My Life in Argentina and Beyond

Saturday, February 23, 2008: Last year I wrote in this blog about paco, a destructive drug made from cocaine residue, among other ingredients. Today in the NY Times (one of my favorite newspapers) there is a story on how it is affecting life in Argentina. It says that it gives a very short high, that kids (and adults) will do anything to get it. They sell their possessions, steal, whatever to get their paco fix. I have lived in Argentina for almost 3 years and heard many interviews on the radio. Current paco users and those brave enough to beat it told their stories. It is very hard to quit and some have died trying. There are mothers who are doing anything to save their kids from the awful drug. People are not silent or passive anymore. They used to be about many things, but that is changing. Ciudad Oculta (Hidden City) the slum where many paco users live is a place that needs to be done away with. The poverty and despair their inhabitants live with day in, day out makes it very easy to turn to paco and other junk to forget what is going on in their daily lives.