Pubdate: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2003 The New York Times Company Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298 Author: David Gonzalez, New York Times CUBA: CRACKDOWN ON DRUG PRODUCTION The Cuban government has announced a crackdown on vice, acknowledging that the country not only has a problem with drug use, but also with domestic production. The campaign was announced this week in Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, which said that those found guilty of using, selling or growing drugs would lose their homes, among other penalties. The government decree also singled out prostitution and other antisocial offenses. The decree is the first public acknowledgment that some farmers were growing marijuana in the countryside. Although the government has always maintained that domestic drug use is lower than in surrounding islands, it has grown in recent years, at least partly because of Cuba's increased flow of tourists. Similarly, prostitution has flourished in recent years, catering to Europeans and other tourists. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D