In Mexicali, a city on Mexico’s border with the United States, they are facing a worrisome synthetic opioid crisis, particularly fentanyl. Elena, a heroin user for 20 years, fears for her safety after suffering a near-fatal overdose last year. She discovers that the drug she buys on the street is laced with fentanyl, a fact that many users are unaware of. To protect himself, he goes to La Sala, a safe place where users can consume drugs and avoid crises.
Said Slim, coordinator of Verter, the non-governmental organization behind La Sala, comments that since 2019, all heroin tests have come back positive for fentanyl. The organization’s records show an alarming increase in overdoses, with authorities reporting daily deaths in Mexicali, a city of one million people.
La Sala provides consumption kits to prevent illness and monitors the health of users. Homeless people and sex workers also come to the site for counseling and support. Ricardo, another heroin user, stresses the importance of La Sala and naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an overdose.
The synthetic opioid crisis in Mexicali is part of a broader problem affecting the United States. It is estimated that more than 70,000 people have died in the United States from synthetic opioid poisoning, primarily fentanyl. Although the United States accuses Mexican cartels of being responsible for fentanyl production and trafficking, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador denies that it is produced in Mexico and blames China.
Despite the efforts of La Sala and other organizations, the fentanyl crisis continues to claim lives in Mexicali. Lack of access to naloxone and the lethal mixture of heroin and fentanyl pose challenges to authorities and emergency services. Elena, Ricardo, and other users face daily addiction and the constant danger that fentanyl poses in their community.