spring, but the cancellation of all public events and gatherings has severely limited participation in the survey.
The statistics gathered from the survey determine substance abuse prevention and treatment needs in Luna County, and New Mexico as a whole. The more Luna County residents who complete the survey, the better CATS can respond to the priorities shared by residents.
The NMCS is completely anonymous, bilingual and voluntary for all residents 18 years of age or older. The survey is only offered online this year at www.tinyurl.com/NMCS2020 due to COVID-19 concerns. After completion of the survey, participants can enter to win a drawing for $100 cash card.
“By participating in the survey residents of Luna County can direct how resources are to be used in our community,” adds Costilla-Gonzalez.
Not only does NMCS findings help to define the community’s awareness and perceptions of substance misuse and abuse, they also help to define solutions. For example, based on previous NMCS results, 100 percent of Luna County survey respondents 18-20 years old reported parties as a source of their illegally-obtained alcohol.
To address the source of underage drinking, CATS has partnered with the Luna County DWI Program, and other community partners, to launch “Not in My House”, an effort to enlist parents, guardians and home owners to pledge not to serve alcohol to minors in their residence.
The survey also brings to light the unity of Luna County residents to address issues tied to prescription medications misuse and abuse.
An astounding 54 percent of Luna County survey respondents reported storing their prescription medications in a locked cabinet which keeps medications from falling into the wrong hands and being at risk for misuse and abuse.
Furthermore, 96 percent of parents surveyed did not share prescription medications with anyone to which they were not were not prescribed. These results show how seriously residents take prescription medication abuse, and their individual efforts to keep the larger community safe.
“Collecting local data like the New Mexico Community Survey is vital to the health and wellness of New Mexicans,” says Alexis Brandt, Data Specialist for the Center for Health Innovation which is the organization that oversees YSAPC efforts. “This information ensures our prevention programs continue to work towards meeting the specific needs of their community.”
COVID-19 threatens to negatively affect this important data collection because of the programs inability to target underrepresented populations such as men, elderly and Spanish-speakers. Community members are strongly encouraged to take the survey online to help support local prevention efforts.
To take the survey visit www.tinyurl.com/NMCS2020.
For more information on CATS contact John Costilla-Gonzalez at (575) 597-0038 or email: jcostilla-gonzalez@swchi.org
This news release is made available by the Coalition Against Teen Substances (CATS), a program of the Center for Health Innovation, New Mexico’s designated Public Health Institute, and funded by the New Mexico Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP).