Shocking but true – gunmen killed 18 under treatment drug abusers in a rehabilitation center in Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city, bringing to light the current scenario of illicit drug trade and drug abuse in the country. On 2nd September at around 7.15 am a group of 8 gunmen broke open one of the doors of the center, lined up the victims against the wall and fired them.
This is the third time that a drug rehabilitation center has been attacked in Ciudad Juarez. In one of the attacks the gunmen killed 8 patients and injured 6 others. Mexico has been struggling with domestic consumption of drugs and trafficking for quite some time. According to reports of a government survey released last year, there are 460,000 drug users in the country which is 51% higher than the number of users six years back. As a response to this intensification of the problem, several rehabilitation centers have sprung up many of which are not regulated properly. The center in which the incident occurred is located near the border where drugs and prostitution is rampant.
The state authorities of Chihuahua are of the opinion that rehab centers have turned to hideouts for drug smugglers who are being sought by the police and the other rival gangs. The drug cartels also use them as training and recruitment centers.
Such incidents are absolute confirmation of the fact that the escalating problem of violence and crime related to trafficking of drugs is going beyond control. Rehabilitation centers are places where hapless people come with some hope of overcoming their crisis. It is strange how such incidents could happen repeatedly in a place where security of the patients should be the topmost priority of the authorities. Is it just the end of another drug addict or is it the end human lives who had the right to live like any other fellow beings?
Tags: Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, drug abuse, drug abuser, Drug Addiction, drug free home, drug rehab center, drug test, illicit drug trade, Mexico, Rehabilitation centers
