The Bolivian President is defending Bolivian’s rights to
chew on coca leaves. Coca leaves are the main ingredient in cocaine. In 1961, coca leaves were declared an illegal
narcotic. Some are arguing that coca leaf producers are not drug deals and
chewing coca leaves should not be illegal. The head of the UN’s office of Drugs
and Crime is worried that making it legal to chew coca leaves “could undermine international
law in the area of drugs control”. The Bolivian President defended it as an “ancestral
right” for Bolivians to chew the leaves. He also acknowledged the dangers of
cocaine and said they are working against drug trafficking. Bolivians have chewed the leaves to reduce
hunger as well as treat altitude sickness.
Cocaine
and drug use are terrible problems that face our society today. I agree with
the Bolivian President, chewing the
leaves should be a right. As the article states, coca leaves are not the same
thing as the drug cocaine. It is a slight stimulant that can help reduce hunger
as well as treat altitude sickness. Our
book describes coca leaves as “roughly the equivalent to smoking a cigarette or
having a cup of coffee”. It is when the leaves are made into a powder that it
becomes a drug. It is understandable that the Bolivians would want the right to
chew the leaves without it being considered illegal. They have chewed them for centuries and have
used it to help with many things. I understand that the UN wants to control
drug use and trafficking of drugs, because these are both terrible crimes, but
chewing coca leaves are different. Coca leaf producers are not the same thing
as drug dealers.
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