Mexico Strengthens Mental Health, Addiction Surveillance

Mexico is launching an initiative to enhance its mental health and addiction monitoring system, a move aimed at improving public health responses and reducing the harm caused by psychoactive substances. This initiative was announced during the opening seminar of the National Observatory of Mental Health and Addictions, hosted by the National Council on Mental Health and Addictions (CONASAMA).

"Mexico has a vigorous response to the global drug market. The Early Warning System allows for the prompt identification of events that pose a public health threat in the realm of new psychoactive substances, such as fentanyl," says Juan Manuel Quijada, Head, CONASAMA.

In April, the system issued its first early warning to healthcare workers and first responders in border cities regarding the potential adulteration of heroin and fentanyl with xylazine, a non-opioid sedative approved for veterinary use but not for human consumption.

The initiative is supported by technical assistance from the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs of the Inter-American Commission for Drug Abuse Control of the Organization of American States (CICAD-OEA). This collaboration underscores the importance of addressing emerging substance issues from a public health, scientific, and collaborative perspective.

This approach enabled the implementation of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Addictions (ENPA), which has reached over 39 million people through prevention and treatment initiatives without criminalizing substance users.

The seminar featured national and international experts who enriched the discussion with their insights and experiences. Conasama's head emphasized the collaborative nature of the system, which involves generating and sharing information among experts to benefit the population and substance users. This multidisciplinary approach aims to create a health system that effectively responds to the needs of the public by providing support, treatment, and promoting prevention through education and awareness.

As new threats emerge, Mexico’s enhanced monitoring and response system will play a crucial role in safeguarding public health. "This administration has separated drug demand from supply, focusing on public and mental health," says Evalinda Barrón Velázquez, General Director at Conasama.