Aztec Schools Host Anti-Substance Session After Reports Students Access Drugs Via Family

Aztec High School's multipurpose room filled on Feb. 9 as Aztec Municipal Schools hosted an anti-substance informational session for district staff, parents and community partners, prompted in part by staff and parents reporting that students are obtaining substances through family members. The district posted the event on Facebook Jan. 22, inviting families and noting, "This session will cover information about various substances, student access, prevention strategies, and signs and symptoms for families to watch for."

James Vautier, senior risk manager with POMS Risk Control and Insurance, led the presentation to parents at 6:00 PM and delivered a similar briefing to district staff earlier that afternoon. Vautier reviewed drug classifications, paraphernalia identification and concealment tactics, and asked the group to consider physiological differences between depressants and stimulants, summarized in his question, "Does the heart rate go up or go down," as part of teaching signs and symptoms for families to watch for.

To demonstrate how products can be disguised, Vautier displayed everyday items and packaged snacks as examples. Parents and staff saw THC‑laced products presented as Trolli gummy worms, Hot Cheetos and Fruity Pebbles, alongside concealment methods such as jackets with hidden pockets, fake soda cans and water bottles, and electronic cigarettes disguised as writing utensils. The district’s Facebook event also promoted a taco bar funded by Title IV for the first 100 people who RSVP’d, an incentive noted on the Jan. 22 post that showed 14 reactions and 11 shares at the time of publication.

Vautier cited statistics during the session, telling attendees that children who start smoking before age 18 are seven times more likely to develop addiction, that a new smoker becomes addicted after about 100 cigarettes, and that a Juul‑style pod equates to roughly 20 cigarettes. Aztec School Board member and San Juan County primary care family nurse practitioner Rebekah French told the meeting she is seeing "kids with seizures and high nicotine levels," a clinical observation that district officials and medical partners will likely weigh as they design interventions.

Warman Hall, the district’s federal programs director, said he handles disciplinary actions for students who bring substances onto campus and expressed a desire for more long‑term solutions beyond discipline. As a next step, the district plans a youth vaping survey in partnership with the University of New Mexico Hospital that will include Koogler Elementary School, Aztec High and Vista Nueva High School; the district has not provided a start date or methodology for the survey.

Parents such as Mindy Cochran, who attended with her wife after receiving the district email, said they came to learn signs of substance use and how to stay aware for their two children enrolled in Aztec schools. The family‑access allegation cited by staff and parents remains a focal concern discussed at the meeting, and district officials have signaled further outreach and data collection through the planned UNM Hospital survey to better target prevention and long‑term supports.