Mexico's Querétaro advances regulation of addiction treatment centers

State deputy Verónica Galicia Castañón reported that the effort to regulate addiction‑treatment facilities, known locally as "anexos," is moving forward after the Council for Addiction Prevention (CECA) changed leadership. The new CECA head asked each of Querétaro’s 18 municipalities to draft their own ordinances before a unified state law is assembled. Galicia said eight or nine municipalities have already made significant progress and that once all local rules are in place, the state legislature will integrate them into a comprehensive bill. Currently, the state lacks sufficient legal authority to sanction or close non‑compliant centers.

Separately, the Alianza Potosina de Centros de Tratamiento partnered with the Movimiento Ciudadano party to host a National Forum on Mental Health and Addictions. Participants, including Movimiento Ciudadano leader Marco Gama Basarte, urged that any future regulation be developed with input from families, specialists and treatment centers. The forum’s conclusions are intended to shape forthcoming legislative proposals, building on earlier discussions held in the state Congress with various political groups.