NationStates Jolt Archive

The Bolivian government is considering adding coca leaves to student's breakfast. They claim, and rightly so, that coca leaves are high in calcium and phosphorus, and that it will give students energy. It still seems kind of weird to me that one would want to dose students with small ammounts of cocaine for breakfast though.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20060308-093156-2660r.htm

"Coca" is a plant.

"Cocaine" is a product derivated from that plant.

The students would take "Coca", not "Cocaine".

Look, the same articles says:

Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca has recommended that school children be fed coca leaves

"Our children need calcium, and the coca leaf has more calcium than milk," he said. "Possibly, instead of giving milk in our school breakfasts, we need to give coca leaves to our children."

The Bolivian government seeks to decriminalize coca with the argument that the leaf used to make cocaine also has a variety of legitimate and benign uses.
Andean indians have chewed and made tea out of coca for centuries to cope with fatigue and altitude sickness.

The Bolivian government is considering adding coca leaves to student's breakfast. They claim, and rightly so, that coca leaves are high in calcium and phosphorus, and that it will give students energy. It still seems kind of weird to me that one would want to dose students with small ammounts of cocaine for breakfast though.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20060308-093156-2660r.htm
Well, when you read the article, there is nothing in there that suggests that "the Bolivian government is considering adding coca leaves to students' breakfasts."

It's just some stupid hyperbolic remark the foreign minister (!) made in what is obviously a conscious effort to de-hystericalize the world's view of coca:
"Our children need calcium, and the coca leaf has more calcium than milk," he said. "Possibly, instead of giving milk in our school breakfasts, we need to give coca leaves to our children."

It's not like anybody was actually seriously thinking about doing this, and much less like the Department of Education had come out with a coca-heavy meal plan.

So, calm down everybody and hold the polemics.

"Coca" is a plant.

"Cocaine" is a product derivated from that plant.

The students would take "Coca", not "Cocaine".

Look, the same articles says:
Cocaine is an alkaloid present in small quantities in the plant.

Well, when you read the article, there is nothing in there that suggests that "the Bolivian government is considering adding coca leaves to students' breakfasts."

It's just some stupid hyperbolic remark the foreign minister (!) made in what is obviously a conscious effort to de-hystericalize the world's view of coca:


It's not like anybody was actually seriously thinking about doing this, and much less like the Department of Education had come out with a coca-heavy meal plan.

So, calm down everybody and hold the polemics.
My version makes for a much more interesting story.

My version makes for a much more interesting story.
Don't I just know. :rolleyes: :p

It still seems kind of weird to me that one would want to dose students with small ammounts of cocaine for breakfast though.
The small quantity in coca leaves is hardly harmful. Coca leaves have been eaten by natives for centuries.

The small quantity in coca leaves is hardly harmful. Coca leaves have been eaten by natives for centuries.
Dude, don't confuse the issue with "facts". I'm NS General's self-appointed head tabloid department writer and my policy is not to let facts get in the way of a good story.

The Bolivian government is considering adding coca leaves to student's breakfast. They claim, and rightly so, that coca leaves are high in calcium and phosphorus, and that it will give students energy. It still seems kind of weird to me that one would want to dose students with small ammounts of cocaine for breakfast though.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20060308-093156-2660r.htm
There's nothing wrong with coca leaves.

There's nothing wrong with coca leaves.
Yes there is. It takes several kilos of them to produce a decent bag of coke.

Dude, don't confuse the issue with "facts". I'm NS General's self-appointed head tabloid department writer and my policy is not to let facts get in the way of a good story.
Oops! Sorry. In that case... this is part of Evo Morales' plan to invade the USA! First he makes his people into cocaine-addicted zombies, then he makes them study marketing and business, and then he sends them to the US to sell coca leaves to innocent Christian fair-haired boys and girls!

Nuke them!

Oops! Sorry. In that case... this is part of Evo Morales' plan to invade the USA! First he makes his people into cocaine-addicted zombies, then he makes them study marketing and business, and then he sends them to the US to sell coca leaves to innocent Christian fair-haired boys and girls!

Nuke them!
Yay!:D

Given cocaine's negative impact on the brain, it seems stupid to give it to students, of all people.

Given cocaine's negative impact on the brain, it seems stupid to give it to students, of all people.
Wait? I agree with Letila? What the hell is going on.

Let's remember several things here. We are indeed talking about Coca leaves, which do indeed have a small amount of cocaine in them. And at the same time we're also talking about children who have rapidly changing brain chemistry, and the possibility for an addiction of some sort. Maybe it's just me, but having the government of a country do this makes it sound like the leaders in charge were chewing coca leaves when they were in elementary school.

In order to make sure the USA doesn't fall behind Bolivia in the field of school breakfast drugs I propose that we give our students cocaine/heroin speedballs. The cocaine will give them the energy needed to get through the day, the heroin will keep them from being jittery.