Pubdate: Fri, 31 Jan 2003
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2003 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: David Gonzalez, New York Times

CUBA: CRACKDOWN ON DRUG PRODUCTION

The Cuban government has announced a crackdown on vice, acknowledging that 
the country not only has a problem with drug use, but also with domestic 
production. The campaign was announced this week in Granma, the Communist 
Party newspaper, which said that those found guilty of using, selling or 
growing drugs would lose their homes, among other penalties. The government 
decree also singled out prostitution and other antisocial offenses. The 
decree is the first public acknowledgment that some farmers were growing 
marijuana in the countryside. Although the government has always maintained 
that domestic drug use is lower than in surrounding islands, it has grown 
in recent years, at least partly because of Cuba's increased flow of 
tourists. Similarly, prostitution has flourished in recent years, catering 
to Europeans and other tourists.
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