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More than 200,000 New Mexico children are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association鈥檚 latest State of the Air report, which was released Wednesday.

The report also the  and  areas were ranked the 16th and 19th worst places nationally in ozone pollution, respectively. No. 1 on the list was Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.

鈥淲hile the ranking of 16th worst for ozone pollution for the Las Cruces/El Paso is concerning, it reflects a complex regional reality rather than a lack of local effort,鈥� New Mexico Environment Department spokesperson Jorge Estrada said in an email. 鈥淚t is important to recognize that ozone pollution in the Las Cruces/El Paso area is a product of the Paso del Norte Air Basin, a shared airshed between New Mexico, Texas, and Ciudad Ju谩rez, Mexico."

He said that a significant portion 鈥渙f ozone-forming precursor emissions, i.e. nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, originate from cross-state and cross-boundary transportation.鈥�

Farther north, last year, the sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Santa Fe and Los Alamos area was 22nd in the lung association鈥檚 report of places with the worst ozone pollution. Since then, air quality worsened, 鈥渁nd residents are being exposed to more unhealthy ground level pollution,鈥� according to a news release. 

鈥淚t is important to note that ozone pollution levels in our region are significantly influenced by external factors, such as regional wildfires,鈥� Jeremy Dyer, city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Environmental Health Department spokesperson, said in an email. He said the report used data from 2022-2024.

鈥淭he high frequency of fires across the southwest during the 2022 and 2024 seasons was a primary driver behind the current grade,鈥� he said. In contrast, the city recorded zero exceedances of the mandated standard in 2025.鈥�

The ALA鈥檚 report grades air quality in terms of unhealthy levels of ground level ozone air pollution or smog, and year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution, or soot, the release states.

Smog forms when gases from tailpipes, smokestacks, factories and other pollution sources react with sunlight. In particle pollution, the particles come from wildfires, wood-burning stoves, coal-fired power plants, diesel engines and other sources, according to the news release. Both forms of pollution can cause premature death and other serious health effects like asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, according to the ALA.

Children are most susceptible to air pollution, according to the lung association. In New Mexico, the ALA reported 248,966 kids were breathing in unhealthy levels of pollution.

鈥淐lean air is essential to the health and wellbeing of families across New Mexico. Children deserve to breathe air that won鈥檛 make them sick,鈥� said JoAnna Strother, ALA senior director of advocacy, in a statement. 鈥淯nfortunately, too many people in New Mexico are living with unhealthy levels of pollution. This air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, contributing to chronic health conditions, and making people who work outdoors sick.鈥�

Breathing in smoke and other air pollutants can aggravate conditions like asthma, long-term lung disease and heart disease, .

鈥淔ollow your doctor's advice about medicines if you have asthma or another lung disease,鈥� according to the DOH. 鈥淚f you develop symptoms which do not respond to your usual medication, see your doctor immediately. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen. Breathing in smoky or dusty air is unsafe for people of all ages.鈥�

Federal policy changes are compounding the situation, Strother said.

鈥淭he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 rollbacks of critical healthy air rules are diminishing years of clean air progress, impacting our residents,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e urge New Mexico policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including supporting the Clear Horizons Act.鈥�

Along with reaching out to politicians, the lung association  people check daily air pollution forecasts at , prepare for and other disasters and reduce emissions from their vehicle or home energy use. 

In sa国际传媒官网网页入口, Dyer said the city is following EPA guidelines for air quality.

鈥淭he Air Quality Division sends out daily air quality updates, which can also be found on our ,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen the numbers reach the established threshold, we send out health alerts to the community advising them to be cautious outdoors, especially the more vulnerable populations.鈥�

In Do帽a Ana County, Estrada said the NMED has a network of air monitors to provide as much data as possible to help residents make informed health decisions.

To address the situation statewide, Estrada said New Mexico has adopted a  to bring lower emission fuels to the market and new  to transition the transportation sector toward zero-emission technology. New Mexico also has funding through its  to assist fleet owners interested in transitioning their fleets to newer technologies.  

Gregory R.C. Hasman is a general assignment reporter and the Road Warrior. He can be reached at ghasman@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3820.