WORLD
The UN, through education campaigns, will ask Governments to take action in support of demand reduction of illicit drugs for the next 10 years. The initiative, proposed by UNDCP Chief Pino Arlacchi, will be finalized at the March meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna. (FINANCIAL TIMES 9/3)
GREAT BRITAIN
The Government will spend 50M sterling to publicize an anti-drug message targeting kids around 6 years of age, as well as prisons to create 'drug-free' zones. The strategy will be presented this Spring by the 'anti-drug czar' Keith Hallawell. (THE TIMES 18/3)
SOUTH AMERICAN
Pino Arlacchi is convinced that South America can eradicate coca, and therefore has offered a deal to the campesinos proposing them alternative crops.
(CORSERA 27/2-1/3, IL MESSAGGERO 5/3, THE ECONOMIST 7/3)
U.S.
The list of the countries that meet the criteria for the 'war on drugs' - the so-called 'certification' - has been presented to the public. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has stated that "we need to change way of fighting, enforcing international institutions." Mexico, considered fully cooperative, has been certified, but for many politicians and experts, this can endanger the credibility of the whole operation. Colombia, not certified, has nevertheless obtained the suspension of sanctions.
(EL PAIS, FINANCIAL TIMES, IL SOLE 24 ORE, NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 27/2, INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 27/2-3/3, FRANKFURTER ZEITUNG, LE MONDE, SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 28/2, IL GIORNALE 1/3, THE ECONOMIST 7/3)
RUSSIA
Moscow - the first official multidisciplinary study on drugs has been presented. Politicians, physicians, sociologists, and police estimate that addicts are around a million people (10 million if people who inhale glue are included), this can triple in a year. Since 1992, there has been an increase in consumption of 350%.
(EL PAIS 4/3)
FRANCE
Some 250 personalities of the cultural scene have signed a petition in which they declare to have used illegal drugs, and ask for a change in the current drug law. The initiative has been promoted by Act-Up Paris.
(LE FIGARO 26-7/2, LIBERATION 26/2, FRANKFURTER ZEITUNG, NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG, 27/2, LE MONDE 26-7/2, 1-5/3)
ITALY
Marco Pannella and other militants of the Reformers movement, have been remanded to trial for having distributed for free some narcotics during an antiprohibition demonstration. The most important allegation, incitement of drug use, has been dropped. The trial will start in a year.
(CORSERA, IL GIORNALE 26/2)
CHINA
Shanghai - a new anti-cough medicine made of codeine is very trendy in these days. Produced in Guandong, it is circulating in discos of the city, and recently was also found in Beijing. The 'narcotic' effect of the substance is given by 120 milligrams of codeine, twice as much as fixed by the law.
(SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 3/3)
GERMANY
The guild of physicians asks for a correction of direction in the policy on drugs. Member of the presidency Ingo Fengler thinks that one should experiment the controlled distribution of heroin to serious addicts. The decision, far from being a capitulation to drugs, is aimed at improving the socio-sanitary conditions of heroin addicts.
(FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE, NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG, SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 4/3, 7/3, DER SPIEGEL 9/3)
ARGENTINA
A crossroad for drugs, Argentina is not an important producer of illicit substances, nor has a high number of addicts (around 1% of the population). Buenos Aires, a big financial city, is becoming a very important center for money laundering activities. The most worrying aspect of the Argentine situation is that Argentina does not have any radar control, allowing in this way drug dealers to operate without problems in the northern part of the country.
(NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG 4/3)
GERMANY
Contrarily to what thought so far, crack consumers, are not unreachable or aggressive against those who want to help them. In Frankfurt, the experience of the "Crack-Street-Project" has revealed that 76 out of the 400 consumers have accepted a bed for a night, sanitary counsel, and drug-rehabilitation treatments. These promising figures encourage the continuation of the project.
(FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE 11/3)
SPAIN
Madrid - European and American scientists defended medical marihuana at an International Symposium on Cannabis and the Brain held at the Fundacion Ramon Areces. According to them, the plant is effective in treating people with cancer and multiple sclerosis, but is not addictive.
The National Plan on Drugs, established by the ad hoc Governmental committee, will destine this year the majority of its funds - 3,300M pesetas - to the prevention of addiction and to help the rehabilitation of drugs victims.
(EL PAIS 9-10/3, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE 11/3)
ITALY
Milan - As an antiprohibition initiative, activists of the Social Center 'Leoncavallo' have sown a field of kompolti, a Hungarian version of cannabis with a thc percentage around 3%, a legal production that also implies some EU contributions.
(IL GIORNALE 10/3)
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