ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 9, 2022
— The American Heart Association issued the following statement from Dr. Drew Harrell, former president of the board of the American Heart Association-New Mexico, following the overwhelming approval by voters of Constitutional Amendment 1 during the general election Nov. 8.
Amendment 1 allows for the distribution of 1.25 percent from the state's $26 billion Permanent School Fund, resulting in about $150 million in new funding for early childhood programs and roughly $100 million in additional funding for teachers and programs to address inequities in educational outcomes for at-risk students in New Mexico public schools. Based on birth rates in New Mexico, the funding could have a positive impact on as many as 100,000 children over the next five years. Voters approved the measure by 70 percent vote.
"Today, the voters of New Mexico said 'Yes' to a dramatically brighter future for the children on this state. When it comes to children and their lifelong health, one of the most effective prescriptions can't just be picked up at a pharmacy. It involves high-quality programs that support expectant and new mothers; safe, consistent, and flexible childcare; and rich early learning environments.
"As an emergency medicine doctor, I rely on evidence-based treatments for my patients. While not every illness or injury is preventable, it is a fundamental truth that prevention is the most effective and inexpensive form of care – and prevention should be no less evidence-based.
"Passage of Amendment 1 is a game-changer for our state, and as a doctor, I am impressed with the evidence for the effectiveness of the programs that would be expanded. According to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, the early years matter because in the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second." [1] These are the connections that build brain architecture – the foundation upon which all later learning, behavior, and health depend.
"A 2014 study published in Science found compelling biomedical evidence that participants in a high-quality early childhood program had significantly lower risks for cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood, compared with otherwise similar individuals who were not in that program." [2]
"These studies and many others like them make it clear to me as a medical professional that we should be making sure as many kids as possible have access to these interventions. But the stakes go far beyond health outcomes. Healthy, thriving families and children are the key to a future where our economy is strong, and New Mexicans of all backgrounds have an equitable shot at fulfilling their potential.
"Today's affirmative vote is a bold declaration that we as New Mexicans believe in the promise of proven preventive "medicine," and that there is no better time to administer it than in the earliest years. That kind of commitment is just what the doctor ordered."
(Drew Harrell, MD, FAEMS, DiMM is the former board president and current member of the American Heart Association Albuquerque. He's also an emergency medicine physician practicing in Albuquerque for over 15 years.)
