Global General

Brazilian president declares war on drugs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-18 09:26

BRASILIA - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Thursday declared a war on drug trafficking, trading and consumption,fulfilling a promise made during the election campaign.

At a ceremony, she announced the establishment of 49 Regional Centers of Reference on crack and other drugs in public universities.

In these centers, health professionals will be trained and drug addicts will have consultations with social workers for treatment and prevention.

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Rousseff said that the fight against drugs will be conducted on three fronts: prevention, assistance to users and their families and combating drug traffick.

"We have an extremely worrying situation concerning drugs and crime. My government will promote a systematic combat against crack. I have the commitment to a relentless struggle against crack," Rousseff said.

"This drug has a very high capacity to spread because it is cheap and it disintegrates personalities and social relations," she said.

According to the president, the fight against drugs requires a fight against organized crime, so it is necessary to strengthen the Federal Police and border control.

Crack is a cocaine derivative with a high power of psychological addiction, which often leads users to commit crimes to get drugs.

The consumption of this drug increases very rapidly in Brazil, more than any other, with 71 percent of Brazilian municipalities reporting problems related to it.

According to non-governmental organizations' estimates, there are about 500,000 crack users in the South American country.