The impact of drugs on street violence and in the home is the focus of the International Narcotics Control Board's 77th session, which opened yesterday in Vienna. 

The 13-member board, an independent group of experts tasked with monitoring U.N. drug control conventions, also plans to review its missions to various countries and the extent to which the governments of El Salvador, Ireland, Paraguay, Russia and Senegal have implemented the board's recommendations from 2000 (U.N. release, May 26).