According to the Commission for Vulnerable Groups of the Mexican Deputies’ Chamber, 40,000 children have become orphans as a result from the Drug War related violence. W Radio, a nation-wide broadcasting company in Mexico, is airing a series of stories on the impact of the war on drugs on children and youth.

Brazil's police have completed an operation to clear Rio de Janeiro's biggest slum, Rocinha, of drug gangs. Pacification has been generally welcomed in favelas, where residents have seen a drop in crime.

After a few years of relative peace under the rule of a mafia boss, the Colombian city of Medellín, birthplace of the first great narco-trafficking cartel, has seen violent crime soar once again. The culprits are from a new generation of urban youth specializing in protection rackets, drug sales and assassinations.

It is high time for Southern African law and policy makers to consider the utility of a harm reduction approach in dealing with the drug problem.

Calderon urged nations that are the biggest buyers of illegal drugs to consider "market alternatives" if they can’t find ways to reduce consumption.