I have received some data from Colombia that look interesting

(source: "A Luchar", Bogotà, Colombia):

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Violence in Colombia

June 1988 - May 1989

Total number of murders: 12,383

Murders connected to the drug trade: 232 (1,87%)

Murders for political reasons: 5,235 (42,27%)

The reasons for the remaining murders are unknown.

"Currently a kilo of cocaine paste, as a raw material, costs approximately 800 dollars; once it has been purified and refined in a laboratory, it's value increases to 4,000 dollars, and once it has reached the importing country the price goes from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars. Commercializing it to small dealers, in quantities for personal consumption, the value increases according to it's destination. In Europe and in Japan a kilo of cocaine can cost up over 50,000 dollars...

The impact of the money produced by the traffic trade on the colombian economy can consist of up to 37% of the total national income.

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Just two remarks:

- In Latin America the "drug war" seems to be covering up a real political war;

- if tobacco were prohibited tomorrow, for our well-being and health, it's price would increase tremendously, and the poor tobacco-addicts would have to commit robberies to find a sigarette.

"Luckily", american Marlboro producers will never allow this prohibtionism to occur....