On the tropical island of Hispaniola much is happening...not all of it good. Often we don't hear about the problems other than poverty. What could be a source of that poverty -- drugs. If the trafficing is happening certainly the use is happening.
If education is the answer, why have we not educated more? Or why has it not worked to this point?
There really is only one answer...

Drugs: the ongoing battle
A dubious honor, but there it is. The DR ranks first amongst all nations as a drugs trans-shipment point, with 11% of all drugs that go to Europe or Latin America passing through the DR. The DR is followed on the list by Argentina and Brazil. The information was revealed in a report from the Office Of Drugs and Crimes in Central America and the Caribbean. The report says that of the 15% of cocaine seized world wide, 97% was found in Central America and 7% was seized in the Caribbean. Of this total, 104 metric tons, 3.85 tons were seized in the DR. Between January and September 2009, 2,305.6 kilos have been seized ion the DR, 13.3 kilos of crack, 735.1 kilos of marijuana, 409.2 kilos of amphetamines, 5 kilos of opium, 99.5 kilos of heroin and 1,965 ecstasy pills. Mabel Feliz, president of the DR's National Drug Council (CND), disclosed this information during the 19th meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Anti-Drug Officials (HONLEA) held on Venezuela's Margarita Island.