MEXICO CITY, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The number of Mexicans who are addicted to illicit drugs has risen 47 percent since 2011, the National Commission Against Addiction (Conadic) said on Monday.
In its 2016-2017 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption released to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Conadic said 8.4 million Mexicans aged between 12 and 65 have tried an illegal drug at least once.
The survey reveals that some 5.7 million people have tried marijuana, cocaine or other banned substance, a 47-percent rise from 2011, said Manuel Mondragon, a Conadic member.
The segment of the population with the highest increase in illicit drug use is women, he said.
While the consumption rate among men rose 25 percent from 4.8 million to 6.5 million in that period, the rate among women doubled, climbing from 926,000 to 1.9 million.
"For each female addict there are three male addicts. However, that pattern is changing," the survey showed.
Mondragon called for more preventive and treatment measures to reduce the demand for illicit drugs, especially among young adults.
Health Minister Jose Narro said that the results of the survey "are not encouraging".
