THE POWER OF PREVENTION AND EDUCATION
According to a recent United Nations Report on Prevention, prevention enhances the reduction of demand, twenty times, more than fighting the offer of illegal drugs. However, in both sides of the international border between Mexico and the United States, the strategy is to continue fighting this war, via the penalization of the use of drugs as well as attacking drug cartels in order to weaken distribution.
However, in the United States, particularly in the border, these strategies have failed in diminishing the demand of drugs among young adolescents. This is because, drugs continue to be smuggled steadily into the United States and the reduction of the demand of these drugs, has not been significantly reduced in this country. On the other hand in Mexico, in spite of the military strategy to attack the drug cartels, drugs continue to reach young adolescents as indicated by the last report on drugs showing that in the last four years the demand of illegal drugs increased over 50%.
In spite of the aforementioned punitive strategies, the United States continues to be ¨the major consumer of drugs in the world¨, a demand which in turn contributes to the war of the drug cartels in México. It is important to note that this war, between the cartels, has been fed by the high demand for drugs by many Americans and Mexicans along the border. The money obtained, by this lucrative business, is used by the drug cartels to buy weapons in the United States[1] and to continue the support for the production of illegal drugs in Mexico. Moreover, a major risk factor, for adolescents, is the high exposure to drugs. Furthermore, in the border the drug situation makes young adolescents extremely vulnerable to becoming consumers, due to the high rate of poverty, unemployment and lack of educational opportunities; these factors also sets adolescents at a higher risk of getting involved in criminal behavior in order to improve their critical financial situation.
An example of the aforementioned, situaton, is the border city of El Paso, in which only 3 out of 10 Hispanic high school students make it into college. Also, out of that percentage only 10% will complete a college degree, one of the lowest rates in the country. It is important to note that the aforementioned socio-economic factors, are considered by many experts, as major contributors to drug consumption in both countries.
For example, in recent years, some students, from Mexico crossing the border, into the Unites States to attend school, have been caught up by immigration officers trying to smuggle drugs in to the United States, this in order to improve their economic conditions and support their education. Other, students, have also been arrested for trying to smuggle weapons for the drug cartels into Mexico.
To sum up: both countries have established “policy strategies” which are condemned to fail if they are not, complemented, with education and prevention strategies on addictions. Also, these strategies do not attack nor address the main cause of drug addiction, “the demand of drugs”. On the other hand, government representatives from both sides of the border address the issue by "blaming each other" for the increase consumption of drugs among their populations.
Moreover, check points to detect drugs, in the border, have been established with very negative consequences, that affect commerce and relations in both countries. Nevertheless, as previously indicated, little attention has been paid to prevention and education strategies, which have been shown to be "much more efficient" than militarizing the border and using the current repressive and punitive strategies, in reducing the demand of drugs in general. Therefore, this binational project seeks out to prevent and educate, particularly, young adolescents and their parents in order to reduce, the demand of, drugs in the border between México and the United States.
[1] 80% of weapons used by the drug cartels cross via the border with Texas.
According to a recent United Nations Report on Prevention, prevention enhances the reduction of demand, twenty times, more than fighting the offer of illegal drugs. However, in both sides of the international border between Mexico and the United States, the strategy is to continue fighting this war, via the penalization of the use of drugs as well as attacking drug cartels in order to weaken distribution.
However, in the United States, particularly in the border, these strategies have failed in diminishing the demand of drugs among young adolescents. This is because, drugs continue to be smuggled steadily into the United States and the reduction of the demand of these drugs, has not been significantly reduced in this country. On the other hand in Mexico, in spite of the military strategy to attack the drug cartels, drugs continue to reach young adolescents as indicated by the last report on drugs showing that in the last four years the demand of illegal drugs increased over 50%.
In spite of the aforementioned punitive strategies, the United States continues to be ¨the major consumer of drugs in the world¨, a demand which in turn contributes to the war of the drug cartels in México. It is important to note that this war, between the cartels, has been fed by the high demand for drugs by many Americans and Mexicans along the border. The money obtained, by this lucrative business, is used by the drug cartels to buy weapons in the United States[1] and to continue the support for the production of illegal drugs in Mexico. Moreover, a major risk factor, for adolescents, is the high exposure to drugs. Furthermore, in the border the drug situation makes young adolescents extremely vulnerable to becoming consumers, due to the high rate of poverty, unemployment and lack of educational opportunities; these factors also sets adolescents at a higher risk of getting involved in criminal behavior in order to improve their critical financial situation.
An example of the aforementioned, situaton, is the border city of El Paso, in which only 3 out of 10 Hispanic high school students make it into college. Also, out of that percentage only 10% will complete a college degree, one of the lowest rates in the country. It is important to note that the aforementioned socio-economic factors, are considered by many experts, as major contributors to drug consumption in both countries.
For example, in recent years, some students, from Mexico crossing the border, into the Unites States to attend school, have been caught up by immigration officers trying to smuggle drugs in to the United States, this in order to improve their economic conditions and support their education. Other, students, have also been arrested for trying to smuggle weapons for the drug cartels into Mexico.
To sum up: both countries have established “policy strategies” which are condemned to fail if they are not, complemented, with education and prevention strategies on addictions. Also, these strategies do not attack nor address the main cause of drug addiction, “the demand of drugs”. On the other hand, government representatives from both sides of the border address the issue by "blaming each other" for the increase consumption of drugs among their populations.
Moreover, check points to detect drugs, in the border, have been established with very negative consequences, that affect commerce and relations in both countries. Nevertheless, as previously indicated, little attention has been paid to prevention and education strategies, which have been shown to be "much more efficient" than militarizing the border and using the current repressive and punitive strategies, in reducing the demand of drugs in general. Therefore, this binational project seeks out to prevent and educate, particularly, young adolescents and their parents in order to reduce, the demand of, drugs in the border between México and the United States.
[1] 80% of weapons used by the drug cartels cross via the border with Texas.