Drugs in Germany - Good News and Bad
The report saved its harshest criticism for the two addictive substances which are socially acceptable, alcohol and cigarettes. No other drug claims as any lives as these two substances. Every year, 100,000 people die due to tobacco-related causes; 40,000 fall victim to alcohol abuse. In comparison, the "hard" drugs like cocaine and heroin killed 1 835 people last year. -Deutsche Welle
European Legal Database on Drugs:Germany

Drug dogs to take the bus
Mr Debus said the powers were part of sweeping changes allowing police using sniffer dogs to randomly search patrons at pubs, clubs and other entertainment venues including sporting events, concerts, dance parties and parades..."Until now, police have been able to search areas not covered in the legislation by obtaining warrants in the usual way under section eight of the acts." -AAP
MAP Drug news:Australia
Comment

Nigerian Drug Rings Using Creative Tactics
For about two decades - ever since a group of Nigerian naval officers training in India began smuggling heroin in the early 1980s - this country has been a major transshipment center from Southeast Asia to the United States and Europe...The DEA says Nigerian-controlled couriers smuggle about 30 percent of the heroin sent to the United States. -Samson Mulugeta
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2001: Africa and Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Pacific (the pdf format for this report is also available here)

Military Means Cannot Solve Narcotics Problem: Chinese Police
"Though Yunnan Province is adjacent to the drug-making base in northern Myanmar and adversely affected by it, we never had plans to send troops or armed police there for smashing the drug-making centers,"...The fundamental policy on wiping out sources of drug-making is to bring about a social change, accelerate the regional economy of the "Golden Triangle" and alter the economic structure there, he said. -Xinhuanet
MAP Drug news: China

Thai nabbed with drugs in shoes
In them, they found plastic sachets containing thousands of yaba, or methamphetamine tablets - 2,913 in the left shoe and 2,967 in the right shoe. The tablets, the CNB said in a statement yesterday, are worth about $47,000. For importing controlled drugs, the minimum penalty under the Misuse of Drugs Act is five years' jail and five strokes of the cane. -The Straits Times
Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association

Fighting Drugs, Fighting Terror
In 2002, the federal government will spend more than a quarter of a billion dollars on counternarcotics research and development, including $5 million by the U.S. Customs Service, $30 million by the U.S. Department of Defense and $40 million by the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center (and excluding nearly $1 billion for related research by the National Institutes of Health). Now, high-tech companies that rely on drug-war dollars see an opportunity to increase their mission-and revenue-to include homeland security. By Alan Leo
Comment

Drugs and Crime, Viewed From Behind Bars
"The reason, for most of us was the same -- to obtain money to buy more drugs -- a fine, but crucial and profound distinction."...Chris advocates making drugs such as heroin and cocaine very inexpensive, and widely available, over the counter in pharmacies at the equivalent price of cheap alcohol. "Ever hear of a wino sticking someone up?" he asks. "They are annoying and killing themselves, but they aren't dangerous," he says. By Colbert I. King
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Rehabilitation Bill To Become Law In May
Under the bill being vetted by the House of Representatives, substance abusers are not regarded as criminals in law but patients who require rehabilitation...the community is urged to play an active role in drug rehabilitation efforts. Separating drug addicts from hardened criminals was one approach underscored by the bill. by Penchan Charoensutthipan
MAP Drug news: Thailand

Dangerous prescription drugs for sale
Medsafe spokesman Stewart Jessamine said yesterday Clonazepam was a drug for the control of epilepsy and it was illegal for anyone to be in possession of it without a prescription...while Clonazepam was an anti-convulsive drug, it was also a benzodiazepine such as Valium and "had the potential for misuse". -The Evening Post

Europe Moves Drug War From Prisons to Clinics
"The general trend across Europe, is an approach that focuses on the traffickers and does not pursue the drug user as a criminal...It assumes that drug use is a fact of life that society can’t stop, so policymakers should try to control the damage. The U.S. perspective, of course, is different. They seek to eliminate drug use by prohibition." By T.R. Reid
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
US Drug Policy: Drug Prohibition by Ernest Drucker

Former addict graduates with honours to kick habit
Christina, in her near eight years taking drugs, attempted to get off heroin in the past, from doing it by herself to attending clinics and residential rehab units. She was on a methadone programme for many years, but always returned to heroin..."I think I was doing it purely for my family and not for myself. If you do not want to get off, nobody will make you do it," she said. By John Breslin
About Methadone, The Methadone Handbook
ONDCP Heroin: Methadone (Adobe Acrobat File)
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Drug users need help not jail, say police chiefs
The report, A Review of Drugs Policy and Proposals for the Future, concluded: "Acpo looks forward to when detainees appearing in court following the misuse of class A drugs are able to have the opportunity to immediately access treatment that is proven to work." By Jason Bennetto