THIS IS THE SORT OF STORY THAT PRECEDED THE INVASION OF PANAMA

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

[In fact, the largest factor supporting the illegal drug trade is our
disastrous war on drugs]

JUAN FORERO, WASHINGTON POST - Colombian drug kingpins in league with
corrupt Venezuelan military officers are increasingly using this country
as a way station for smuggling cocaine to the United States and Europe,
according to Colombian and U.S. officials. The Bush administration's
dismal relations with Venezuela's government have made matters worse,
anti-drug agencies say, paralyzing counter-narcotics cooperation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/27/AR2007102701426.html


||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

BRITISH TEEN USE OF POT FELL AFTER LAW WAS RELAXED

GUARDIAN - Gordon Brown's plans to tighten the law on cannabis by
increasing the penalties for possession suffered a fresh blow as the
latest official figures showed the decision to downgrade the drug had
been followed by a significant fall in its use. British Crime Survey
statistics showed that the proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds using
cannabis slumped from 28% a decade ago to 21% now, with its declining
popularity accelerating after the decision to downgrade the drug to
class C was announced in January 2004. . . .

The BCS figures published yesterday showed that cannabis is beginning to
lose its allure with teenagers. The proportion of frequent users in the
16-24 age group, who were using the drug more than once a month, fell
from 12% to 8% in the past four years. Since cannabis was downgraded the
proportion of young people using it has fallen each year from 25.3% in
2003-4 to 20.9% now. Among those aged 16 to 59, the proportion over the
same period has fallen from 10.8% to 8.2%.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/oct/26/drugsandalcohol.homeaffairs


||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||