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Colombia: why war on drugs may never be won

Decades after Richard Nixon tried to end the trafficking of cocaine

from Colombia, success seems as elusive as ever.

Rory Carrolls

Up close, erythroxylum coca looks almost pretty - a plant with curving branches, green leaves and small yellow flowers that mature into red berries.

It has been cultivated on the slopes of the Andes since before the Incas, and invested with divine properties. When chewed, its leaves act as a mild stimulant and help overcome hunger, thirst and fatigue.

But these virtues do not alter the fact that having an ideal climate and terrain for coca - the raw ingredient of cocaine - has been a catastrophe for Colombia. The crop has wrought violence, narco-trafficking and corruption.

Divine or otherwise, coca has proved resilient, verging on indestructible, in withstanding the decades-old "war on drugs" declared by Richard Nixon and prosecuted by successive US Presidents.

Military helicopters continue to scythe over treetops in the Colombian jungle and hundreds of millions of dollars are still poured into the fight - but there is a growing conviction that it cannot be won.

It may evolve and change shape, move from jungles to cities and from bloody battles to discreet bribes, but it will not end with a flag planted in the ground and victory declared.

Powerful forces

An individual coca bush is fragile, but the forces behind it are powerful and adaptable: peasant farmers who turn the leaves into paste, clandestine laboratories which turn it into powder, guerrillas and armed gangs who traffic it abroad, middlemen and state authorities who launder the revenue. Each link in the chain has a strong incentive.

A peasant in certain remote parts of Colombia has a choice: grow corn, rice, potatoes and vegetables for prices that fluctuate and sometimes barely make it worthwhile, or grow coca, safe in the knowledge of a handsome return. Colombia's US-backed eradication effort includes satellites and fumigation-spraying aircraft, but growers have adapted with more resistant strains and smaller plots hidden under taller plants.

Government inducements to wean peasants off coca with loans and alternative economic activities have faltered.

"Government policies related to zero coca, and strict verification procedures, take a long time and limit the state's ability to work with communities in transitioning from a coca economy to a legal economy," a recent US Agency for International Development (USAID) report said.

"When security and coca eradication are not synchronized with the arrival of socio-economic projects, the mood of a community can quickly become hostile."

A new book, Shooting Up: Counter-insurgency and the War on Drugs, by the respected Brookings Institution scholar Vanda Felbab-Brown, says eradication campaigns in Afghanistan and Colombia have left drug production unaffected but alienated locals, gifting political capital to insurgents.

Plan Colombia, the military-heavy US aid programme, has had significant success in helping the country's security forces push Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) guerrillas out of cities and deep into the jungle.

A country that once risked collapsing into chaos now has political stability, a growing economy and a popular president, Alvaro Uribe. But Farc and a smaller leftist rebel group, the ELN, have adapted to their restricted theatre of operations and continued trafficking cocaine, which remains their main income source.

In recent months, Farc has made a military comeback, ambushing troops and kidnapping and killing a provincial governor. Analysts think the pendulum could be swinging back their way.

"The Farc seem to be bouncing back," Leon Valencia, the director of the Nuevo Arco Iris (New Rainbow) think tank, said. "The decline of the democratic security policy has begun."

Rightwing paramilitary groups also remain in the game. Originally set up by ranchers in the 1980s to combat leftist guerrillas, the paramilitaries mutated into narco-trafficking private armies.

They controlled swaths of territory and co-opted businesses and politicians until a government scheme from 2005 demobilised 32,000. Many leaders were extradited to the U.S., but many lower-ranking "paras" who failed to find jobs or promised state assistance have returned to what they know best - trafficking drugs.

"According to the government, the [demobilization] process was successful. However, shortly after the demobilization process, new successor groups emerged in the entire country that continued the criminal activities," Jose Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, said.

A recently-published report by the organization - Paramilitaries' Heirs: The New Face of Violence in Colombia - makes grim reading.

The city of Medellin, once the showcase of Colombia's counter-narcotics fight, illustrates the intractability of the problem. A steep fall in violence paved the way for an apparent urban renaissance, but murder rates rose again last year as drug gangs battled for control.

Prominent local figures, with government backing, are now trying to negotiate a truce. That has raised suspicion of a return to the era of discreet pacts, when officials gave cartels free rein to traffic cocaine in return for social peace.

With victory in the so-called drug war ever more elusive, there are growing calls around the world - from think tanks, law enforcement officials and former presidents - to decriminalize cocaine. Just as the end of prohibition doomed the bootleggers, the logic goes, decriminalization could put traffickers out of business. It is an experiment no government has yet dared to try.

(Courtesy: The Guardian)

 

Mental retardation

Bedabrata Das

Mental retardation is a developmental disability that first appears in children under the age of 18. It is defined as an intellectual functioning level (as measured by standard tests for intelligence quotient) that is well below average and significant limitations in daily living skills (adaptive functioning).

Mental retardation varies in severity. Mental retardation begins in childhood or adolescence before the age of 18 years. In most cases, it persists throughout adult life. A diagnosis of mental retardation is made if an individual has an intellectual functioning level well below average, as well as significant limitations in two or more adaptive skill areas. Intellectual functioning level is defined by standardized tests that measure the ability to reason in terms of mental age (Intelligence Quotient or IQ). Mental retardation is defined as an IQ score below 70-75; a normal score is 100.

Adaptive skills refer to skills needed for daily life. Such skills include the ability to produce and understand language (communication); home-living skills; use of community resources; health, safety, leisure, self-care, and social skills; self-direction; functional academic skills (reading, writing, and arithmetic); and job-related skills.

In general, mentally retarded children reach such developmental milestones as walking and talking much later than children in the general population. Symptoms of mental retardation may appear at birth or later in childhood. Some cases of mild mental retardation are not diagnosed before the child enters preschool or kindergarten. These children typically have difficulties with social, communication, and functional academic skills.

Causes and Symptoms of Mental Retardation

A variety of problems can lead to mental retardation. In about 40% of the cases, the cause of mental retardation remains unidentified. The causes of mental retardation can be broad classifications, including genetic factors, prenatal illnesses and exposures, childhood illnesses and injuries, and environmental factors.

-- Genetic Factors: About 30% of cases of mental retardation are caused by hereditary factors. Mental retardation may be caused by an inherited genetic abnormality such as Fragile X syndrome. Fragile X, a defect in the chromosome that determines sex, is the most common inherited cause of mental retardation.

-- Prenatal Illnesses and Exposures: Fetal Alcohol syndrome results from the mother's habit of heavy drinking during the first 12 weeks (trimester) of pregnancy. Some studies have shown that even moderate use of alcohol during pregnancy may cause learning disabilities in children. Drug abuse and cigarette smoking during pregnancy have also been linked to mental retardation. It is generally accepted that pregnant women should avoid all alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs. Mental and viral infection as well as side effects from the use of certain drugs for the treatment of some serious ailments and viral infections may also cause mental retardation.

Birth defects and defects in the neonatal stage can cause mental retardation. Neural tube defect, for example, is a birth defect in which the neural tube that forms the spinal cord does not close completely. This defect may cause children to develop an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull (hydrocephalus). Hydrocephalus can cause learning impairment by putting pressure on the brain.

-- Childhood Illnesses and Injuries: Hyperthyroidism, whooping cough, chicken pox, measles, and bacterial infections may also cause mental retardation if they are not taken care of in time. An infection of the membrane covering the brain (meningitis) or an inflammation of the brain itself (encephalitis) can cause swelling that in turn may cause brain damage and mental retardation. Traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head or by violent shaking of the upper body may also cause brain damage and mental retardation in children.

-- Environmental Factors: Ignored or neglected infants who are not provided with the mental and physical stimulation required for normal development may suffer irreversible learning impairment. Children who live in poverty and suffer from malnutrition, unhealthy living conditions, abuse, and improper or inadequate medical care are at a higher risk. Exposure to lead or mercury can also cause mental retardation.

Diagnosis

If mental retardation is suspected, a comprehensive physical examination and medical history should be done immediately to discover any organic cause of symptoms. Such conditions as hyperthyroidism and related disorders are treatable. The progression of retardation can be stopped and, in some cases, partially reversed if these conditions are discovered and treated early. If a neurological cause such as brain injury is suspected, the child may be referred to a neurologist or neurophysiologist for testing.

A complete medical, family, social, and educational history is compiled from existing medical and school records (if applicable) and from interviews with parents. Children are given intelligence tests to measure their learning abilities and intellectual functioning.

Treatment

For children under the age of 3, early intervention programs that assess children and make recommendations are available in India and other countries of the world. Many day schools are available in India. A few amongst them are the Carmel School of Mentally retarded children, Chennai: Swabudhini Charitable Trust, Chennai; and Bala Vihar School, Chennai. These schools meant for the special children in India and its neighborhood are doing real good jobs in treatment and training the mentally challenged children in India and children from its neighboring countries.

Prognosis

People with mild to moderate mental retardation are frequently able to achieve some self-sufficiency and to lead happy and fulfilling lives. To reach these goals, they need appropriate and consistent educational, community, social, family, and vocational supports. The outlook is less promising for those with severe to profound retardation. Studies have shown that these persons have a shortened life expectancy. The diseases that are usually associated with severe retardation may cause the shorter lifespan.

Prevention

Immunization against diseases such as measles prevents many of the illnesses that can cause mental retardation. In addition, all children should undergo routine developmental screening as part of their pediatric care. Screening is particularly critical for those children who may be neglected or undernourished or may live in disease producing conditions.

Good prenatal care can also help prevent retardation. Pregnant women should be educated about the risks of alcohol consumption and the need to maintain good nutrition during pregnancy. Such tests as amniocentesis and ultrasonography can determine whether a fetus is developing normally in the womb.

(Courtesy: The Sentinel)

 

2 Killer Moves for a Flat Tummy

A toned stomach is like an amazing Chanel bag. It looks good, feels great and takes a ton of work to get it. Some of us were born with it, and some of us spend our whole lives vying for it. Plus, it's sexy.

We can't give you tips on buying a Chanel bag (other than save, save save!) but we can tell you the killer moves to get your stomach into shape. Just keep in mind that these exercises alone won't do it.

"A toned core will help your body age well in the decades to come, so it's crucial to build a strong one early on," says Valerie Orsoni, founder of LeBootCamp.com. "Also," adds Geralyn Coopersmith, senior national manager at Equinox Fitness Training Institute, "developing a fit core early in life sets you up for amazing posture and a pain-free lower back."

Killer Move: The Plank

Goal: To condition your entire core

Frequency: Four times a week

Directions:

- Get into a push-up position with your forearms on the floor.

- Lift your legs and torso up off the ground so that only your toes and the flats of your forearms remain on the floor.

- Keeping your back neutral and your belly button pulled in, hold this position for 20-60 seconds.

- Repeat for 3-5 sets.

Killer Move: Butterfly Abs

Goal: To work your deep abs while getting a flat, sexy stomach

Frequency: Four times a week

Directions:

- Sit comfortably on a gym mat or carpet with your legs crossed. Using your arms to support you, slowly lie back until your body is flat, keeping your legs crossed.

- Place your hands under the nape of your neck for support. Inhale through your nose, and raise your chest a few inches off the floor while exhaling through your mouth. Your chest should be moving up toward the ceiling, not bending forward to your knees. This should be a smooth, controlled motion.

- Repeat 25 times, and as you progress, move up to 50 times.

- Tip: Do not push your head with your hands as this puts you at risk of injuring your neck. The purpose of your hands is to keep your head in alignment with your back and shoulders. You don't want to curve your back.

(Courtesy: Hearst Communications, Inc)

 

Second-hand smoke hazards in bars, restaurants

A new study by the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center (OTRC) has found that concentrations of secondhand tobacco smoke inhaled in smoking rooms of restaurants and bars are remarkably high and harmful to health. According to the research, which has been published in the center's new report "Tobacco Smoke Pollution in Oklahoma Work-places," the average particulate level measured in restaurant smoking rooms was more than the hazardous extreme based on levels established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The level found in bars was even worse. Heather Basara, MD, an industrial hygienist and lead investigator on the research, said: "These levels are exceptionally high and not healthy for the employees and patrons exposed to particles found in secondhand smoke." Tobacco smoke levels were evaluated based on measurements of very fine suspended particulates in the air, particles smaller than 2.5 microns, which come primarily from tobacco smoke. The EPA scale ranks outdoor levels of particulate pollution as 'unhealthy' at 66-150, 'very unhealthy' at 151-250, and 'hazardous' at higher concentrations such as the levels found in the Oklahoma restaurant smoking rooms and bars tested for this report. "Secondhand smoke exposure is a serious health hazard, accounting for approximately 700 deaths a year in Oklahoma, mostly from heart disease - including heart attacks - and lung cancer. Even brief exposure is harmful. Because this exposure is readily preventable, business owners and public policy makers would be well-advised to act as soon as possible to assure smokefree environments for all public places and all indoor workplaces," Robert McCaffree, MD, Co-Director of OTRC, said. Particulates were monitored using a TSI Sidepak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitor. Sixty-second average readings for at least 30 minutes were recorded in 67 indoor locations in central Oklahoma; following nationally recognized protocols established by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. Time weighted averages were calculated for each of the locations. (Agencies)