December 17, 2022
Dear Mr President,
Re:: Drugs policy in Belgrade
My starting point is here:
The second obvious point I want to make is here:
You are a brave man, battling for the public health of your nation in the face of intimidation, aggression and threats. I too have been the subject of similar such hostile actions. An attempt was made to murder me using a toxin called chloral hydrate, a lethal anaesthetic used by terrorist organisations in my country in the 1970's, on 5 December 2022. Of course you know all about this.
In the last year, you have achieved the following:
Cocaine is no longer casually tolerated. Indeed you have unblinkingly and rightly used the force of the state to suppress its traffic.
The police no longer arrest you for MDMA possession.
Manufacturers of amphetamine are squashed.
LSD and psilocybin manufacture and distribution is being suppressed.
Nightlife venues that habitually tolerate sale of the more dangerous drugs have pressure applied upon them to reform. And, aa a rule, they have done so.
Drug gangs have been broken up, many of their members arrested and others scattered to the winds.
In the medium term this will result in a general reduction in violence in Serbia, including breaking up the informal but violent loan sharks scheme of borrowing money using funds sourced from drug sales and trafficking. This system will be replaced by responsible banking, the fundaments of which are already in place.
You have achieved all this without substantially harming Belgrade's extraordinary and world-leading nightlife, which, as the principal magnet for foreign tourists, remains as superlative as iir has ever been - but safer.
It's real progress. You have done an excellent job in the face of adversity and danger. As long as you continue, you will have my unconditional support.
I am proud if I have been of any small assistance in your steady determination to see through this project. In the interim, Mr President, I remain --
Your most humble and obedient servant.
Yours faithfully,