I Choose My Future: a raw wakeup for youth in Tijuana with Rocky Herron and Jackie Nava

In an combined effort to safeguard the well-being of new generations, the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium hosted the powerful conference “I Choose My Future,” delivered by the renowned specialist and DEA agent, Rocky Herron.

The day, filled with reflection and honesty, featured the stellar presence of the legendary WBC world champion, Jackie Nava, who joined this call to motivate young people to make responsible decisions that define a future of success and health, away from addictions.

Through a stark and harrowing account, Rocky Herron shared his experiences from decades of service, exposing the grim reality of substance consumption. Herron spoke not only of statistics but of human pain: from stories of young people who lost their lives to the tragedy of babies born with withdrawal symptoms, suffering terrible pains that doctors can only control with doses of morphine.

“Wrong decisions lead us to a physical and emotional deterioration that inevitably leads to death,” emphasized Herron, who also pointed out with self-criticism that the United States is the largest consumer of drugs in the world, with more than 90,000 overdose deaths in the last year—a figure that far exceeds the losses sustained in the Vietnam War. He clarified that Mexico, which is the main transit area, is falling and succumbing to the evil and seductive appeal of addiction.

The speaker was emphatic in saying that this problem does not respect race, family, gender, beliefs, or age… it can happen to anyone, even to himself within his own family. He shared that his youngest daughter, age 11, went every weekend with her friend of the same age—he knew her family—but he never imagined that the 17-year-old son smoked marijuana with his parents’ consent; they even got it for him, with the excuse that they preferred he do it at home rather than out with friends.

Herron was plain and clear in stating that wrong decisions can lead us to a physical and emotional decline that can even lead to death.

The talk “I Choose My Future” is that reality check where Herron forces us to reflect on what we want for the future, where we want to be, and where we want to see our children and youth. He was clear in saying that after seeing this, no one can say that drugs are a smart or fashionable decision. He insisted that it is up to each of us to say NO and make the right choices; however, he clarified that it is a problem for EVERYONE that we must make visible and attack from all fronts.