Substance abuse

Alcohol and substance abuse are persistent problems in Baja California Sur when compared to the rest of the nation, although it is consistently below that of the state of Baja California, further to the north.  The most commonly abused substances are marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, crystal methamphetamines, sedatives, and inhalants.

According to the former State Secretary of Health, Dr. Eduardo Rodríguez Pulido, addictions are related “directly to the principal causes of death: heart disease, accident, cerebral pathology, suicides, hepatitis, cirrhosis, homicides and kidney lesions.”[1]  In addition, substance use and abuse is often an instigator of domestic violence against women and children, with social instability as a frequent result.

The current state prevention and support programs do not have sufficient resources to address, inform, and influence the population, most notably the youth, about the inherent risks that accompany the use of these substances.  There is also a need for additional rehabilitation centers to reach the high number of addicts in the state – there are just two juvenile facilities for the entire state.  This gap in available facilities has resulted in rehabilitation “pseudo-centers”, which often exacerbate addiction problems rather than treat them.  For example, treatments at some centers result in dependencies on different drugs; at others, treatments could result in patient dropout or relapse.

Factors that promote the growth of addiction can be attributed to the ease with which drugs and alcohol can be acquired.  Stronger enforcement is needed, especially now that the state is considered a major thoroughfare for trafficking illegal drugs to foreign markets.  Other factors that promote addiction include the lack of recreational options catering to the interests of the youth, unemployment pressures, and domestic abuse and violence.