Pubdate: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 Source: Time Magazine (US) Copyright: 2002 Time Inc Contact: http://www.time.com/time/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/451 Authors: Elaine Herold, Amy Wong CASH CROP Tim Padgett reported on the political movement in Bolivia and elsewhere in South America to let the growth of coca leaves flourish, even though they are the raw material of cocaine [LETTER FROM BOLIVIA, Aug. 5]. Despite the fact that it is American citizens who abuse drugs, the U.S. government targets the farmers who grow coca rather than the users of cocaine. Other countries are told that they are responsible for restricting drugs supplied to the U.S., but it is clear that without a market here, the farmers, drug cartels and pushers would have no one to buy the products of their coca leaves. When will the U.S. understand that the government can't stop people from taking drugs? And when will the U.S. stop spending taxpayer dollars to force the rest of the world to accept our values? ELAINE HEROLD Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. On a recent trip to South America, I found coca leaves sold everywhere - -- in the market, at the store, on the streets. But they are sold as "an anesthetic and a salubrious chew." The porters I hired chewed these leaves to alleviate pain or sickness while hiking the steep trails. Chewing coca leaves is as much a part of South America's culture as drinking Coca-Cola is to ours. Eradicating coca-leaf farms would be stamping out part of another culture. Getting rid of coca leaves will not miraculously eliminate cocaine as a problem. AMY WONG Saratoga, Calif. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)