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. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk