New Mexico has the highest alcohol-related death rate in the United States — and State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez is determined to change that.

In this episode of The Shift, Mike Marshall sits down with Senator Sedillo Lopez to discuss her multi-year effort to raise alcohol taxes in New Mexico as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm, prevent deaths, and fund long-term treatment and recovery programs. The conversation explores the intersection of alcohol policy, politics, industry influence, health inequities, and the moral urgency of addressing alcohol-related harm in communities across New Mexico.

The episode also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how alcohol policy legislation evolves over multiple legislative sessions — including coalition building, messaging strategy, opposition from the alcohol industry, and the role of personal storytelling in shifting policymakers' perspectives.

Key Takeaways

✅ Why New Mexico has become ground zero for alcohol policy reform efforts

✅ The connection between alcohol pricing and reduced consumption

✅ Health inequities and the disproportionate harms experienced by Native American and Latino communities

✅ Why personal stories often resonate more deeply than data alone

Guest Bio

Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez is a longtime community leader, attorney, and advocate serving New Mexico Senate District 16. Prior to joining the legislature, she spent more than 25 years as a professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she became the first Latina to earn tenure at the law school and later served as Associate Dean and Director of the legal clinic.

Senator Sedillo Lopez was appointed to the New Mexico Senate in 2019 and subsequently elected to represent District 16, becoming the first woman and first Hispanic person to hold the seat. She currently serves on multiple legislative committees focused on health, justice, natural resources, and disability issues.

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What looks like a fruity drink in a colorful can may actually contain the equivalent of a six-pack of beer — and most people have no idea.

In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall explores the hidden dangers of supersized "alcopops" — sugar-sweetened, high-alcohol products designed to go down easy but hit hard. Joined by alcohol researcher Dr. Matthew Rossheim, they unpack how these products are marketed, who they reach, and why they're linked to some of the most concerning alcohol-related harms in the U.S.

Guest Bio

Dr. Matthew Rossheim is a public health researcher and expert in alcohol marketing and policy. His work focuses on high-alcohol-content products like alcopops and their disproportionate impact on youth, injury, and violence.

Key Takeaways

✅ Alcopops are designed to taste like soda or energy drinks — making it easier for young and inexperienced drinkers to consume large amounts of alcohol quickly.

✅ Some products contain up to six standard drinks in a single can — the equivalent of a binge-drinking session.

✅ Research shows underage drinkers disproportionately prefer these products due to their taste, price, and availability.

✅ Supersized alcopops are among the cheapest sources of alcohol per drink — increasing risk among youth with limited income.

✅ Emerging research suggests these products may play a role in alcohol-related violence, including sexual assault involving minors.

✅ Policy solutions — including limiting alcohol content, restricting availability, and increasing price — can significantly reduce harm.

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In this episode of The Shift, USAPA CEO Mike Marshall explores common myths surrounding alcohol. Joined by physician and alcohol policy researcher Dr. Tim Naimi, they dive into the evidence on alcohol's health impacts, its role in violence and chronic disease, and the policies that could meaningfully reduce harm.

Guest Bio

Dr. Tim Naimi, M.D., M.P.H., is a physician and leading alcohol epidemiologist. He previously worked at the CDC and Boston University and is currently based at the University of Victoria in Canada, where his work focuses on the population-level impacts of alcohol and evidence-based policy solutions.

Key Takeaways

✅ Alcohol contributes to an estimated 178,000 deaths each year in the U.S., making it a leading cause of preventable death.

✅ Alcohol increases the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, challenging the myth that drinking is good for heart health.

✅ The economic costs of alcohol far exceed the revenue it generates, with taxpayers covering much of the difference.

✅ Policies that reduce affordability, availability, and acceptability of alcohol are proven to lower harm but remain underused.

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