A group of priests from the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires recently issued a statement condemning the lackadaisical attitude that the Argentinean government takes on illegal drugs, arguing that the laissez faire stance has created an environment in which they are “practically legal.” Specifically, the priest’s comments were directed at local ministers and judges, who they felt have played an active part in decrimalizing drugs and cited that subsequent failures of such policies are evident in the lack of care for addicted youths in poor neighborhoods.

In the statement, the priests wrote, “These are persons, human beings, who die or who are left with a broken life. That is why it is time to do something. Even if we only save one.” They also called for action on the government’s part to fight against the drug traffickers and distributors who are perpetuating the violence and addiction aimed mainly at the children of Buenos Aires ghettos. The priests closed the statement by proposing solutions, noting that the only way to solve the problem is by implementing drug abuse, support plans for affected families, as well as, long-term, education and prevention strategies in schools so children could be reached directly.