Spain: Coke on 94% of notes
2006-12-24 22:59
Madrid - Traces of cocaine can be found on
94% of banknotes in Spain, a country that has one of the
world's highest rates of users, according to a study published
on Sunday.
The 100 notes tested were collected in gyms, supermarkets
and pharmacies across Spain, where increased affluence and
falling street prices have made the drug more and more
accessible.
Cocaine now sells for as little as €60 a gram, or
€5 a line, and it is regularly used by 1.6% of
Spaniards, up from 0.9% in 1999, a government report said
this month.
Law enforcement agencies say cocaine is getting cheaper and
more popular in Europe because of efforts to boost production by
Colombian paramilitaries and rebels who need money for weapons.
Spain is a major entry point to Europe for the smugglers.
It was not clear how many of the notes had been used to
snort cocaine and how many had picked up traces from other
bills, according to the study by the Sailab laboratory,
published in the daily El Mundo.