Illegal coca is subject to eradication without the owner's consent and without compensation. While most Yungas coca is consumed in leaf form, a growing amount is diverted to cocaine production. Apolo coca, meanwhile, is in rapid decline and is of little importance to the drug trade. The government took aggressive steps in late 1996 to destroy new coca and deter its planting to ensure that future eradication of mature coca leads to a substantial reduction of the total coca crop. Based on these formulas, the eradication of 7,512 ha of coca prevented approximately 56 mt of cocaine from being manufactured and exported.
Drug abuse is a growing problem.
A recently published study by the Bolivian NGO Celin found that almost 11 percent of respondents in urban areas had used inhalants, cocaine, marijuana or hallucinogens at some time, seven percent within the previous year. CESE works with teachers and runs a drug hot-line. US Policy Initiatives and Programs Policy Initiatives. The US counternarcotics strategy for Bolivia seeks to combine a successful law enforcement program with voluntary and involuntary eradication efforts, in order to force coca growers to seek other, licit alternatives. Alternative development efforts support licit agricultural production and investments in infrastructure and marketing in coca growing areas.