North+American+Other+Relevant+Information

**Canada: Drugs: ** Canada, like everywhere else in North America, has a drug problem. The amount of drugs in Canada has grown, which of course is bad thing. ([]) Canada also is a huge distributor of various drugs. According to [], 'Sixty-two per cent of the meth seized in Japan is from Canada'. To deal with the problem of drugs in Canada there is a new bill (new as of June 3,2009) that would make any type of drug crime come with a jail sentence, instead of something like a fine or community service. ([])

A study conducted in 2004 stated that 6.4 million Canadians ages 20-64 are overweight, and then a staggering 4.5 million people were obese. ([]) As said on: [] "In 1978/79, the Canada Health Survey collected measured height and weight data for a nationally representative sample of adults. That year, the age-adjusted obesity rate was 13.8%, far below the 2004 rate of 23.1% (Table 2). The increase was evident in each of the three obesity categories, especially Class II and Class III. The proportion of adults in Class II went from 2.3% to 5.1%; in Class III, from 0.9% to 2.7%." 
 * Obesity: **

[] []

The United States also has a drug problem, part of it coming from Mexico. ( [] ) It is said that about 90% of the cocaine that is in the United States came from Mexico. ( [] ) The government has been involved in the drug problem since the 1960's when President Richard Nixon said (according to [] ) that drug abuse is "a serious national threat." and later called it "public enemy No. 1”. When Jimmy Carter ran for presidential office he seemed to be the opposite of Nixon; saying he wanted to make carrying an ounce or less of marijuana be not as severe of a crime. When Nancy Reagan was First Lady she had a campaign referring to abstaining from drug use. The campaign was 'Just Say No'. Even President Obama recently said that any assets that Mexico has stored in the United States can be seized. ( [] )
 * The United States: **
 * Drugs- **

[] [] American Obesity has become a huge problem in the last few decades; it's nearly doubled since 1980. Nowadays, one in every five children is overweight; and the number is slowly growing. Not only are children //becoming// obese, but the biggest people are becoming even more overweight with time. This obesity problem is most common among the African American, Hispanic, and Native American people of America generally for cultural reasons. ([]) Caucasians, on the other hand, are generally overweight because they do //not// have cultural backgrounds that make them eat unhealthily and traditionally, and instead they eat a combination of other cultural foods. ([]) A study has even proven that thickness of artery walls and the diameter of the veins may contribute to weight gain. ([])
 * Obesity- **

 [] http://www.tshadle.info/bkgrnd/gd/american_obesity.jpg **

Mexico: ** Mexico has one of the worst drug problems in North America. In Mexico, the main problem is that there are many drug cartels that kill thousands each year. They are so powerful that the Mexican government is having problems with security; police officers often get killed while fighting. Mexico is making progress with defeating the drug cartels; they have taken millions of kilos of drugs off the streets and made thousands of arrests. ( [] ) One of the major drugs that Mexican cartels supply is heroin, and the distribution of this drug in the United States from Mexico is staggering. 90% of cocaine in the United States is from Mexico. ( [] ) Some of the major known cartels in Mexico are the Golden Triangle, the Pacific Cartel, and the Federation ( [] ).
 * Drugs- **



[] [] 

​ Obesity in Mexico is very bad--although not quite as bad as that in the United States. 24% of Mexico's population is obese, and studies believe that this is because of the huge meals that they eat. ( [] ) As said on [], "Figures from a 2006 national survey stated that more than a quarter of Mexican children between five and 11 are too heavy – a 40 percent increase since 2000. It also revealed that 72 percent of Mexican adults are now over overweight or obese, which is slightly higher than in the U.S. That’s one statistic that Mexico would prefer not to compete with us on."
 * Obesity- **

[] [] 