Antiprohibitionist action report

11 December, 1997 - (Year 3) #22

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CO.R.A. |

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Radical | Association federated with

Antiprohibitionist | the Transnational

Coordination | Radical Party

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OLD - Observatory of laws on drugs

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PAA - PARLAMENTARIANS FOR

ANTIPROHIBITIONIST ACTION

European campaign for the revision

of international conventions

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Via di Torre Argentina 76

00186 ROME

Tel:+39-6-68.97.91

Fax:+39-6-68.80.53.96

E-mail: cora.italia@agora.stm.it

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Rue Belliard 97

c/o European Parliament

Rem 5.08

1040 BRUSSELS

Tel:+32-2-230.41.21 - 646.26.31

Fax:+32-2-230.36.70

E-mail: cora.belgique@agora.stm.it

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*CORAnet http://www.agora.stm.it/coranet (in Italian)

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Director: Vincenzo Donvito

All rights reserved

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ITALY - ANTIPROHIBITIONISTS ON TRIAL

Rome - Thursday, Dec. 4. Activists responsible of the 1995 hashish distribution have been put on trial. For that action Marco Pannella has already been sentenced to four months in jail (the sentence was turned into eight months of restricted liberty). After the call of testimony the trial has been rescheduled for May 21, 1998. Next trials for Pannella's hash distribution during a TV program and in Piazza Navona are scheduled for the next months. Rita Bernardini and Lucio Berte' are investigated for their distribution in Milan last October.

ITALY - GIORGIO INZANI, PHYSICIAN AND "THEREFORE" DRUG DEALER

Giorgio Inzani, antiprohibitionist and long-time radical, is a physician who, after having fought for freedom of therapies, has been treating for six years drug-addicts. Today the Court of Milan wants to prosecute him as a drug-dealer for his "non-therapeutic prescriptions" of methadone. Magistrates did not accept all the necessary documentation that points out the legitimacy and transparency of his behavior. Prohibition is, time and again, the "regime of ignorance" about citizens' rights and duties as well as on science and political responsibilities. Prohibition ends up forbidding everything: drugs, cures, rights, justice and the law. Thanks to cases like the Inzani one, we have another alarming and ridiculous demonstration of this very fact.

ITALY - THANKS TO CORA ACTION ALERT, PIEDMONT REGION CHANGES ITS SANITARY PROGRAM.

After the Regional Council adopted the modifications required by the Government, the Sanitary Program of the Piedmont Region is now under scrutiny of the Counsel of Ministers. CORA and the Greens took to court the program because it was in contrast with the national law. Now those responsible for the local Sanitary offices will have to make their own decision on the matter. It is interesting to note how the central Government, in various documents, demonstrates that it does not know the law it should enforce.

UN - SHAME ON ARLACCHI

Prohibition has failed all over the world, but the UN anti-drug bureaucracy, starting from its Chief Mr. Pino Arlacchi, does not want to admit it. His latest decision is to struck a deal with those who handle the trafficking: today the Talibans, tomorrow the people of the "Golden Triangle" or the South American narcos or Cosa

Nostra. For the UN, Human and Civil rights of the people living in countries that produce drugs - often authoritarian regimes - have the same importance of some poppy seeds or coca leaves. On the other hand in Western countries the market will readjust itself damaging consumers.

ITALY - NARCOTIZED INFORMATION OR IGNORANCE?

"Il Sole 24 Ore" the most authoritative Italian economic newspaper, has recently published an article in which a professor of law states that penal sanctions are a deterrent against drug consumption, and that the 1993 referendum has favored the increase in deaths by overdose. The distinguished professor perhaps is not aware that in the early 1990s OD deaths were less because figures did not include AIDS-related deaths. 1990s, data on the other hand do. Once again, partial information and deviating data on drugs.

ITALY

Puglia - Sometimes students use the restroom to smoke a joint. After some parental complaints, now students, before leaving the classroom, will be asked to sign a register. The decision was made by the directors of two high schools in the province of Bari and Lecce.

(CORSERA, IL GIORNALE, LA STAMPA, 29/11)

ITALY

Cagliari - After three years of investigations the prosecutor of the local criminal court has determined that a teenager aged 16, found dead in 1994 in a small lake around the city, was killed by some youngsters because he refused to smoke hashish. The two have been charged of voluntary killing.

(IL GIORNALE, IL MESSAGGERO, LA REPUBBLICA 28/11)

GREAT BRITAIN

The Home Office has published the results of "Project Charlie" an American program on drug-prevention that involved youngsters aged 8-10. Pupils have attended classes for over a year on drug characteristics and a program for the enforcement of self-esteem. Contrarily to the average 70% of their contemporaries, only 30% of the students that participated in the program tried smoking tobacco.

(THE TIMES, 26/11)

ITALY

An organization of marihuana traffickers set up by the Italian and Albanian Mafias has been recently discovered. Links between the two Mafias are more and more evident also on weapons smuggling.

(LA STAMPA, 29/11)

COLOMBIA

The Parliament has reestablished the principle for extradition of Colombian citizens. The vote, 119 in favor and 38 against, sets a constitutional reform, but did not fulfill the U.S. requirement on retroactivity. In this way the new Colombian law protects all the traffickers already indicted and jailed in Colombia, like Cali cartel's bosses. President Samper's approval of the new law is expected in the next few days.

(EL PAIS 26-27/11, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE, LE FIGARO, LIBERATION, NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG, SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG, 27/11)

RUSSIA-COLOMBIA

The two countries agreed on a joint plan to effectively fight narco-traffickers. During his visit to Bogota', Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Promakov signed a formal agreement with his Colombian counterpart Ms. Maria Emma Mjia. Among other things the documents sets criteria for sharing prompt information on national judiciary activities on the matter.

(NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG 28/11)

AFGHANISTAN

The crop eradication project proposed to the Talibans by UNDCP Chief, Mr. Arlacchi is raising a lot of concern in Italy. The project has recently obtained the green light from the White House; it calls on Governments to do their utmost to eradicate narcotics with any possible means.

(CORSERA, IL GIORNALE 27/11, INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 28/11, 1/12, DER SPIEGEL, SUDDEUSCHE ZEITUNG, 1/12)

SWITZERLAND

According to a study issued by the police, almost every criminal organization has an operative office in the country. The activities carried out in Switzerland are all related to money laundering.

(EL PAIS 28/11)

U.S.

Heantos, the new herbal treatment against heroin addiction invented by a Vietnamese worker, will be tested by two American Universities. According to the Government, since 1991 over 4,000 opium, cocaine and heroin addicts have been successfully treated with this secret potion. The international scientific community remains skeptical.

(FINANCIAL TIMES 1/12)

EUROPE

All over the Continent drug-related policies are facing a revolution. In Zurich, heroin addicts can inject "public" heroin in "public" locations. Starting from next May, in the Netherlands the same thing will be possible in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. German experts are pushing for the adoption of similar projects in some cities. In France, the Minister for Health has asked for the controlled distribution of heroin and cannabis.

(THE TIMES 1/12, LE FIGARO 3-5/12, LIBERATION 2/12, IL GIORNALE 3/12, LE MONDE 3-6/12)

THE NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam - the annual "Cannabis Cup" recently took place. The contest is organized by the American magazine "High Times" and the local association of coffee-shops. The weeklong event was attended by smokers coming from all over the world.

(L'EXPRESS 10/12)

U.S.

Plano, Texas - The recent number of OD has focused the media attention on the small Dallas suburb. The cause of the deaths is related to a certain type of heroin called "chiva", a pill that mixes heroin and sleeping narcotics. Due to its low price, all over the country there is a heroin renaissance that is handled by Colombians that are challenging the Mexicans. Heroin is more addictive than cocaine and is more lucrative, it is also easier to transport.

(THE ECONOMIST 6/12)

GERMANY

After the Hamburg and Frankfurt example, Hannover will be the third city to introduce a sanitary unit for drug-addicts. They can inject their doses under medical control and away from the eyes of the police. The project is financed by the Municipality of the Saxon region.

(FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE, SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 9/12)