I can see a lot of people getting very upset by the news that, when he is in Bolivia, the Pope plans to chew coca leaves, as reported in this BBC story.

I do understand that chewing coca leaves is a very different thing to snorting cocaine, and also that coca is a hot political issue in Bolivia. Coca tea and chewing coca leaves are traditions in Bolivia (although being traditions does not automatically make them OK), but the practice has been under pressure in recent years because of efforts by the US DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency). Bolivia has now distanced itself from the DEA programme, and made the DEA's practice of burning coca crops illegal in the country.

Nevertheless, there will of course be the usual crop of ignorant people, especially in the USA, who do not understand the distinction, and will see the Pope's position as endorsing cocaine and fuelling the drug problem in the USA. I have a suggestion for those ignorant people: watch a different news channel (Fox News is not helping you with your ignorance), do some basic research on the Internet, and maybe even try reading a couple of books.

There has been lots of debate about "illegal drugs", and will be much more. There are some good arguments on both sides, mixed in with heaps of propaganda (and it doesn't matter who does it, nor what side they are on: I hate being lied to and misled). Nevertheless, one pretty solid fact is that the biggest problems caused by illegal drugs are not caused directly by the drugs themselves, but (directly or indirectly) by them being illegal.