Pubdate: Sat, 14 Sep 2002
Source: Reuters (Wire)
Copyright: 2002 Reuters Limited
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

EU PLEDGES TO HELP AFGHANS STOP PRODUCING HEROIN

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The European Union said on Saturday it would help
Afghans stop producing heroin as a way to earn a living in a drive to fight
drug trafficking and drug abuse inside the EU.

The EU's fledgling police agency, Europol, said more than 6.6 tonnes of
heroin was seized in the EU in 2000, most of it from the so-called Golden
Crescent region formed by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"Afghanistan is an area of priority," said Danish Justice Minister Lene
Espersen, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. "What we have to
do is cooperate with (EU) foreign ministers on what we can offer the Afghan
people instead of producing heroin."

Many poor Afghan farmers cultivate opium poppy, from which heroin is made,
because it is more lucrative than other crops.

Espersen did not specify what kind of aid the 15-nation bloc would offer to
Afghanistan.

At street level, heroin prices in Europe are between 30 to 340 euros per
gramme, according to the 15-nation bloc's drug monitoring centre in Lisbon.

Espersen also said the EU would crack down on production, distribution and
abuse of synthetic drugs such as Ecstasy, most of which is produced in
laboratories inside the EU.

About 17 million Ecstasy tablets were seized in the EU in 2000 up from 11.7
million the year before.
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