San Juan, Puerto Rico. The criminologist at the University of Puerto Rico, José Raúl Cepeda Borrero, warned that the great danger facing the Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic at the moment is to go from being "bridges" or places of transhipment to niche consumer " , what they could create a serious social problem of drug addiction and a high-crime related to drug trafficking.
While holding on the debate on crime in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic appears to tread a new paradigm in drug trafficking activities, where the amount of drugs in the local market increases as the number of users, as can be inferred after reviewing the high number of drugs seized by the DNCD in the last twelve months and increasing service requests reported by Hogares Crea Dominicano.
The report by the National Directorate for Drug Control (DNCD) said that from August 2009 to date, this institution has seized approximately 7.621 kilos of narcotic drugs, of which have been 5964.5 kilos of cocaine and kilos of marijuana 1614.9 .
The warning voices sound the alarm about the rising trend in drug consumption in the country gave the president of Hogares Crea Dominicano, Leopoldo Díaz, last May, when it revealed that more than four thousand people called for help in that institution in 2009 to "detoxify" the use of marijuana and hard drugs like crack, cocaine and heroin.
Household Statistics Create-leading drug rehabilitation center, establish that consumption is growing at a faster rate than the national economy, placing increasing by 10% annually.
Cepeda Borrero, "drug expert on the subject, in an interview with DL said that the countries of the Caribbean are showing increasing trends in both consumption and the sale of narcotic drugs and therefore stressed the urgency for governments" begin to interpret the signs they have in their territories and implement strategies based on their own context and realities. "
He said if anything has been proven strategies such as the DEA counternarcotics agencies is that they are effective and will not work because they never focused on the policy of prohibition and strong hand, arresting people and seizing drugs, but do not address the problem social behind the drug trade. "
He stressed that the fight against drugs must take into account the specific situation of each country, as the strategies of U.S. drug agencies are not a tailored suit that serves everyone. "Therefore it is urgent that the Caribbean countries to develop their own recipes to pursue drug trafficking because it is not the same as a drug route a consumer market."
He noted that there is no point pursuing the vice and the black market drug sales if not public health professionals has a structure that will deliver results in terms of rehabilitation of addicts. Said to be looking in the mirror of Puerto Rico, "where the struggle against drugs has consumed millions of dollars and the results are still minimal compared to the gravity of the problem."
For its part, the criminologist Gary Gutierrez, said that although there is often a perception that in Puerto Rico there are many social opportunities and financial aid due to its relationship with the U.S. and dollarized economy, "the truth is that a family with an income of two thousand dollars a month, which is the majority, remains living on the edge of poverty and social backwardness."
He explained that the lack of financial resources must be added the problems of domestic violence, family disputes and crimes against minors "all of which translates into high levels of social violence."
In the case of the Dominican Republic, stressed that economic growth is the best tool in the country to combat social exclusion and drug trafficking.
Currently the drug is a major health problem in Puerto Rico, with increasingly alarming statistics. An estimated 70,000 people are addicted and they pay about $ 3 million daily to buy drugs. The costs to the Go-? Ment over U.S. $ 600 million a year.
