Hello, my name is Diego Romero. I am a student at New Mexico State University and have been an adult volunteer with No Minor Sale for two years. Before No Minor Sale, I was a youth advocate on the leadership team with Evolvement for four years. No Minor Sale is a campaign working to reduce the illegal sale of nicotine products to minors. We do this through advocacy and education about how flavored nicotine products impact our community and the future of our world.

    One of the major things we are working toward is nicotine flavor restriction. Many people start using these products because they come in flavors that appeal to them. On October 28, I had the opportunity to speak with local officials at the Town of Mesilla Board of Trustees meeting to discuss this issue.

    During the meeting, I shared who we are, what we are doing, and what local elected officials can do to help us with our mission. Mesilla is a smaller town that cares deeply about its youth population, and the board members – Mayor Hernandez, Trustee Merrick, Trustee Nevarez, and Trustee Cadena – seemed to genuinely support our work. They asked whether we planned on speaking with legislators during the upcoming legislative session. We let them know that we attend Day at the Capitol every year to advocate for positive change in our state, and that we will do the same this year.

    We must continue speaking with our state legislators to encourage them to make changes and pass policies that protect youth. This is especially important to me because, as someone who has grown up around Mesilla and Las Cruces, I want my peers to have a healthy future. Our youth are the most important people we have. They are the ones who will carry forward everything we’ve learned, build on our progress, and create new ideas, innovations, and opportunities. But they can only do that if we protect them from the things that take those opportunities away.

    This town meeting is just one of many ways to get involved and help protect my community. I hope this experience encourages others to join No Minor Sale as volunteers, spread awareness, or partner with the campaign.

Hello! My name is Christeana Piancino, and I am a senior at Raton High School. This is my fourth year with Evolvement and my third year on the Leadership Team. With Evolvement, I have been working with No Minor Sale, which aims to restrict flavored vapes and tobacco products (including chew) from stores.

On the last weekend of August 2025, I helped out at our town’s annual Gate City Music Festival with my mother. On Friday, we helped a couple of people run a foam machine for the kids, and on Saturday, we sold Raton-opoly games (“Monopoly,” but based on our town of Raton, New Mexico). I was doing this for National Honor Society hours, and I also wanted a booth for No Minor Sale since most of the town would be there. I wasn’t feeling the best that weekend, but was still determined to get at least a couple of support cards. After this experience, I feel more confident about helping get vapes out of my school, and educating people I don’t know.

At the event, I ran into one of my middle school teachers, who once told me that even 4th and 5th graders use vapes! Without flavors, kids wouldn’t be getting addicted to vapes and could live happier, healthier lives. Back in the 1950s and ’60s, smoking was seen as cool and was even said to “open up your lungs” during the Vietnam War, and we’re seeing the effects of that now. Since I am currently the only Evolvement member in Raton, I’ve been working on my own with the generous help of my mom and the Evolvement team and I couldn’t be more grateful for each and every one of them. With their support – and the support of every Evolvement member – we’re getting one step closer to a brighter and healthier future for our world.

Hello, I am Itzel, a member of the leadership team for Evolvement, a youth-led movement promoting a nicotine-free New Mexico. This is my first year on the leadership team, and I am committed to spreading awareness. As a youth advocate with Evolvement, I have learned to speak about an issue that affects not only youth but also young adults. The sale of tobacco and nicotine products needs to come to an end because today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. Seeing how these products affect my peers, I believe raising awareness among young people will help encourage them to stop using flavored products.

One of the biggest reasons to end the sale of tobacco and nicotine is the serious health risks associated with them. These products can lead young people down the wrong path and put their health and future in danger. They are becoming more common in schools, public places, and even at home. This exposure can spark curiosity, leading young people to try them – and once they do, the risk of addiction is high. Nicotine and tobacco addiction can be a frightening experience, which is why the No Minor Sale campaign is working to end the sale of flavored products.

To stop the sale of tobacco and nicotine, I believe we need to take several steps. Raising the legal age to purchase these products was just a starting point. We must also limit sales and remove flavors that appeal to youth. There is so much that can be done, and while the challenge is urgent, there is still time to take action. By raising awareness and empowering youth voices, we can lead the way toward ending the sale of all flavored nicotine and tobacco products.