International Drug Supply Systems
The majority of illicit drugs consumed in the United States are of foreign origin—including all the COCAINE and HEROIN and significant amounts of MARIJUANA. In the early 1990s, the U.S. National Narcotics Intelligence Consumer Committee (NNICC) report estimates that Latin American countries supplied approximately 25 to 30 percent of the heroin, perhaps 60 to 80 percent of the marijuana, and all the cocaine. Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries supplied the remaining 70 to 75 percent of the heroin.
Drug use and drug abuse have been a part of many cultures for centuries. Although once considered a problem only for countries with massive demand and consequent loss of labor and life, drugs are now recognized as a policy concern for all countries involved—the producing, TRANSIT, and consuming countries alike. No country is insulated from the destabilizing forces of illicit drugs. For SOURCE (producing) countries, drug trafficking appears to provide short-term economic benefits, but mainly for those involved in the business. Eventually, long-term negative economic consequences ensue, with foreign investment, tourism, and domestic production diminished—and with off-shore money laundering and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. The drug trade does not stimulate regional economies through jobs, capital appreciation, and investment.
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