Drugs in Latin America

 Drug Culture

There are many types of drugs classified for various purposes, but for this blog, we will be talking about narcotic drugs, i.e., heroin, codeine, morphine, etc. In simple terms, narcotic drugs are those that are addictive and cause serious health problems. Nowadays, the drug culture is rapidly gaining popularity, particularly among young people. Governments are trying to control the situation by taking many initiatives and steps, but they are ineffective on a large scale. 

The epicenter of this drug culture is Latin America. From Pablo Escobar to El Chapo, many infamous criminal drug lords belong to this region. There are many factors affecting the use of drugs in this region, such as the climate and terrain, which are suitable for the production of many psychoactive drugs like cannabis, cocaine, etc. Secondly, the government permitted the use of drugs amidst the 1960s and 1970s, and till now, many govt. have not taken the permit.

According to the report by DW (Deutsche Welle), a German media group, out of the top ten countries with the most drug-related deaths, nine are from Latin America. El Salvador tops the list with one hundred nineteen deaths per million.

COVID-19 has also boosted drug consumption by approx. 20 % because of stress, anxiety, and pressure among adults. Synthetic or man-made drugs like meth, fentanyl, etc. outnumbered cocaine and other natural products at that time.

The United States, one of the most drug-affected countries, has increased security at its border with Mexico, mostly around the hotspot city of San Diego (USA) near Tijuana (Mexico). But the cartels find many ways to transport drugs, the most famous being through tunnels. The mastermind behind the tunnel system is the Mexican drug lord and leader of the world's biggest drug cartel, 'Cartel de Sinaloa', Joaquin Guzman Loera, or El Chapo.

In many countries today, drugs are a national concern. Drugs' adverse effects lead to numerous diseases in humans. There are many countries in the world that have controlled drug consumption very well, like Southeast Asian countries : Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. On the other hand, many countries use liberal policies to control consumption, such as Uruguay, Portugal, the Netherlands, etc. 

Anyway, it's up to us to choose which way we have to go—to hell or heaven. 

Thank You,

Sarthak P. Khode 😊

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