ANTIPROHIBITIONIST OF THE ENTIRE WORLD ....
Year 5 #46, Novembre 21 1999
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Weekly Action Report on Drug Policies
Edited by the CORA - Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination, federated to
- TRP-Transnational Radical Party (NGO, consultive status, I)
- The Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War
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director: Vincenzo Donvito
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Italy
- Concerning the anti-ecsatsy campaign: According to Marco Pannella, leader of the Radicals, the so-called "new" drugs are offsprings of prohibitionism: they exist only because the "old" variety are forbidden, whilst drugs like alcohol and tobacco are freely available. According to eurodeputy Maurizio Turco (Lista Bonino), the proposal by the right-wing National Alliance to force addicts to undergo clinical treatment shows clearly the Right's ideas of how to deal with addiction. The other eurodeputy Marco Cappato (Lista Bonino) extends thanks to singer Vasco Rossi for his declaration that "prohibitionism kills more people than do drugs themselves". Cora spokesman Giulio Manfredi point our that ecstasy has been forbidden since 1988 and that consequently there is no need for updating the blacklist, as the government is doing for propagandistic reasons: what are needed are mobile analysis units stationed in front of discotheques.
- Marco Pannella and Maurizio Turco point out that the right-wing coalition candidate running for supplementary elections in Bologna is confusing his ethical point of view against drugs with the law. They also note the absence of information on this theme.
- Marco Pannella is being tried for his free distribution of hashish in 1995 in a public square in Rome as a sign of civil disobedience against prohibition. There have been fifteen mass demonstration supporting him, and he himself has asked the court to convict him as is would do any other person in his place. The prosecution demanded four months' detention but the trial was suspended, Afterward Pannella pointed out how the trial was censored mainly by the TV network belonging to Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia; Berlusconi puts on a big act in public of "fighting against censorship" by opposing the government's proposed new equal-time law for all candidates before elections.
000891 13/11/99
E.U. / GERMANY
DRUG ADDICTION
FRANKFURTER
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Results of studies by mobile first-aid units for drug cases, 1994-98: Alcohol addiction is in first place, cannabis users who seek help increased by 30%, methodone became the second drug of choice, heroin remains number one among the heavies.
000892 17/11/99
E.U. / ITALY
DRUG ADDICTION
LA STAMPA
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Statistics by the anti-drug section of the Ministry of the Interior show a shift in the market between 1987 and 1998: less heroin (and fewer deaths), more cocaine, synthetic drugs and marijuana.
000890 17/11/99
E.U. / ITALY
HEALTH
IL GIORNALE
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The anti-heroin molecule that substitutes methodone is coming to Italy. Buprenorfine, already in use in other countries, will be given out free of charge by hospitals and the public services on drug addiction.
000884 17/11/99
E.U. / SPAIN
INFORMATION
EL PAIS
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The police will use any means to enhance the image of themselves, even that of videos taken during a brilliant anti-durg operation. Unfortunately these were staged fakes. Prosecutions are under way.
000880 13/11/99
AMERICA / COLOMBIA
JUSTICE
EL PAIS, HERALD TRIBUNE
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For the first time since 1990 the Columbian government has consented to the extradition of a drug dealer, J.O. Lara, alleged head of the heroin cartel. He risk life imprisonment.
000881 17/11/99
E.U. / ITALY
JUSTICE
CORRIERE DELLA SERA / IL MESSAGGERO / LA REPUBBLICA
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The prosecution has demanded four months imprisonment for Marco Pannella for his having handed out, free of charge, three grammes of hashish during an antiprohibition demonstration on 29th December 1995. His defence: the alleged crime is legally non-existent.
000882 16/11/99
ASIE / JAPAN / YOKAHAMA
JUSTICE
SUEDDEUTSCHE Z.
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Scandal: the police have charged several of their high officials with the suppression of evidence in order to protect a colleague involved in a drug-related crime.
000883 15/11/99
AMERICA
JUSTICE
FINANCIAL TIMES
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Mexico is being closely eyed by the US. The Americans are ready to act, if Mexico doesn't, in the matter of drug dealers linked to shipping firms with American property interests.
000885 17/11/99
E.U. / ITALY / MILAN
LAWS
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
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Famous bandit Renato Vallanzasca on the battle against crime: 'Above all, away with drug prohibition. Nine out of ten criminals wouldn't exist.'
000886 10/11/99
AMERICA
MARKET
NEUE ZUERCHER Z.
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Peruvian and Colombian police forces are helpess against 'black' cocaine, whic is undetectable by chemical tests or by sniffer dogs. The authorities know only that it is produced mainly in Colombia, passes through Peru and Panama, and ends up in the U.S. and in Europe.
000894 16/11/99
AMERICA / BRAZIL
NARCOMAFIA
EL PAIS 13-16
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The President of the Brazilian Republic, concerned about narcos infiltration in the State apparatus, has asked that the secrecy of bank accounts be abolished. All this while the Parliament is disscussing how to deal with drug traffic and while the police has found cocaine trading even inside the Senate.
000895 12/11/99
AMERICA / COLOMBIA / BOGOTA
NARCOS
LA STAMPA
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Car-bomb in Bogota: the most sanguinary attempt since 1993. The mayor of the city says that it is an answer to the Government's decision of extraditing some important drug traffickers from the USA.
000887 16/11/99
E.U. / GB
PREVENTION
THE TIMES
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After a study revealed that in Scotland a third of twelve-years-old used drugs it was decided to instal experimental closed-circuit TV cameras in school courtyards.
000888 12/11/99
E.U. / FRANCE
PREVENTION
LIBERATION
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The education ministry and anti-drug authorities distributed 780,000 copies of a booklet on drug behaviour of adolescents to teachers and public health personnel.
000889 11/11/99
E.U. / ITALY
PREVENTION
VARIOUS REPORTERS 11-18
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The government's anti-ecstasy plan: tax relief and an 'approved' certificate for 'clean and safe' discotheques, and a campaign via popular singer idols aimed at discouragment of ecstasy use. But the singers say 'don't instrumentalise us', and Vasco Rossi's message is that death comes as a result of prohibition, not of ecstasy'
000893 14/11/99
E.U. / ITALY
WAR ON DRUGS
IL MESSAGGERO
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Controlled heroin distribution: according to Luigi Cancrini, the swiss programme is valid but needs further verification. It is undaviseable for Italy because it would be too expensive and too easily exploited for political ends.
