Mexicans just say “No”

One of the bigger rationales for the continued “war on (some non-prescription, non-U.S. or European controlled corporately produced) drugs” in Mexico is that the number of “addicts” is rising. Yeah, well so are the number of Buddhists… when you start from next to zero, any increase is likely to look impressive. Buddhism has grown exponentially in Mexico over the last twenty or thirty years… but that’s an increase from something like 0.001 percent of the population to something along the order of 0.004 percent. Outside of a few enclaves of recent immigrants from Korea or China, you’ll still have a hard time finding the Buddha on the road.   While the number of “addicts” overall is higher than the number of Buddhists, the alarming doubling of the number of “addicts” you read about regularly in the U.S. and Mexican press still adds up to a very tiny number of actual users.

Same with drug addiction. While alcohol and solvents remain the drug of choice, yes there is an increase in the number of heroin users, regular marijuana smokers, coke-heads, etc. From not a lot, to not a lot. And, outside of enclaves of persons who picked up the habit north of the border, it’s not a major social problem here. And the laws here were recently changed, in part because “addiction” is seen as a public health issue, not a criminal matter.

We normally think of “addicts” as poor people (and given the cost of drugs, and the likelihood that chronic use of any debilitating substance will negatively impact employment, poverty is often the result of overuse of narcotics), but only a fraction of drug “users” — of any drug — are “addicts” (Alcoholics Anonymous since the 1930s has  estimated 10 percent of booze drinkers had a problem, and the same percentage of “problem users” seem to hold up for all “mood altering substances”).  There aren’t a lot of addicts here, for the simple reason that there aren’t a lot of drug users.

That’s something of a surprise to many, who reflexively think “drugs” when you say “Mexico.”  But being a producer — or transhipper of a product is very different from having any interest in its use.  To indulge in “recreational drugs” requires not just the opportunity for recreation, but the money to do so… and a culture in which self-indulgence is rewarded. None of which applies to Mexico. There isn’t a lot of disposable income around, most people are very busy, and — with our indigenous and Roman Catholic cultural roots — Mexicans think more in terms of community and communal/familial satisfaction than in terms of personalism.

It’s the “first world” (specifically, the English-speaking part of it) that has the high levels of drug use. Something one of those “first worlders” was suprised to notice, and  posted about on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Mexico Message Board:

I am an Australian, 24, living in Mexico since September. In my short time here I have noticed a very different attitude to drugs amongst people my own age, but in an opposite way to what I had expected. I will preface this by saying that my friendship group is that of young professionals and university students, however this is the same demographic as my friendship group in Australia.

I had expected to find a much more accepting culture of drugs here, given the amount that are produced/trafficed through mexico, however what I have experiences is a much more condemning culture than in Australia. Drugs, particularly party drugs, cocaine etc are much more prevalent in clubs in australia and much less of a taboo subject. I have been going to the same type of clubs here as I do in Australia and by 2am in Australia a lot of people are obviously on pills or (depending on the club) coke. I have not been aware of this here. Also amongst my friends in Australia, most have experimented at least with E and other party drugs and many of them use them reguarly. Amongst my friends here only 1 or 2 have every tried party drugs and only a few more have smoked dope and those friends are very concerned about their other friends or family finding out. In Australia, in my experience, people are much more open about their activities and you are less likely to be viewed as “a risk” amongst non drug taking peers than you are here.