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Mexico's Fox Seeks to Counter Claims That Bill Legalizes Drugs
May 2 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Vicente Fox's administration sought to dispel claims that a bill defining what quantities of drugs including cocaine and heroine amount to ``personal use'' would decriminalize or encourage drug abuse.

Presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said in a press conference this morning that Fox planned to sign the bill passed by both houses of Mexico's congress last week. The bill would define less than 5 grams of marijuana, 500 milligrams of cocaine and 25 milligrams of heroin as amounts for personal use rather than for sale, said Eduardo Medina Mora, Mexico's minister of public safety in press conference in Mexico City today.

``I want to emphasize that the reform does not, under any circumstances, legalize drug use in Mexico,'' Medina Mora said. His statements contradicted press reports claiming the law would decriminalize the use of small amounts of illegal drugs.

Current Mexican law allows prosecutors to use their discretion when deciding whether an individual intended to sell a drug or use it for personal consumption, Medina Mora said. Defining what amount of a given drug constitutes personal use will help fight corruption, legislators from Fox's National Action Party said.

``The way the law is now allows prosecutors to let anyone caught with drugs go free,'' lower house deputy Fernando Guzman said in a telephone interview from Mexico City. ``It's that discretion that allows for many forms of abuse.''

To contact the reporter on this story:
Patrick Harrington in Mexico City at pharrington8@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 2, 2006 22:27 EDT