Coalition Development for Drug Prevention in Mexico: Challenges and Successes

Introduction:

Illegal drug use rose 87% from 2002 to 2011 in Mexico. Rates are 53% higher in the northern border region, where cities have been ravaged by drug cartels fighting for control over lucrative drug smuggling routes into the United States. To address this growing problem, nine community coalitions used the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to support drug demand reduction efforts in four northern Mexican cities. This study examines the challenges and successes faced by this network of community coalitions along the Mexico-U.S. border.

Method:

Coalitions completed a series of self-assessment surveys. First, 193 members from 9 coalitions completed a context and capacity assessment, which was compared to a sample of U.S. coalitions. Coalitions subsequently completed a coalition functioning survey and four questionnaires designed to assess fidelity to the SPF model. Additionally, coalition action plans provided information on the substance use prevention strategies implemented.

Results:

The social context faced by Mexican coalitions was less favorable than in the U.S., with higher perceived community problems, less community support for prevention, and less sense of community. Despite these challenges, coalitions demonstrated high levels of coalition functioning and were able to implement with fidelity more than 80% of the SPF components.

Implementing evidence-based drug prevention strategies proved challenging because most programs have not been translated into Spanish and none have been tested in Mexico. Further, coalitions were expected to implement environmental change strategies, which have a limited evidence-base. Coalitions implemented several participant-based prevention strategies, including educational workshops and sporting events that provide drug prevention information. However, environmental change strategies were the focus of the coalitions, including efforts to clean, repair, and beautify public spaces with the help of youth and parents. Efforts to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors and enhance vigilance at illegal drug distribution sites were also common environmental change strategies.

Conclusions:

The self-assessment and feedback process was warmly received by coalition members, who found it helpful in thinking through several relevant issues. Findings suggest the coalitions were capable of successfully implementing the SPF process and several drug prevention strategies despite a challenging social context. However, the evidence base supporting the strategies used is limited. An important challenge facing prevention scientists is the identification of low cost evidence-based substance use prevention strategies that are feasible in Mexico and other developing countries.