Puebla deputy warns of drug use among children in schools

Morena deputy Kathya Sánchez Rodríguez has warned of increasing drug consumption and trafficking among children as young as eight years old in schools across Puebla, Mexico. The issue has been particularly noted in the Mixteca and Sierra Norte regions, including municipalities such as Ahuacatlán, Zongozotla, Huitzilan, and Chignahuapan.

To address this, Sánchez Rodríguez is advocating for the legal framework necessary to implement ‘operativo mochila’ (backpack checks) in schools, ensuring protocols respect student rights. She also highlighted the ‘Elige Vivir’ (Choose to Live) workshops, an initiative designed to strengthen addiction prevention and support vulnerable youth through coordinated efforts between health, security, and education institutions.

The legislator noted that poverty and hunger are significant risk factors that may facilitate the recruitment of minors by criminal groups for drug distribution activities.