DRUGS-PERU: Consumption on the Rise among Women, Teens

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Abraham Lama

LIMA, Feb 5 2001 (IPS) - The Health Ministry, police and municipal authorities in the Peruvian capital and the nearby port city of Callao are coordinating their actions to curb drug consumption, which has increased in recent years among minors and women.

Experts point out that the age of initiation into drugs is dropping: while 40 percent of drug users started at age 12 in 1995, today a similar proportion begins at age 11 and among kids who just turned 12.

“Basic cocaine paste or marijuana is not only sold in high schools anymore, but in primary schools as well, in some socially vulnerable neighbourhoods,” said pyschologist Rosa Olivera, who works with a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) involved in drug abuse prevention.

“Even ecstasy, a designer drug that circulates only among middle- and upper-class youngsters due to its high cost compared to marijuana and cocaine, has begun to be consumed by teens as young as 14 in some of the elegant resort cities located in the coastal area south of Lima,” she added.

The increase in drug use stands in contrast to the widely lauded success of Peru, one of South America’s biggest coca producers, in reducing the output of drugs and illicit crops.

The National Police and town councils of the port of Callao and the district of Barranco in Lima have launched a programme emphasising community participation to fight juvenile delinquency and to handle minors detained in anti-drug operations.

Police underline the link between drug consumption and violent criminal conduct among the young at sports events and in clashes between neighbourhood gangs.

In Callao – the country’s leading port – alone, an estimated 2,000 youngsters ranging in age from 10 to 24 belong to gangs identified with a specific neighbourhood or football team, and tend to use drugs regularly.

Police say 56 gangs with clearly delimited territories have been identified in Callao, and have been involved in a number of turf wars or other violent incidents.

“After a pro-football match, or on the weekend in the ‘red light districts’ of bars and dance halls, huge street fights tend to spill over into vandalism against vehicles and aggression against passersby,” said educator Raúl Esteves.

The idea is to set up 60 “assistance posts” in Callao, which will operate in municipal offices or other civil institutions, or even in wooden booths built in parks or on busy streets.

“Local residents know the young people in their neighbourhoods, and are in a better position to dissuade them or help authorities crack down on the situation,” said Eulogio Rada, with the Lima-Callao Development Corporation. “Of course, anyone who takes action will have police protection.”

With the backing of another local NGO, Cedro, pamphlets are being drawn up to be distributed to parents, explaining how to tell if their children are using drugs, and how to handle the situation if they are.

Consumption is also on the rise among women, according to a report by the police National Anti-Drug Office (DINANDRO).

The report indicates that in the past four years, drug abuse among women has doubled in some poor urban areas, especially in Barranco, Callao and the ‘red light’ districts, as well as in several affluent residential areas.

“Although women consume less drugs than men – with consumption levels accounting for just one-tenth to one-sixth of the levels found among males – drug use is rising among women,” said a member of DINANDRO who asked not to be identified.

In poor neighbourhoods, drug use among women generally occurs in bars, dance halls and other hangout spots for the young, while the rise in consumption among women of the upper-middle and upper classes has been observed largely among professionals and women who command high salaries.

“Differences are also observed between men and women in the factors leading to early initiation into drug consumption,” Olivera pointed out.

The key element leading young women into drug abuse is peer pressure, as they are often made vulnerable by low self-esteem and insecurity. Among young men, meanwhile, ‘machismo’ is a key factor, with the challenge to engage in risky, “cool” behaviour, she added.

Although drug use per se is not penalised in Peru, people found in possession of drugs are taken into custody until it is determined whether the substances were destined for personal use or for sale.

“If drug abusers are caught repeatedly, they are admitted to special rehabilitation centres, and if they are minors, they are turned over to the custody of their parents,” said Daniel Vásquez with Cedro.

But individuals detained with more than 200 grams of marijuana, 100 grams of basic cocaine paste, or 25 grams of cocaine hydrochloride are treated as small-time dealers, and face prison sentences, Vásquez explained.