20,000 Narco Tienditas in Mexico City

Mexico City: In January 2017, this Capitol City's Public Security Minister released a census with the number of places for the sale and distribution of drugs and illicit substances : 20, 000.

The "Narcomenudeo" or retail daily drug sales has grown exponentially during the past three years and although the authorities know of the problem, they have basically ignored it, nor have they sized it up. In 2015 the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) was aware of 13,000 points and /or places of sales of narcotics.

The sale of narcotics now takes place on soccer fields, parks, recreational areas, neighborhoods, grocery stores, "ambulatory sales ", taco stands, convenience stores, garages, alley-ways, in front of police stations and across from schools. As a matter of fact; the statistics show that there is at least one "Tiendita/Puesta", ie, point of sale of marijuana and other illicit drugs for every two two schools in Mexico City.

They are also showing up on WhatsApp, a smart phone/computer app especially popular with Mexicans and Latinos.

There are area demarcations such as Milpa Alta, Magdalena Contreras, Xochimilco, Tlalpan,  and Tlahuac, neighborhoods that have customs and practices, where the actual sales and consumption of

drugs used to be less; however, the latest statistics show that  use by young people at secondary school level is on the increase, more on par with other neighborhoods where drug use is popular, thus raising the number of "tienditas" or selling locations of illicit substances.  Your basic supply and demand routine.

The report emphasizes that areas bordering the actual city limits is where the increase in retail sales has been shown, as well as in the delegations in Mexico City's center of the Capitol of the country. Delegation Gustavo A. Madero tops the list; where in most Colonias or neighborhoods marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth and psychoactive drugs in pill form can be readily purchased.

Next is Iztapalapa, where where cocaine and the psychoactive substances have greater demand; which presents yet another problem : Consumption of these drugs begins as early as 13 years of age.

Cuahtemoc, in La Zona Rosa area, the Roma-Condesa corridor , El Centro and Tepito are where most of the points of sale have been documented: here in the street anyone can get anything.

This "drug corridor" begins here and extends to Venustiano Carranza, Miguel Hidalgo, Alvaro Obregon, Azcapotzalco, and Coyoacan, which worries authorities, because 24/7 especially cocaine and crystal meth are being consumed, leaving smoking marijuana, ( mota, a joint) in the dust: leading to the escalation in violence, reflected in the statistics in the same corridor by the number of criminal homicides (and may I add: femicides).