1、CRS INSIGHTHeroin Production in Mexico and U.S. PolicyMarch 3, 2016 (IN10456) | Related AuthorsClare Ribando SeelkeLiana W. Rosen |Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American Affairs (cseelkecrs.loc.gov, 7-5229)Liana W. Rosen, Specialist in International Crime and Narcotics (lrosencrs.loc.gov
2、, 7-6177)The recent rise in heroin use in the United States has raised concerns among U.S. policymakers that more may need to be done to address opium poppy cultivation and heroin production at their foreign sources. The number of individuals in the United States aged 12 or older currently using her
3、oin (435,000 in 2014) has nearly tripled since 2002. Additionally, U.S. heroin overdose death rates have more than tripled since 2010. According to the State Department: Unless countries that are sources of production put resources towards fighting these illicit crops and those responsible for their
4、 spread, heroin and opioids will continue to fuel corruption, lawlessness, and public health crises worldwide.Role of Mexico as a U.S. Illicit Drug SupplierMexico is the main supplier to the U.S. market of heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Most heroin consumed in the United States is produced