The Drug Update

Democrats in the US Congress are considering changes to America's drug policy and trade agreements with the Latin American countries. A new strategy would cut the military spending to control the drug supply, and instead direct the money toward poverty alleviation, relocation of displaced Colombians, and incentives for coca farmers to grow alternative crops. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill explained the reasoning, "Six years and $4.7 billion later, the drug-control results are meager at best."

Posted by Matt Nazareth at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The city council of Belmont, CA unamimously voted to draft legislation that would outlaw cigarette smoking everywhere in the city other than in private, single-family homes. The law, which was agreed upon in principle, but is awaiting a final draft to be voted on, would become the strictest smoking policy anywhere in the US. The news comes a month after Zogby International released a poll in which "45 percent of Americans polled would support a federal ban on cigarettes within the next five to ten years."

Posted by Matt Nazareth at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)