Today, June 26, marks the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
When presenting the results of this annual report, the technical secretary of the State Council Against Addictions in Jalisco (CECAJ) of the Jalisco Health Secretariat, Pedro Briones Casillas, emphasized that about 90% of the users surveyed began to consume any type of drug, legal or illegal, while still a minor under the age of 19.
49% of drug users who came during 2020 to receive treatment for the first time started their addiction between the ages of 10 and 14, about 30% between the ages of 15 and 19, and 6% before reaching the age of ten, revealed the report of the Addiction Epidemiological Surveillance System (SISVEA) 2020.
The survey was conducted in Jalisco with 7,070 men and women who requested treatment for the first time in one of the 20 Primary Care Centers for Addictions that the SSJ has, or the various private residential treatment centers located in the state.
Briones Casillas invited the population to learn about the services offered by the CECAJ for prevention, care, guidance, and training to people who manifest an addiction problem, all at NO COST to the user.
The head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department of the CECAJ, Luis Javier Robles Arellano, stated that among those surveyed methamphetamine ranks as the drug with the greatest impact (which forces the user to receive care,) however, tobacco ranks first as a starter drug among users, followed by alcohol, marijuana, and finally methamphetamine.
He regretted that the population does not measure the serious damage to health caused by different illegal or even legal drugs, such as tobacco, which in Mexico causes more than 160 daily deaths associated with its consumption: “40 percent of the patients referred to tobacco as a starting drug, however, as an impact drug requested support does not reach 5%.”
Regarding methamphetamines, or designer drugs, he stressed that their use in a short time causes damage to their health, especially in the young population, which prompts them to ask for help as soon as just a few months after starting their use.
The specialist in Clinical Neurosciences, Alioth Guerrero Aranda, stated that methamphetamines cause irreversible damage in the consumer such as hemorrhagic cerebral infarction, Parkinson's disease, seizures, psychotic disorders, and cognitive impairment that cause alterations in memory, language, and of learning.
"People who use methamphetamine have up to 5 times the risk of having a stroke compared to the general population."
She explained that over time methamphetamines or designer drugs have become more aggressive, that is, their chemical composition is stronger, which affects the brain of the user more deeply.
The SISVEA collects the information with the application of several indicators: Treatment and Rehabilitation; Sentinel Emergency Post; and Penitentiary and Forensic Medical Service with the participation of different institutions such as civil organizations and government agencies.
This system has generated information since 1994, which has been published on the CECAJ portal since 2002. The 2020 results can be found as of today on the official site at:
Section: Research on addictions, publication of SISVEA Results.
Or on their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/JaliscoCECAJ/posts/783574339026416
Today, June 26, the "International Day Against Illicit Trafficking and Drug Abuse" is commemorated, with the slogan "Let's Talk About Drugs; Information Saves Lives," which invites you to get closer to the services of the CECAJ.
For more information and guidance to stop drug use, and on the free services offered by the great state of Jalisco, dial the lines 38232020, 38546077 and 38546088 from Monday to Friday from 08:00am to 4:00pm.