Underage Drinking the Focus of This Week’s “New Mexico in Focus”

It’s been a year since the United States Surgeon General challenged New Mexico on underage drinking. This week on KNME-TV’s “New Mexico in Focus” co-host David Alire Garcia sits down with experts from the New Mexico Department of Health and Attorney General’s office, among others to discuss progress made since last year. “New Mexico in Focus,” KNME-TV, channel 5’s weekly one-hour news show, will air on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. and will repeat on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 6:30 a.m.

Joining Alire Garcia to discuss underage drinking in New Mexico are Dr. Karen Armitage, chief medical officer with the New Mexico Department of Health, Stuart Bluestone, senior counsel for the Attorney General’s office, Herman Silva, director of the Special Investigations Division, and Glenn Wieringa, underage drinking prevention program manager with the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau.

Afterward, “The Line” panelists will discuss the top headlines of the week, including the potential threat that a grand jury investigation might mean to Governor Richardson’s plans to become Secretary of Commerce. Joining panel moderator Gene Grant are regular panelists Margaret Montoya, a professor with the University of New Mexico School of Law and School of Medicine, political consultant Whitney Cheshire, and Jim Scarantino, a columnist with the Albuquerque Journal and moderator for NewMexicoLiberty.com, and guest panelist Terry Brunner, state director for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman.

Producers of ‘New Mexico In Focus’ are Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer. Closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.

Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1812; e-mail: etodd@knme.org