North American Teens and Children are Victims of the Meth and Opioid Epidemic

Feb 20

Feb 20 North American Teens and Children are Victims of the Meth and Opioid Epidemic

The seemingly-worldwide opioid crisis has reached a new terrifying statistic, affecting youth users as young as six-years-old in Mexico. Youth drug users are no new phenomena, especially for North America’s impoverished youth, America’s black community, and Native American youth. But the mishandling of the drug crisis forces reflection on who is at fault; both on a domestic and international scale. Stigmatisation, exploitation, and discriminatory policy are what allows this epidemic to continue to spread and harm children and teens. When identifying common patterns in users, it is important to recognise the deep-rooted and systemic injustices done to these communities.

Methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth, remains one of the most commonly abused substances in the world. Scheduled as II by the DEA, meth was responsible for more deaths in 2019 than oxycodone and hydrocodone; two dangerous opioids. The science is complicated, but essentially, the brain fails to “reuptake” dopamine. The meth stays in the brain for long amounts of time and causes extreme, prolonged feelings of euphoria. Once someone experiences this kind of euphoria, no healthy, natural dopamine-producing activity (sex, food, sleep) can ever be a sufficient dopamine-producer. Users who get hooked, chase the high and put their next fix over hygiene, food, water, shelter, and even their own safety. The “come-down,” or crash, leads to intense depression, irritability, and paranoia and once the body has experienced that level of dopamine, users will consume more meth to imitate the first dopamine rush. Often, more potent or laced forms of meth might be consumed in an effort to intensify the high. Methamphetamine addiction can lead to homelessness, crime, and general positions of vulnerability.

Compared to adult users, the detrimental effects on child users are horrifying. Kids will absorb more of the toxic chemical and their undeveloped organs will not be able to process and get rid of the meth. A multitude of factors play into the dangerous aspects of children using – especially a youth user’s susceptibility to abuse and neglect. There seems to be two categories that youth users fall into: victims of long and gruelling addictions, or victims of fatal overdoses. The disparity in the death rate for black teens in America is to do with the rapid rise of fentanyl-laced drugs. Trying meth just once can lead to a fentanyl overdose- which only takes 2 milligrams. There seems to be a contrasting pattern for Mexico’s youth meth-users. The rampant sale and production of meth creates an environment and exposure to narc-culture. One theory regarding such young users in Mexico is perhaps the exposure to glorified drug culture and production.

Regarding the domestic handling of the spiralling drug crisis, the blame is laid on the Sinaloa Cartel and widespread corruption in President Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador’s administration. Their grip on social, economic, and political spheres creates a scene of war and violence. Seizures of fentanyl on the United States-Mexico border had increased by 525% between 2018-2021, and the seizures of meth nearly doubled, so the overall consumption of meth and fentanyl has skyrocketed in North America, with Mexican cartels producing significant amounts of the drug. The Mexican economy’s reliance on production and trade of opioids and methamphetamine hampers any opportunity for an economy that does not depend on illegal trade of drugs. Rival cartels fight for a monopoly over drug trade and control – but they are also attempting to manage their way into all aspects of the economy to maximise their control and profits. With an 84.1% increase in homicide rates in Mexico, it is not hard to pinpoint the influence of multiple cartels in instilling violence and dangerous drug use.

Of course, besides the heightened corruption in organised crime and the government in Mexico, the international community is certainly not blameless – specifically, Mexico’s neighbour to the North. US President Richard Nixon’s controversial War on Drugs required an initial $84 million dollars (£62 million), and infiltration of the DEA in Mexico was common. The incomprehensible amount of money spent on Nixon’s agenda could have been used for rehabilitation efforts. Instead, the “Americanization” of drug law in Mexico and Central America was and continues to be a contemporary form of imperialisation and an overstepping of the USA’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, the War on Drugs carried into US President Ronald Reagan’s term. During the 1980’s crack epidemic, incarceration rates and penalties increased greatly among the black community and the legislation and policy made to tackle the crisis seemed to disproportionately affect black users. For example, 5 grams of cocaine warranted a 5-year sentence, and 500 grams of powder cocaine would be the same sentence. One thought behind the disproportionate statistics – being that 81% of those arrested for crack cocaine were black – is because powder cocaine users tend to be white, and crack cocaine users tend to be black. More recently, the heroin and opioid use that has swept white suburbs has been addressed as a public health issue and has been met with rehabilitative roles from the government. This stark contrast in the handling of the crack epidemic has brought about the need to discuss just and equitable drug reform policy.

There are multiple factors when considering the root of the opioid and meth epidemic, including the tragic disparity between communities impacted. Addiction does not discriminate – but social and political responses do. And further deep-rooted issues can feed the epidemic and addictions. One theory surrounding the rise in youth users could be the use of drugs to create docile and vulnerable victims for human trafficking. Americans remain the number one consumer of child exploitation material – including victims of labour or sex trafficking. The economic disparity between Mexico and the US creates opportunities for Mexican children to be easily exploited and abused. Within the US, black communities have received harsh penalties and social stigma while white users are met with sympathy. The push for treatment equity is vital in combatting the addiction epidemic and harm reduction methods seek to tackle deep-rooted issues of systemic racism in drug policy and reform that devastate black communities.

Though the practices of harm reduction are controversial, the approach is important in tackling the drug epidemic. Harm Reduction’s practice of drug reform pushes for the destigmatisation and equitable care for disempowered victims of drug addiction. Harm reduction is a fairly new practice that introduces unconventional forms of addiction treatment. The aim is to create safe and clean spaces and resources for users, rather than criminalise users. Promotors of harm reduction realise the depths of addiction and recognise the small steps that must be taken in approaching this epidemic. By implementing clean needle exchange programs, making Narcan accessible, identifying systemic issues in drug policy reform, and providing safe spaces for users, harm reduction practices can properly engage with communities. Identifying the historical improper handling of drug reform policy is vital when engaging in discourse around drug policy and reform. Most importantly, it is vital to tackle the roots of corruption and exploitation from both political leaders and the public when discussing teen and adolescent victims of addiction and drug use.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.