Click here to view the slides. The slide show is also available in PowerPoint.

Click here for larger image

Over the past several years, critics of Plan Colombia and international anti-drug action have made claims that reducing the availability and purity of cocaine and other drugs on US streets is impossible. Today, Director Walters released new data showing significant changes in the price and purity of cocaine and heroin on U.S. streets. At the street level, the price of cocaine has increased by 19 percent between February and September of this year. The purity has decreased by 15 percent in the same period of time.

As mentioned in an earlier post, heroin purity has declined 22 percent between 2003 and 2004, with an increase of 30 percent in price.

Yet another indication that Plan Colombia and our balanced efforts against the international drug problem are making the problem smaller.