SURVEY OF GERMAN LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS FOR 10 FEB 99:

The Frankfurter Rundschau contains an article on the upcoming
‘certification’ date: a 'hated' date for Mexico (March 1st): "Mexico wants
good marks - USA to bestow Drug-Certificates on Central America"

Mexico correspondent Rita Neubauer writes: "March 1st is a hated date for
the Mexican government. On that day its efforts in the war on drugs will be
judged by the USA.

Mexico has prepared for it. In order to avoid bitter controversy, it
announced, in early February, a ‘total war’ against drug trafficking,
pledging, with the help of 500 million dollars, to reduce the flow of drugs
through Mexico to the USA within the next three years.

The program is not only to strengthen Mexico’s border surveillance, it is
intended also, above all, if not to win an 'unwinnable war', to pacify
Washington’s critical spirits. For even though no one expects the
certification to be denied, a pass with honors is not anticipated. Last
year’s ‘Persil-clean’ stamp for a frictionless cooperation was granted with
bad grace. And Columbia was rejected with threats of economic and political
sanctions.

The situation has changed little since. While Columbia continued to produce
quantities of raw cocaine, most continued to flow through Mexico to the
USA. That there was no reduction can be gauged from the enormous increase
in the amounts of drugs seized. The amounts seized went from 35 tons of
cocaine in 1997 to 105 tons in 1998; whilst the marihuana seizures went
from 1039 tons in ’97 to 4024 tons in ’98. At the same time the arrest rate
for drug offenses quadrupled.

The Mexican authorities see these figures as a proof of success. Their
critics say they show Mexico has not ‘produced’, has not reduced the flow
of drugs. It could do nothing, moreover, to stem the increasing power of
the Mexican drug cartels. Until just 15 years ago, these were primarily
concerned with the business of home-grown marihuana. They now control not
only the Mexican market, but have taken over the distribution of drugs in
the USA.

Columbia was reprimanded by the USA last year when Barry McCaffrey,
according to an AP report, said the cocaine production levels had risen by
26%. The cocoa plantations were concentrated for the most part in southern
areas controlled by rebels and paramilitaries. Opium production was also
said to be ‘significant’. As against that, Peru and Bolivia were said to
have made ‘unbelievable’ progress in the drug war, resulting in a
reduction, within a three year period, of round 250 tons in the Andes region.

Copyright Frankfurter Rundschau 1999

Drug Enforcement a Proven Failure:

M. Helberg, M. Bruhns, und G. Schomaker contribute to an article in the
Berliner Zeitung (http://www.berlinonline.de) which reports on the
outspoken support state Attorney General Dieter Neumann expressed for the
proposed trial of heroin distribution to hard core addicts: "Drug
enforcement measures alone cannot solve the problem," he told the Berliner
Zeitung. "It is time to try new ways."

The Senate agreed Tuesday to hold talks with the federal government on the
projected trial. On Thursday, experts from director Elfried Koller’s state
office of drug control will meet with representatives of the federal health
ministry to discuss matters of detail. Planning thus far is for the
treatment of hard core addicts, who have dropped out of Methadone programs,
under the strict supervision of medical and psycho-social experts. There
are approximately 200 such hard core addicts in Berlin.

Ingrid Srahmer (SPD) wants answers to questions before participating. "It
is still unclear," she said, "what the selection criteria are for program
participants; also whether the program results will be judged on the same
basis as those of the methadone programs." Senate speaker Butz (CDU) spoke
clearly: "The trial is not just a distribution of free heroin." he said.
"The Berlin approach is based on prevention through education, prosecution
of dealers, and therapy for addicts. We will not forsake drug enforcement.
We must be careful that we send no wrong signals."

No matter what misgivings we may have regarding the success of the project,
said attorney general Neumann, "we must not demonize it in advance. In no
way should it be turned into an ideological struggle. The attempt to rescue
people from misery is good. We must wait and see whether it will succeed."

Ingo Warnke, Synanon, and Rainer Duelfort, director of Caritas Aid for
Addicts, were less hopeful, saying only symptoms were being treated.
Guenther Honitz, president of the medical doctors’ association, supported
the project. "Just as diabetics receive insulin, so too, should addicts
receive heroin under medical supervision," he said.

Ein Service von Berliner Zeitung, TIP BerlinMagazin, Berliner Kurier und
Berliner Abendblatt. Copyright G+J BerlinOnline GmbH, 10.02.1999

Also reported by The Berliner Zeitung (http://www.berlinonline.de) though
in less positive fashion.

In Brief:

The Swiss Neue Zuercher Zeitung (http://www.nzz.ch) reports on the sad
results of an investigation into tobacco mortalities in China. They amount
to one million a year. When one takes the time delay into account before
the results become visible, the epidemiologues foresee three million
fatalities annually by 2050.

The Berliner Zeitung (http://www.berlinonline.de) reports that around 14%
of drug fatalities amongst Berlin's 7-8,000 addicts, die every year of
'heroin overdose'. The remainder die of a mixture of cocaine and alcohol.
It is not clear whether the reason for the fewer heroin deaths should be
attributed to injection rooms or heroin distribution.