Cancun, Quintana Roo — The Municipal Institute Against Addictions (IMCA) in Benito Juárez has begun specialized follow-up for minors detained during a preventive operation at a recent motorcycle rally.
Alberto Ortuño Báez, head of the agency, confirmed that after 52 arrests for administrative infractions, the first formal contact has been made to enroll a young person in a rehabilitation process. He stressed that institutional intervention depends strictly on the willingness and awareness of parents.
Because the detainees are minors, IMCA cannot act unilaterally. The protocol involves providing contact information to guardians so they can request support.
“We cannot refer a minor without parental authorization, so we give the information to the parents so they can contact us and we can offer a rehabilitation process,” Ortuño Báez said. He urged families not to ignore substance use, warning that what starts as an administrative infraction can quickly escalate to criminal offenses.
Regarding the substances detected, Ortuño Báez lamented that marijuana remains the most impactful drug among young people due to its low cost and easy access.
The agency aims to intensify prevention efforts through talks and workshops to prevent experimental use from becoming permanent addiction. “We need more talks, more events, and more preventive messages. Prevention is key; we have reactive actions to what already exists, but we need to prevent so that today’s users do not become chronic users,” he said.
IMCA continues to operate through mental health workshops, awareness campaigns, and technological tools such as virtual reality to educate youth.
