06/29/11 – The United States and Mexico hosted its Ninth Bi-national Conference on Reducing Drug Demand (Novena Conferencia Binacional sobre la Reduccíon de la Demanda de Drogas) in which they have made plans to create a new group that will be responsible for reducing drug consumption. Both countries also signed an agreement to exchange scientific information on the subject as research and findings become more available. David K. Mineta, the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated the significance of this step as it is the highest form of collaboration on drug demand reduction between the two countries to date.
The bi-national group has agreed to treat drug addiction as a health issue instead of as criminal conduct. Mexico’s Commissioner of the Council Against Addiction, Carlos Tena Tamayo, has expressed how he hopes that this change in view will “help overcome moral obstacles that stigmatize drug consumers and make it difficult for them to recover.” The group is hoping that increased prevention and treatment efforts will ultimately lead to lower overall drug consumption rates as there will be fewer first-time users and as the risk of relapse decreases with increased medical and health treatment for addicts.
Sources:
Otero, Silvia. “México y EU afinan plan contra demanda de drogas.” El Universal. June 23, 2011.
