“DWI not NM’s Biggest Booze Killer,” The Albuquerque Journal’s Leslie Linthicum writes today. Only 15 percent of alcohol-related deaths in the state come from driving while intoxicated, while 10 percent come from fatal falls and another 10 percent from people overdosing on drugs while intoxicated.
Also today, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports that the unemployment rate declined in November for the first time since April. Despite the data, some believe that unemployment levels could rise in the future. The year 2009 saw an increase in employment in the the fields of education, health care services, and the federal government.

The Ruidoso News has an end-of-the-year roundup today, suggesting that it was a “a quiet 2009 for [the] county,” as opposed to previous years.

And KOB-TV asks, “Is the state’s H1N1 public service announcement effective?” The current PSA asks people to stay home when sick and prevent spreading the flu to others. Although many New Mexicans remain unvaccinated against the flu, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health suggests that the PSA promotes awareness, which will, in general, make them more apt to know the importance of the vaccination.