Luis Estrada-Tafolla

HLTH – 1050

Reflection

Throughout the course of the Life, Society, and Drugs we spoke about multiple

interesting topics like Mexican and South American drug cartels, Heroin and Opiates,

Amphetamines and Cocaine, Marijuana, Tobacco and Alcohol. All which have an impact on the

community, not only locally but Internationally as well. Drug trafficking is occurring globally,

heroin can be produced from Mexico, South America, and Afghanistan being the world’s biggest

producer. Fentanyl being produced in Mexico and its biggest producer China. Krokodil is well

known in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Germany and Norway. The coca plant known

better in its purist form cocaine is widely produced in South America, Colombia is the main

producer of illegal cocaine with Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Marijuana is native the Central Asia,

the Indian subcontinent, and Japan. Drugs coming from all over the world causing negative

impacts on the community no matter where its from. In Columbia, the cocaine epidemic is

making young people work within the drug industry to try and make a living for themselves.

Making the minimum amount of money to pick the cocoa leaves, they have no other choice since

its one of the biggest sources of possible income for the small towns/communities.

But one of the topics that had a deeper meaning and connected to multiple issues that

involved Life, Drugs, and Society was the Drug Cartel problems that are currently happening at

this very moment. It’s much more than a supply and demand kind of deal, I feel like its deeper

and more personal situation. The Mexican and South American drug cartels produce the majority
of the drugs in the North, Central, and South Americas. The United States of America being the

biggest consumer of these drugs from the Mexican and South American cartels, some people say

because of the cartels the United States have a problem with the consumption of illegal narcotics.

In my personal opinion, yes, I do think partial of the problem here in in the United States are

because of the drug cartels but like I mentioned before it’s much more than a simple supply and

demand. The people that consume these illegal drugs aren’t just injecting, snorting, smoking, etc.

It’s not just because the people want to do it, but because at the point they’re at is more of a

need. They have serious withdraws that effect the body like pain in the body, behavioral and

psychological issues, serious mood swings, seizures, trembling, vomiting, and much more. The

point is that people don’t have the medical attention they need in order to stop consuming the

drugs that come across the Mexican American border. It isn’t that simple to just stop when they

feel like it, they do need medical attention, they do need support but it’s a very difficult situation

to be in when they’re living on the streets or living alone with no moral support.

Going back to the source of the illegal drugs in Mexico, it does have a dramatic effect on

the community as well. Just like the situation in Columbia and the coca leaves, the people of

Mexico in the small towns and communities only have such small opportunities to actually make

a good income for family or themselves without being involved in the Narcotic environment.

There is a tremendous amount violent crime occurring every single day. Ruining the lives of

families and slaughtering the Mexican governments. So, the problem isn’t only where the drugs

destination ends but also has a negative impact on where it begins as well. It isn’t simple when

people join the cartels, coming from personal experience, once one person of the family joins,

they drag the rest of the family members into the deal as well. So, it isn’t simple to just quit the
cartels because they know where the family lives, they know who you care about. It’s a deal that

you make with them and it’s not up to you to decided when you leave. Either you stay with them

until you fulfill your deal, or they force you to stay one way or another. The stress it puts on

families being on both sides of the stories isn’t something to overlook, there is serious problems

that occur for a simple drug deal and we as people need to open our eyes and realize not only to

blame it one but to see the background and why its happening.