New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2013 Survey Results Report: Tobacco Use and Related Behaviors

Te negative effects of tobacco use are well documented: cigarette smoking has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The earlier a person initiates smoking, the greater their risk for long-term health problems and nicotine addiction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 5 high school students currently uses some form of tobacco. NM-YRRS measures tobacco use, attitudes, and behaviors among New Mexico students in grades 6–12

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2013 Survey Results Report: Mental Health and Related Behaviors

Mental health is an integral part of student well-being. It is essential to youth for maintaining healthy relationships, supporting academic achievement, and living full and productive lives. NM youth 10–19 years of age experience a higher rate of death by suicide than those in the US (9.8 vs. 4.8 deaths per 100,000 population). The 2013 Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey (YRRS) questionnaire included three questions in the middle school survey and four questions in the high school survey about suicide ideation and attempts. The high school survey also included a question about feelings of sadness or hopelessness (a risk factor for depression) and a question about non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Tobacco Use and Related Behaviors

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease in the US. Tobacco use and nicotine addiction typically begin during adolescence and young adulthood, and nicotine exposure during adolescence can lead to addiction, may harm brain development, and could lead to sustained tobacco use among youths. The New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey includes questions about tobacco use and other risk behaviors as well as protective (resiliency) factors that can help reduce these risk behaviors

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Housing Instability and Health

In 2015, for the first time, the NM-YRRS questionnaire included a question on homelessness, or housing status. The question mirrored the homelessness definition of the McKinney-Vento Act, which is used by the New Mexico Public Education Department to identify homeless students. For the purposes of this report, students identified as homeless will be referred to as students in unstable housing. Students living in unstable housing were at significantly increased risk for facing violence, using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, suicidal behaviors and other mental health issues and other serious challenges

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Mental Health and Related Behaviors.

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Mental Health and Related Behaviors. Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, School and Family Support Bureau, New Mexico Public Education Department, and the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Drug Use and Related Behaviors.

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Drug Use and Related Behaviors. Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, School and Family Support Bureau, New Mexico Public Education Department, and the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2015 Survey Results Report: Alcohol Use and Related Behaviors.

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug by youth in the United States. Youth who drink alcohol before age 15 are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at age 21 or older. Binge drinking (5 or more drinks on a single occasion) accounts for about 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth 12–20 years of age in the United States. The New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey (NM-YRRS) includes questions about alcohol use, access, attitudes, and behaviors as well as protective (resiliency) factors that can help reduce these risky behaviors

New Mexico Youth Risk & Resiliency 2013 Survey Results Report: Alcohol Use and Related Behaviors

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more so than tobacco or illicit drugs. Youth who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or afer age 21 years. Binge drinking accounts for about 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States. The NM-YRRS includes questions about alcohol use, access, attitudes and behaviors

CO line ratios in molecular clouds: the impact of environment

Line emission is strongly dependent on the local environmental conditions in which the emitting tracers reside. In this work, we focus on modelling the CO emission from simulated giant molecular clouds (GMCs), and study the variations in the resulting line ratios arising from the emission from the J = 1–0, J = 2–1, and J = 3–2 transitions. We perform a set of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with time-dependent chemistry, in which environmental conditions – including total cloud mass, density, size, velocity dispersion, metallicity, interstellar radiation field (ISRF), and the cosmic ray ionization rate (CRIR) – were systematically varied. The simulations were then post-processed using radiative transfer to produce synthetic emission maps in the three transitions quoted above. We find that the cloud-averaged values of the line ratios can vary by up to ±0.3 dex, triggered by changes in the environmental conditions. Changes in the ISRF and/or in the CRIR have the largest impact on line ratios since they directly affect the abundance, temperature, and distribution of CO-rich gas within the clouds. We show that the standard methods used to convert CO emission to H2 column density can underestimate the total H2 molecular gas in GMCs by factors of 2 or 3, depending on the environmental conditions in the clouds