Historical trends in the production and consumption of illicit drugs in Mexico: Implications for the prevention of blood borne infections

Abstract

Mexico has cultivated opium poppy since before the 1900's and has been an important transit route for South American cocaine for decades. However, only recently has drug use, particularly injection drug use, been documented as an important problem. Heroin is the most common drug used by Mexican injection drug users (IDUs). Increased cultivation of opium poppy in some Mexican states, lower prices for black tar heroin and increased security at U.S.-Mexican border crossings may be contributing factors to heroin use, especially in border cities. Risky practices among IDUs, including needle sharing and shooting gallery attendance are common, whereas perceived risk for acquiring blood borne infections is low. Although reported AIDS cases attributed to IDU in Mexico have been low, data from sentinel populations, such as pregnant women in the Mexican-U.S. border city of Tijuana, suggest an increase in HIV prevalence associated with drug use. Given widespread risk behaviors and rising numbers of blood borne infections among IDUs in Mexican-U.S. border cities, there is an urgent need for increased disease surveillance and culturally appropriate interventions to prevent potential epidemics of blood borne infections. We review available literature on the history of opium production in Mexico, recent trends in drug use and its implications, and the Mexican response, with special emphasis on the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana.

Syringe Confiscation as an HIV Risk Factor: The Public Health Implications of Arbitrary Policing in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

“…In Mexico, the increasing prevalence of drug use has resulted from "spillover" along US-bound drug trafficking routes, 1 acutely affecting the northern border states. In major gateways like Tijuana and Ciudad (Cd.)…”

“…Juarez where drug trafficking and migration channels converge, rates of injection drug use are estimated to be many times the national average. 1,2 As destinations for sex tourism, these two cities also have sizable populations of female sex workers (FSWs). 3 High prevalence of HIV and other injection-and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been observed along the US border, with especially elevated levels among female sex workers who also inject drugs (FSW-IDUs).…”

Correlates of injection drug use among female sex workers in two Mexico–U.S. border cities

“…Tijuana and Cd. Juarez are central corridors for smuggling illicit drugs into the U.S. After Colombia, Mexico is the second most important source of heroin entering the U.S., accounting for 30% of all heroin sold in the U.S. and 98% of heroin sold west of the Mississippi river (Bucardo et al, 2005). Approximately 90% of all methamphetamine entering the U.S. is produced in Mexico, and 70% of all cocaine entering the U.S. passes through Mexico en route from South America (Brouwer et al, 2006a).…”

A Qualitative Exploration of Gender in the Context of Injection Drug Use in Two US–Mexico Border Cities

“…Juarez also share the dubious reputation of being major epicentres for drug abuse, and both lie on major drug trafficking routes (Brouwer et al, 2006a;Bucardo et al, 2005). Tijuana is thought to have one of the fastest growing drug user populations in Mexico with three times the national average consuming illicit drugs (Secretaria de Salud, 1999;MagisRodriguez et al, 2002).…”