EUROPE
AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TWO OFFICERS OF THE GERMAN POLICE ASK FOR A
REFORM OF DRUG POLICIES
During a hearing at the European Parliament, Mr. Jurgen ROTERS, the Prefect
of the police of the city of Koeln, and Mr. Peter FRERICHS, the
viceprefect of Frankfurt, have declared that the monitored distribution of
heroin can give drugaddicts better life conditions, preventing them from
becoming criminals.
CORA and the Parliamentarians for Antiprohibitionist Action share this
viewpoint and want to remind that 61 MEPs have submitted a proposal of
recommendation for "a public control system of illegal substances, that can
allow the medical prescription of those substances." Mr. Roters and
Frerichs's position is an encouraging first step towards the reform of drug
legislations.

ITALY
DEPENALIZATION: CORA WARNS AGAINST BUREAUCRACY
The Supreme Court of Appeal's decision of considering a crime the simple
sharing of a joint, sets a contradictory situation for the consumers. In
order to face the increasing amount of bureaucracy the worst enemy of the
rule of law a reform of the law is needed. CORA urges the government to
clarify its position on the matter, and reminds that a public proposal of
law, endorsed by over 50,000 citizens, waits at the Italian House of
Representatives. CORA also reminds that in the next months the Radical
leader, Mr. Marco Pannella, and other members of the Reformers Movement
will face trials for civil disobedience linked to the reform of drug laws.

PANAMA
A NEW "MALDIVES CASE?" OR ANOTHER "Mr. DINI CASE?"
An Italian citizen, Mr. Michele Zerbini, is detained for drugs. He has AIDS
and his life is at risk. Thanks to the intervention of the Apostolic Nuncio
the local authorities will not oppose his transfer to Italy. A letter
written by Mr. Zerbini to the Italian Foreign Minister, Mr. Dini, has not
received an answer yet. Senator Piero Milio (Reformers) has presented a
parliamentary interrogation, drafted by CORA, in which the government's
position is questioned. After a "Maldives Case" will we have a "Panama
Case"? Or the problem lies only in the Minister?

FRANCE
DESPITE LEFTIST GOVERNMENT DRUGS AND DEBATES REMAIN PROHIBITED
Jean Francois Hory MEP, President of CORA and the Transnational Radical
Party, has denounced the puritanism of the ruling gauche. Mr. Hory in
particular criticized the decision of the Prefects to impede the
demonstrations against Article 630 of the public Health Code that hinders
the reform of the law on drugs. The demonstrations were organized by
various organizations, among which the Greens, members of the government
coalition. CORA is struck by the unchanging attitude of French governments
even after the Socialist victory.

EUROPE
PARIS APPEAL
CORA has presented the Paris Appeal at the European Parliament asking
international institutions to grant freedom of treatment for drug addicts
and freedom of sanitary therapy for medics. The Appeal, supported in Italy
by many Medical Doctors, representatives of drugaddicts services and
officers of the public Health Service, will be soon launched all over
Europe.



ITALY
Offering a joint to a friend is drugtrafficking, the Supreme Court of
Appeal said. Conversely to what decided since January 1997, the court has
ceased a nonpunitive attitude towards soft drug users. The decision
introduces the concept of "codetention" which will be considered
indispensable for the indictment of individuals smoking in group.
(CORRIERE DELLA SERA, IL GIORNALE, IL MESSAGGERO, IL SOLE 24 ORE, LA
REPUBBLICA, LA STAMPA 17/06)

THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam European proliberalization of soft drugs militants want to
raise their voice during the governmental Eurosummit. Among other
activities, they will distribute joints in front of the seat of the
meeting.
(LA STAMPA 16/06)

ITALY
A recent research by the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome points out that the
use of methadone on HIV positive drugaddicts slows down and delays full
blown AIDS. Methadone related habits are less risky than other drugs'.
(LA STAMPA 16/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
Drug abuse, bad discipline and violence are increasingly common in the
Army. Even among the Life Guard, the body guard of the Queen, the use of
psychedelic drugs is increasing. In total, the number of soldiers convicted
for drug related crimes has increased up to 289, 36%.
(THE TIMES 15/06)

SPAIN
Madrid the police is constantly monitoring the drug dealing locations,
making the trade impossible. The tough line adopted by the City Council has
determined a dangerous situation with violent incidents among drugaddicts
in abstinence. The leftist opposition to this City policy has severely
commented on this strategy.
(EL PAIS, LA REPUBBLICA 15/06)

FRANCE
The Left that has won the elections, whose position on drugs is flexible,
will have a hard cohabitation with President Chirac. Mr. Jospin favors the
Dutch policy on soft drugs, while Mr. Chirac opposes any possible form of
legalization.
(LE FIGARO 16/06)

WORLD
Giorgio Giacomelli, Director of the UN program for drugs control, has
outlined the situation of the "drug phenomenon" in the world. The drug
economy is becoming a global economy, and the solution to the problem can
only be universal. The UN must become the tool for international
coordination.
(LE MONDE 17/06)

SWITZERLAND
A report by the Department of Social Affairs of Zurich on the controlled
distribution of heroin expresses a positive response of the 19941996
experiment. The sanitary condition of the patients have increased, many of
them have stabilized their condition and have started a new life in the
society. Further decisions on the matter will be taken by the national
government.
(NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG 13/06)

GERMANY
The Foreign Office of Bonn has warned German Tourists about drugrelated
crimes in foreign countries. A document from the Ministry lists the
penalties of many Arabic, Eastern and South American countries.
(SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 13/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
In the country with the highest number of drug consumers, the Football
Association has established antidrug tests (including cocaine) for all its
members, starting from 9 years of age. FA has presented the new policy
during a police national conference on narcotics.
(THE TIMES 18/06)

EUROPEAN UNION
Amsterdam The Council of Europe has adopted a common strategy on
"information exchange, evaluation of risks and control of new synthetic
drugs". The agreement, a combination between the police and the sanitary,
will allow governments to have more information on new products more
rapidly.
(LE MONDE 19/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
A recent University study points out the risks of the use of XTC. A pill
taken during the weekend has effects that can last for 3 or 4 days:
irritation, weakness and a depression.
(THE TIMES 19/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
A book by Mariam Stoppard, a "family guru", has provoked the protests of
numerous journalists of teenage magazine. In her "Questions Children Ask",
Ms. Stoppard invites parents to tell their children that marijuana is not
"too harmful, unless smoked regularly".
(THE TIMES 19/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
A research has underlined the tragic increase positive victims of the
antidrug test in car accidents. The new Government's plan will request
antidrug tests along with those antialcohol.
(THE TIMES 22/06)

GREAT BRITAIN
A new bibliography of Sigmund Freud by Paul Ferris, reveals that the
scientist was obsessed by cocaine for at least 40 years, and that he used
to prescribe it to his patients.
(THE TIMES 22/06)

GERMANY
The regional government of Slesien wants to oppose the denial of its
project of selling hashish in pharmacies. The representative of the local
Department of Health says that the justifications of the federal Institute
of Pharmacy are "arbitrary and fallacious from a juridical point of view".
(SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG 19/06)

EUROPE
The real damage that XTC can provoke will only be known in the next years.
All over Europe, among the 1,400 institutions (psychiatric clinics,
consultants, therapeutic communities) there is an increase in the demand of
information about XTC; results will be available in the next few years.
(DER SPIEGEL 23/06)

GERMANY
The young Liberals are for the legalization of hashish and marijuana.
Although the spokesman of the Liberal Party (FDP) officially rejected this
position, the FDP favors the controlled distribution of heroin for serious
cases of drugaddiction; SocialChristians (CDU) are against because they
say that the Swiss experiment of distribution cannot be taken as an example
of therapy for ceasing addiction.

CHINA
Last Thursday, in a football stadium with 10,000 people in Beijing, 14
people have been executed for drug trafficking, other 24 traffickers were
killed in Chengdu.
(EL PAIS, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG 20/06)

GERMANY
Hamburg In order to present a clean city to its visitors, the mayor of
Hamburg transferred drugaddicts from the central station to a suburb
neighborhood. The habitants of the hood, whether radical or conservative,
are very upset and are proposing unanimously the controlled distribution
and the liberalization of all drugs.

FRANCE
As for the past two years, the Prefect of Paris has prohibited the
demonstration "18 joint" that asked the cancellation of marijuana from the
list of narcotics. Thanks to the mobilization of the Greens and other
associations, Sunday 22 June, at Parc the la Villette, 2,000 people will
gather asking the depenalization for the use of marijuana. The police did
not intervene.
(LIBERATION 18/06; LE FIGARO 19/06; LE MONDE 24/06)