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Spain to Use Waiters to Tag Cocaine Users

How do you measure cocaine use in any location? According to a new U.N. Study, it is lines per people.

Spain has the highest number of cocaine users in the world, followed by the U.S. City-wise, New York City is first, followed by Miranda de Ebro, Spain.

New Yorkers remain the world’s most enthusiastic consumers of cocaine, inhaling an estimated 134 lines of the drug for every 1,000 people. The residents of Miranda are said to get through 97 lines per 1,000 people. This compares with 20 lines per 1,000 in London, 11 in Paris and 2 in Frankfurt.

The Spanish Government, unhappy with these numbers, is bolstering its war on drugs to include restaurant waiters and bartenders who will monitor use of the bathrooms.

Alarmed by soaring cocaine use, the Spanish Government plans to train waiters and barmen in the subtle art of spotting punters who may be using the lavatories too often.

Businesses that comply will receive a special certificate declaring them drug-free.

More....

The Mayor of Miranda de Ebro isn't buying the U.N. findings.

However, the Mayor of Miranda was indignant about the UN’s findings, saying that he would lodge a formal complaint. “Miranda is not a drug paradise,” Fernando Campo told El PaÍs newspaper. “It’s absurd. It’s a phantom study that is completely unreliable.”

How did cocaine get to be Spain's drug of choice?

Spain suffered an epidemic of heroin use in the 1980s, which racked a generation emerging from a repressive, four-decade dictatorship. But experts say that the country’s love of late nights and talking has long since helped cocaine to supplant heroin as Spaniards’ hard drug of choice.

What experts are those? The article doesn't say.

More importantly, using bartenders and waiters to spy on customers wouldn't occur to our Government, right? (sarcasm)

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  • Display: Sort:
    Businesses that comply... (none / 0) (#1)
    by desertswine on Sat Jun 30, 2007 at 11:19:04 PM EST
    ...will receive a special certificate declaring them drug-free.

    Oh boy...

    A certificate.

    In my experience, (none / 0) (#2)
    by desertwind on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 03:52:35 AM EST
     waiters and other restaurant workers, nightclub staff, etc are great users of cocaine. Long shifts with crazy peak hours, late nights, cash in hand, etc. So, I wonder how well this will go down, anyway?

    Yeah.... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by kdog on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 07:43:02 AM EST
    waiting tables and tending bar is hard work...I think they've got their hands full with their regular duties....and now the Spanish govt. wants them to be 21 Jump Street narcs too?  Will they be monitoring the back alley for the smokers too?

    Yeah...thats gonna work.  I got a better idea, if people want to use cocaine, let them use cocaine.  It's their body and their life.

    Parent

    Waiters I knew (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by lilybart on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 08:06:49 AM EST
    would share a gram on a Saturday night. We did a great job!

    Parent
    Can Spain point to a health crisis? (none / 0) (#4)
    by lilybart on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 08:06:04 AM EST
    Or any other massive social problem from these recreational drug users ? Or is sit just knee-jerk to think there is a problem needing waiter spies???

    Guess you had better stick to Pepsi. (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 03:40:21 PM EST


    Up late and talking? They need tea. (none / 0) (#7)
    by chemoelectric on Sun Jul 01, 2007 at 04:11:43 PM EST
    If these people had an abundant supply of first-flush Darjeeling, they would quit the cocaine in a heartbeat.

    Not enough kick (none / 0) (#8)
    by eric on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 08:49:41 AM EST
    Unlikely.  Tea has even less caffeine than coffee, and the Spaniards love the coffee, too.

    Parent