A medical authority in Cuba said this week that in recent years there has been an increase in domestic consumption of illicit drugs in the Caribbean nation, whose government has reiterated its policy of “zero tolerance” for drug consumption and distribution.
The government maintains that it is committed to “control and contain” drug trafficking at a time when the economic crisis is hitting the country.
“In Cuba there has been an increase in recent years (in drug consumption), and adolescents and young people represent the most vulnerable group,” said Dr. Alejandro García, director of the Mental Health Center of Central Havana, last Wednesday. in a popular neighborhood of Havana.
García pointed out in an interview with the newspaper Granmapart of the ruling Communist Party, which is working hard to prevent the “phenomenon because, although eliminating it would be optimal, the aim is to control and contain it.”
Cuba has been mired in an economic crisis since the beginning of the decade with a decrease in the Gross Domestic Product of 10% compared to 2019, which has caused shortages of food, medicine, fuel and other basic goods, as well as hit by annoying blackouts and inflation.
“There are still failures and gaps because the country has problems. The economic situation is having a great impact for various reasons,” García said, mentioning a decrease in specialized personnel. “There are municipalities that do not have psychiatrists or those who directly address the phenomenon of addictions,” he added.
García did not reveal the type of drugs that are being consumed on the island, but highlighted that in recent times “new chemicals” have been added that are sometimes unknown and are more complex to “face and deal with.”
The first experiences in drug consumption – he noted – are between the ages of 13 and 14, from the ages of 17 and 20 they can become addicted and at the age of 25 there is an increase.
Cuban authorities revealed at the end of 2023 that the country's courts had sanctioned 689 people linked to drug trafficking and noted that the Penal Code punishes “possession and trafficking of illicit drugs with penalties from 4 to 30 years in prison, including life imprisonment and up to the death sentence.
Cuba, due to its strategic geographical location in the Caribbean, is a route used by drug traffickers to transport drugs from the south by light aircraft to fast boats bound for the United States.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.
