Abstract

GOMEZ SAN LUIS, Anel Hortensia; ALMANZA AVENDANO, Ariagor Manuel; SALINAS BOLDO, Claudia  and  BE RAMIREZ, Pedro Antonio. “We are like the cat's cat.”: small-scale drug dealing among university students in Baja California, Mexico. Rev. Guillermo Ockham [online]. 2022, vol.20, n.1, pp.65-76.  Epub Apr 06, 2022. ISSN 1794-192X.  https://doi.org/10.21500/22563202.5622.

Insecurity, violence, organized crime, small-scale drug dealing, and drug use are problems that have progressively increased in Mexico, particularly in the northern states of the country. This situation generated a grounded theory study in order to understand the meanings, experiences, and expectations of university students who participate in activities related to small-scale drug dealing. The study involved 32 university students (15 men and 17 women), enrolled in different faculties belonging to two public universities in Baja California. The results show that young people build their knowledge about drug trafficking from various sources. Their trajectories of drug use allow them to venture into small-scale drug dealing, either for continuing consumption, for power or social reaffirmation, for fun, for complicity with their peers or to obtain income. It is concluded that the university is a space used by some young people to socialize, consume, and sell drugs. University education does not guarantee the omission of illegal activities by its students; therefore, it is suggested to restructure crime prevention policies and programs, considering the meanings, experiences, and expectations of youth.

Keywords : drug trafficking; violence; addiction; social problem; university student; drug policy; crime prevention; empirical research; fieldwork; community.

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