“People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention and treatment” in Mexico

“I had to become a person with drug use disorders to realize that we are all human.”

These heartfelt words come from Brenda Torres Carrillo, a nurse working with the civil association PrevenCasa in Tijuana and a former user of drugs: “Sometimes, consumption is not a choice,” she continued. “I talk about my experience very often because I used to have lots of prejudices towards people who use drugs – until I ended up a consumer myself.”

Individuals face numerous obstacles on their path to recovery, from the challenges of rehabilitation to the stigmas they carry.

To address these issues and promote effective, evidence-based treatment services with a focus on public health, UNODC Mexico and UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (UNODC PTRS) in collaboration with the National Commission Against Addictions (CONADIC) is implementing Policymakers Trainings on the Nature, Prevention, Treatment of Drug Use Disorders in all 32 States of Mexico. With more than 670 policymakers trained to date, these trainings aim at enhancing participants’ knowledge on creating humane, effective, and evidence-based drug use prevention and drug dependence treatment and care policies and services at national level.

With the involvement and active participation of public governmental institutions, universities, treatment centres, civil society organizations and prevention and health professionals, UNODC promotes through the Policymakers Training Package a systematic, intersectoral and multidisciplinary response to a very complex problem, affecting large segments of the world’s population. In addition, through this capacity building exercise, UNODC contributes toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3.5 and towards a healthy and safe development of children, as well as the improvement of the lives of those affected by drug use disorders. In Mexico specifically, the project's implementation on the Mexican border has helped reduce barriers to care and treatment, ultimately ensuring that no one is left behind.