Journal
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
Volume 79, Issue 3, Pages 281-293Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.02.003
Keywords
injection drug use; opium; heroin; drug treatment; needle exchange programs; harm reduction; interdiction; Mexico
Categories
Funding
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES [P30AI036214, T32AI007384] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH [R01MH062554, R01MH065849] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE [R01DA019829, R01DA009225, T32DA007234] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NIAID NIH HHS [P30 AI 36214-06, P30 AI036214, 5T32 AI 07384, T32 AI007384] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDA NIH HHS [R01 DA019829-01A1, 3R01 DA 009225-10S1, R01 DA019829, R01 DA009225-10S1, DA 07234-07S1, T32 DA007234, R01 DA009225] Funding Source: Medline
- NIMH NIH HHS [1R01 MH 065849-01A2, R01 MH065849, 5R01 MH 62554-03, R01 MH062554] Funding Source: Medline
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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 home 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 home 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 home 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. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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