Brazil launches media campaign against cocaine use

The Brazilian Justice Ministry on Thursday launched a nationwide media campaign against the use of crack cocaine, said state news agency Agencia Brasil. The campaign aims to support the anti-addiction program called "Crack, you can beat it," launched in 2012, said Agencia Brasil. The campaign will last two months at a cost of 15 million reais (6.46 million U.S. dollars) and include ads in dailies and on TV, radio and the Internet, the government said. The campaign will raise awareness about crack cocaine addiction, drug trafficking and the importance of support for addicts in recovery. It will relay the message that fighting the scourge is a task for the whole society. Crack cocaine use is a major problem in Brazil's largest cities and is now spreading to smaller towns. There are at least 370,000 crack cocaine users in Brazil's largest cities, and 14 percent of them are children and teenagers, said Brazilian authorities. A Justice Ministry survey shows most crack cocaine users in Brazil are undereducated single males who are of African origin, of mixed-race or indigenous. A total of 79 percent of them want to stop using the drug, but have difficulties in being admitted to rehab clinics and finding treatment at public hospitals. The government will offer a webpage where Brazilians can search for nearby rehab facilities and follow the actions of the government's anti-drugs program.