The United States loses thousands of people every year from drug overdoses and drug poisonings. Most of those deaths are related to the use of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. On the other hand, thousands of Mexicans die at the hands of drug cartels using guns trafficked from the U.S. Drug violence occurs in our two countries fueled by the demand for drugs along with the widespread availability of military-style weapons in the U.S.
This multibillion-dollar criminal business touches the very core of our societies, following the deadly path of chemical precursors coming from Asia, drugs going north — transported and distributed within the United States — and guns and bulk cash crossing the border to the south, leaving death, corruption and broken families everywhere.
For many decades, we have faced extremely complex problems surrounding the consumption, trafficking and production of drugs. History has repeatedly demonstrated that a “strategy” of threats, finger-pointing and hollow narratives created for political purposes never works.
In the last four years, Mexican authorities seized a record number of 6,115 kilos of fentanyl, destroyed 1,307 clandestine laboratories and confiscated 1.8 million kilos of precursors. Mexico is a fundamental ally of the United States against fentanyl.
We developed a strong alliance to fight this fight together with the Bicentennial Framework. This far-reaching initiative launched in 2021 aims at updating our bilateral security cooperation, while introducing innovative elements that emphasize health, safety and the development of underserved communities in both countries, in addition to preventing trans-border crime, reducing arms trafficking and pursuing criminal networks.
One of the objectives of this new framework is to prevent and reduce substance abuse, improve access to treatment and recovery support, and share best practices to better understand substance abuse patterns. Mexico is delivering on its commitment, among other initiatives with a permanent public campaign alerting our citizens of the dangers of fentanyl and allocating time in all schools to alert students on the dangers of drugs and present them with options to receive help. We are hoping to soon see similar efforts by federal authorities in the United States.
Mexican families in the U.S. are not exempt from the effects of the opioid crisis. It is necessary to dedicate more joint efforts to respond to the fentanyl epidemic from a health perspective. Therefore, following instructions from Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, the consular network in the United States will play a key role in the health component of our strategy to fight fentanyl.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, in 2021, the total number of deaths in the state reached 125,102. Only around 3% were because of drug overdoses. However, if we take a closer look, Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, represents 52% of the total drug-related deaths in the state (1,936). This means that 1 in 2 drug overdose deaths were in only one county. Studies have found that by 2018, the odds of a fentanyl-involved overdose significantly increased for men, Black and Latino people, and younger individuals in Cook County.
Cook County public health data shows that 262 Hispanics died from an opioid overdose in 2020, which represents a 95% increase compared with 2019. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has acknowledged that a racial equity-focused approach is essential for addressing the opioid crisis since “deaths specifically in Black and Latino communities continue to rise.”
There is a need for improved and current data on fentanyl overdose emergencies and fatalities by ethnicity, accompanied by resources and information in Spanish for users and their families. The generalized claim of families affected by this crisis is that they could not get timely help for their children.
More collaboration between health authorities and community-based organizations would help reduce fatalities, prevent addictions and generate collective impact. The consulate general of Mexico in Chicago is committed to playing an active role in building community awareness and facilitating access to information and services. We will strengthen our collaboration with local organizations to promote education, and develop culturally competent peer support to prevent substance abuse and provide stigma-free help to our community.
The most fundamental component in the relations between Mexico and the United States is our people. There are millions on both sides of the border whose work, family ties, businesses, studies, research, creativity, art and daily dealings bring life to the bilateral relationship. Governments should never forget that.
We have to protect the processes, the links and the institutions that bring us together, but above all, we need to protect our communities, our people and our youths.
