2023-06-30 20:00:52
The Brief Advice Guide for consumers of psychoactive substances was presented.
Its objective is to replace the approach based on stigmatization and prohibition with one that is based on humanism, scientific evidence and human rights.
There is also an Iapabús, a truck that travels to different places in Mexico City to disseminate information and provide care in its two offices.
Psychoactive substances often cause a strong division of opinion because they have both supporters and detractors. Although beyond personal thought, it is important to have clear information based on scientific evidence. For this reason, the National Commission on Mental Health and Addictions (Conasama) was recently created.
End stigma and prohibition
With this in mind, the director of CONASAMA, Gady Zabicky Sirot, affirmed that the country is undergoing a true transformation of the model of attention to mental health and addictions. The biggest difference is that you are looking for replace the approach based on stigmatization and prohibition with one that is based on humanism, scientific evidence and human rights.
In the seminar on prevention of addictions, as part of the commemorative activities of the International Day for the Fight against the Misuse and Illicit Trafficking of Drugs, he pointed out that the strategies based on the reduction of risks and damages – product of the consumption of psychoactive substances— are essential in this transformation process.
“The transformation of the mental health and addictions model began in 2019 and recently consolidated its efforts with the creation of CONASAMA. It is an instance that coordinates institutional work to attend to mental health and prevent addictions, putting the rights of all people at the center.”
The member of the CONASAMA, Maria Elizabeth Arteaga Sanchezpresented the Brief advice guide for users of psychoactive substances, with a focus on risk and damage reduction. The document provides health personnel with technical, clinical and methodological tools to motivate change in people who consume psychoactive substances.
Risk reduction transforms the care model for mental health and addictions.
– HEALTH Mexico (@SSalud_mx) June 30, 2023
For his part, the member of CONASAMA, Hugo Gonzalez Cantu, stated that risk and harm reduction is a public health policy that seeks to overcome the prohibitionist approach. Also address the problems of substance use from the protection of the factors that exist around consumption, such as the community and the family.
He stressed that the prohibition strategies have negative consequences, such as the creation of a criminal black market, the displacement of people and the distancing of users from care services.
While the approach promoted by the federal government aims to support prevention and that people approach care services, whether they are consumers or who do not want to stop consuming.
Iapabús, a new strategy to bring information closer
The member of the CONASAMA, Fany Pineda Miradapresented the community outreach intervention through a bus called Iapabus. Its objective is to travel to different places in Mexico City to disseminate information and provide care in its two offices.
The Iapabús contributes to reducing the care gap by reaching communities where people do not usually go to health centers. They receive care and, where appropriate, are referred to one of the Community Mental Health and Addiction Centers.
Both the Iapabús and the Community Centers are part of a large care network that, together with general hospitals and clinics. They have made two million timely detections of psychosocial risk and provided treatment to 305,000 people.
“This is the first time that a risk and damage reduction strategy has been implemented as part of the government.”
The seminar was also attended by the representative of the Tijuana River Socio-environmental Project, of the civil association Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Alhelí Calderón Villarreal, and the academic from the University of Texas, Julia Lechuga, who presented successful community interventions in terms of risk reduction and damage.
Also read:
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López-Gatell fulfills its objective: Creates the first National Commission on Mental Health and Addictions
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