| Aug. 9, 2002 #262 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Listen On-line at: http://www.drugsense.org/radio/ | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Table of Contents
| ||||||||||||||||||
THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) IN SCENIC NORWAY, FEARFUL DEATH SCENE OF ADDICTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
A report from the Council of Europe's narcotics-monitoring Pompidou
Group says Oslo is first among 42 European cities in seizures and
deaths caused by drugs. Oslo had 115 such deaths last year, down from a
peak of 134 in 1998, but still the highest on the Continent. In Norway
as a whole, the toll is rising, with 338 deaths in 2001, up from 75 in
1990. | ||||||||||||||||||
The figures are starkly at odds with the travel brochure image of
Norway as a land of serene mountains and fjords, and with customary
survey results like a human development report by the United Nations
last month that found it to be first in the world in income, health
care, life expectancy and education. | ||||||||||||||||||
The overdose findings have caused a debate here that has pitted the
region's traditional notions of clean-living morality against its
instincts for protecting social outcasts. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
The main reason the overdose and death rates are so high here is that
Norwegian addicts inject heroin rather than smoking it, as is common
elsewhere in Europe. Norway's 14,000 heroin users then up the odds even
higher by mixing the drug with alcohol and the nervous system
depressant Rohypnol. | ||||||||||||||||||
Asked to explain why these dangerous practices caught on here,
Norwegians refer to their particular history of hard drinking and of
zealous temperance movements, which brought a ban on alcohol in the
1920's and have restricted liquor sales to this day. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(2) PORTUGAL ASSESSES ITS SOFTER APPROACH TO DRUG USERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A Year Ago Lisbon Decriminalized Drug Use. Views Differ On Whether The
Policy Is Effective. | ||||||||||||||||||
PORTO, PORTUGAL - In the shadowy labyrinth of cobblestone streets
around this port city's 12-century Se cathedral, heroin addicts have
long been selling drugs and shooting up. Police had hoped that the
narcotics-infested neighborhood would change after Portugal's decision
to decriminalize the use of all drugs. But a year after the sweeping
initiative took effect, they say the scene, and their jobs, have
changed little. | ||||||||||||||||||
"There are no fewer people here today than a year ago," says one of three officers on the night shift, who asked that his name not be used since, officially, the police are in favor of decriminalization. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(3) CANADA: UBERSNOOPS ARE YOUR FRIENDS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Liberty. It's a word you don't often hear, unless you're south of the
border, where it's a common element of speech, right up there with
"God." Here, we'd rather talk about rights and, although one of the
rights occasionally defended is "freedom of expression," in polite
Canadian circles the idea of personal liberty has acquired an
unpleasant odour, like Rush Limbaugh's after-shave. | ||||||||||||||||||
Even Americans are wringing their hands over liberty these days, as
they are faced with trading off a significant portion of their personal
liberties for protection from terrorists, real or perceived. And
although the guys in charge, the Republicans, are fond of demonizing
big government when big government is run by Democrats, no Democrat
ever dreamed up a Department of Homeland Security with its ubersnoop
connotations. | ||||||||||||||||||
Back home, meanwhile, the task of eradicating personal liberty and
making the streets safe for the kind of people who warn the world that
they have a "baby on board" is moving along nicely, especially in
Vancouver. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(4) NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING THRIVED IN BRONZE AGE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ancient Opium Pots Are A Common Discovery In Middle Eastern Digs | ||||||||||||||||||
JERUSALEM (AP) - A thriving Bronze Age drug trade supplied narcotics to ancient cultures throughout the eastern Mediterranean as balm for the pain of childbirth and disease, proving a sophisticated knowledge of medicines dating back thousands of years, researchers said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Ancient ceramic pots, most of them nearly identical in shape and about 12 centimetres long, have been found in tombs and settlements throughout the Middle East, dating as far back as 1,400 B.C., said Joe Zias, an anthropologist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. | ||||||||||||||||||
The drugs were probably used as medicine and the finds are helping
researchers better understand how ancient people treated illness and
disease. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It's a window to the past that many people are unaware of," Zias told
a recent conference in Israel on DNA and archeology. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Here's something used in prehistoric times and it's used until today." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Domestic News- Policy | ||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (5-9) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The U.S. government constantly propagandizes and legislates against
employee drug use, but it appears official policy all but dictates
the use of drugs by some U.S. employees: military pilots. A newly
released report indicates fighter pilots are using Dexedrine while
they fly missions, and then sedatives to rest afterwards. The story,
which ties the drug use to "friendly-fire" incidents by pilots, was
generally ignored by the U.S. press. Another story related to drugs
in the workplace got refreshingly skeptical coverage in U.S. News &
World Reports. The story questioned the reliability of many drug
tests, an issue that was barely mentioned in press coverage
following the Supreme Court's recent decision to broaden student
drug testing. | ||||||||||||||||||
Drug testing at school isn't effective at curbing youthful drug use,
and so-called drug education programs like DARE were again found
ineffective by a new study. In New York City, youthful and affluent
drug users will no longer be allowed to use welfare funds for drug
treatment. And a Canadian hemp company has officially filed a
complaint against the U.S. for unfair trade practices based on the
DEA's ridiculous ban on edible hemp. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(5) U.S. PILOTS STAY UP TAKING 'UPPERS' (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - U.S. jet fighter pilots, responsible for at least 10
deadly "friendly fire" accidents in the Afghanistan war, have
regularly been given amphetamines to fly longer hours. | ||||||||||||||||||
Then when they return to base, the pilots are given sedatives by air force doctors to help them sleep, before beginning the whole cycle again on the next mission, often less than 12 hours later. | ||||||||||||||||||
The exact drugs pilots are given and how they're taken is outlined
in a 24-page document obtained by The Star, produced by the Top Gun
fighter training school and the Naval Aerospace Medical Research
Laboratory in Pensacola, Fla. | ||||||||||||||||||
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force Surgeon-General's Office in
Washington confirmed pilots are given the stimulant Dexedrine,
generically known as dextroamphetamine, to stay alert during combat
missions in Afghanistan. | ||||||||||||||||||
Pilots refer to Dexedrine as "go-pills." The sleeping pills they are
given, called Ambien (zolpidem) and Restoril (temazepam), are
referred to as "no-go pills." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(6) TESTS ON TRIAL (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
The error rates are likely to rise. While the traditional
method-lab-based urine testing-can be highly reliable when done
carefully, the fastest-growing segment of the drug-testing industry
consists of newer and often more error-prone tests. | ||||||||||||||||||
On-site urine testing appeals to private employers because it gives results in minutes and can cost as little as $3 per screening. | ||||||||||||||||||
Yet studies of the cheapest of these tests, designed to pick up a single drug type such as amphetamines, show they give the right answer as little as one third of the time. Other new tests, which rely on lab analysis of hair and sweat, can be a powerful probe of drug use-but can also be fooled by stray drug molecules from the environment. All these tests may get a major boost from the proposed new federal guidelines for drug testing, expected to be published later this year. The rules, which serve as the model for many state and private employers as well, will allow new tests, including on-site urine screens and lab-based sweat patch and hair tests, to be used for screening 10 million federal workers and contractors. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(7) ANTI-DRUG PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS CRITICIZED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The top three programs used to keep students away from drugs are
either ineffective or haven't been sufficiently tested, new research
suggests. | ||||||||||||||||||
In a study being published today in the Health Education Research journal, University of North Carolina researchers say many schools are using programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Here's Looking at You 2000 and McGruff's Drug Prevention and Child Protection, which haven't shown the kind of results that schools should expect. | ||||||||||||||||||
The study found that many schools still use "heavily marketed curricula that have not been evaluated, have been evaluated inadequately or have been shown to be ineffective in reducing substance abuse." | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(8) FREE RIDE IS OVER FOR KID DRUG USERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The Bloomberg administration is eliminating a long-standing city
policy of putting drug-addicted teenagers from better-off families
on welfare to pay for their long-term residential treatment, The
Post has learned. | ||||||||||||||||||
The city Human Resources Administration has acknowledged that the
unusual practice of putting 2,000 adolescents a year on the dole for
treatment - without considering their families' income - violates
existing welfare laws that limit such public assistance to the
needy. | ||||||||||||||||||
Under the decades-long practice, drug-treatment centers admitted the
teens into the program and even submitted on their behalf the
paperwork to qualify them for public assistance. | ||||||||||||||||||
The drug-treatment centers then directly received the public-
assistance dollars - up to $1,000 a month per patient for food and
shelter - from HRA to cover the patient's costs. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(9) CHATHAM HEMP FIRM FILING SUIT AGAINST U.S. (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Kenex Ltd. Has Had Its Exports Seized By The U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration. | ||||||||||||||||||
TORONTO (CP) -- America's war on drugs has turned into a trade battle between the U.S. government and a small Canadian company. | ||||||||||||||||||
Industrial hemp-growing company Kenex Ltd., will take on the U.S.
State Department tomorrow when it files a lawsuit under the North
American Free Trade Agreement. | ||||||||||||||||||
The company, based in Chatham, is seeking at least $20 million US
compensation because it says the U.S. Drug Enforcement | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Law Enforcement & Prisons | ||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (10-13) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
New figures indicate that the U.S. prison population continues to
grow, albeit at a slower rate than in recent years. The drug war has
been crucial in expanding the prison system, particularly the
federal branch. Recent stories about people who are sentenced to
hard time show that some have virtually nothing to do with drugs,
yet they receive terms reserved for kingpins. Lamont and Lawrence
Garrison are serving 15- and 19-year sentences though they were
convicted on the word of a snitch. Carol Lee McGonegal received an
8-year sentence for marijuana even though an investigator in her
case said did not own, use, buy or sell marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
And the fake drugs scandal in Dallas widened a bit, as the target of a drug bust sued the city and a police officer alleging a setup. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(10) PRISON POPULATION GROWTH SLOWS IN 2001, REPORT SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - The U.S. inmate population in 2001 rose at the slowest
pace in almost 30 years, with blacks still far more likely to be
incarcerated than whites or Hispanics, the Justice Department said
Tuesday. | ||||||||||||||||||
For every 100,000 people in the United States, 3,535 blacks were
locked up, compared with 462 whites and 1,177 Hispanics. Ten percent
of black men ages 25-29 were incarcerated on Dec. 31, while 2.9
percent of Hispanic men and 1.2 percent of white men in the same age
group were in custody. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
One reason the number of black inmates continues to rise is the
government's war against drugs. Convictions for drug offenses
accounted for 27 percent of the increase in black inmates, compared
with 7 percent for Hispanic inmates and 15 percent for white
inmates, the report said. | ||||||||||||||||||
States are more likely to lock up people for violent offenses than
for drugs, the report said. But the federal government is taking up
the slack, with drug crimes accounting for 59 percent of the
increase in federal prison inmates -- even as the percentage of
violent offenders dropped to 10 percent from 17 percent, the report
said. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(11) COLUMN: WAR ON DRUGS' TWIN CASUALTIES ARE 2 TOO MANY (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The nation's harsh, ill-conceived War on Drugs has claimed many
victims, but few have been so unjustly targeted as the Garrison
twins, Lamont and Lawrence. Despite precious little evidence, the
two young men, now 29, were found guilty of drug trafficking a month
after their college graduations and are now serving long sentences
in federal prisons. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Garrisons, who grew up in Washington, have been described by
teachers and family members as bright, hardworking and ambitious.
They were arrested in April 1998, just a month shy of finishing
college; while out on bond awaiting trial, they both received
degrees from Howard University. | ||||||||||||||||||
But in June 1998, a federal jury found them guilty of drug
trafficking, largely on the unsubstantiated testimony of a confessed
drug dealer, Tito Abea. Implicated in a major cocaine ring, Abea
placated federal prosecutors by fingering others, in the process
winning himself a lesser sentence. | ||||||||||||||||||
The feds found no cocaine or drug paraphernalia in the Garrisons'
home. Nor did they find any evidence of drug profits. Indeed, the
young men, who lived with their mother, were deeply in debt with
college loans. They did not have prior criminal records. Lamont was
sentenced to 19 years and Lawrence, 15; they will serve far longer
than Abea, who was given only three years. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(12) WOMAN BEGINS SENTENCE AMID PROTESTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
DAYTON - Her appeals exhausted, Carol Lee McGonegal began her eight- year prison sentence Friday while her attorney prepared to seek a commutation of her drug case sentence to Ohio Gov. Bob Taft. | ||||||||||||||||||
Attorney Jon Paul Rion said the U.S. Supreme Court declined to
review McGonegal's case a couple of weeks ago, setting the stage for
her sentence to begin. | ||||||||||||||||||
Rion noted that many in law enforcement are supporting a lesser
sentence for McGonegal, including representatives of the U.S.
Customs Service, U.S. Attorney's Office, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Dayton Police Department and a regional drug task
force. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
An investigator in the case testified that McGonegal did not own,
use, buy or sell marijuana. He muttered "It's not right" when the
jury returned its guilty verdict. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(13) OFFICER, CITY SUED IN DRUG RAID (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Allegations of false entry into Dallas house are denied by lawyers | ||||||||||||||||||
A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against the city of Dallas and a police narcotics officer, accusing the officer of conspiring with informants to frame innocent people on drug charges. | ||||||||||||||||||
L. Dwaine Lord filed the civil lawsuit Friday against Officer David
Larsen, an informant who worked for the officer and the city,
seeking damages for a Jan. 11 raid by police on his home that
uncovered no drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
Two drug cases filed by Officer Larsen are among dozens that were dismissed by the Dallas County district attorney after laboratory analysis showed that evidence did not contain illegal substances. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Cannabis & Hemp- | ||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (14-17) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Good news rang out from the Nevada summer heat this week. The board
of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriff's, an organization
that represents about 65% of the state's street patrol officers,
voted unanimously in support of the decriminalization ballot
initiative being put forward by Nevadans for Responsible Law
Enforcement. The initiative would make possession of up to three
ounces of cannabis by adults a non-arrestable offense. | ||||||||||||||||||
Meanwhile in British Columbia, Canada, local and federal police have
somehow found the time, money and manpower to conduct warrantless
searches of vehicles parked aboard the provincially-managed BC
Ferries. Over a dozen officers participated in the operation, which
involved walking five police dogs through the car-park portion of
the ferries. The search, which drew severe criticism from local
civil liberty organizations, resulted in the arrest of three people
suspected of trafficking cannabis. | ||||||||||||||||||
As Canada continues to lean towards a liberalization of its current
drug policy, conflicts pitting law enforcement concerns against the
privacy rights of the individual are sure to increase. This week, an
interesting article from the Toronto Star examines some of the
important issues at stake in a debate that is sure to influence the
future of American prohibition. | ||||||||||||||||||
And finally, a study conducted by German researchers suggests that
endogenous cannabinoids (those naturally produced by the body) may
play a role in helping us forget unpleasant memories. The
researchers believe that this could lead to the development of
treatments for conditions like post-traumatic stress or severe
phobias. Definitely good news; perhaps there's a chance that some
day we'll all be able to forget the atrocities committed against
both individuals and society in this fruitless war on drugs. But can
we ever forgive? | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(14) NEVADA POLICE SUPPORT POT INITIATIVE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The state's largest police organization today endorsed the marijuana
initiative. | ||||||||||||||||||
The board of the Nevada Conference of Police and Sheriffs, an
umbrella group that has 3,000 members and represents about 65
percent of the state's street patrol officers, voted 9-0 to support
the proposed constitutional change that would decriminalize
possession of up to three ounces of marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
Billy Rogers, spokesman for Nevadans for Responsible Law
Enforcement, which supports Question 9, said this is the first
police group to break ranks and support the initiative. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(15) UNDERCOVER ACTION ENDS IN DRUG BUST ON B.C. FERRY (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Police are praising a program that led to eight drug arrests on a
West Coast ferry, where plainclothes officers with sniffer dogs
tracked down marijuana while strolling the car deck. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
Staff Sgt. Bruce hailed this week's Operation High Seas as a success, but John Dixon, president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, criticized police, saying they abused their powers and wasted valuable resources to seize seven kilograms of marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
"The trunk of your vehicle enjoys at least as great a claim to
privacy as your underwear drawer," Mr. Dixon said. "Unless the
police have reasonable and probable grounds, they do not have a
right to subject your private materials to search." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(16) WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S DISAGREEMENT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
When justice minister Martin Cauchon readily admitted last month that he smoked pot in his youth, he reignited the debate over whether it's time to ease laws around marijuana possession. | ||||||||||||||||||
Advocates of decriminalization say marijuana is no more dangerous
than alcohol or tobacco -- both legal substances -- and the time and
money spent on minor drug busts could be used to nab big-time
traffickers or growers. | ||||||||||||||||||
Vocal opponents, notably law enforcement officials, say | ||||||||||||||||||
Three decades ago, the Le Dain commission studied various aspects of
cannabis and recommended that possession of small amounts not be a
criminal offence, unlike selling and distributing the drug. Those
recommendations were never implemented. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(17) GERMAN STUDY: MARIJUANA EASES TRAUMATIC MEMORIES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Scientists have known for years that the brain makes substances
almost identical to the active ingredient in marijuana, but the
function of these "cannabinoids" remained mysterious. Researchers
now say they help to extinguish traumatic memories. | ||||||||||||||||||
"In certain situations, being able to forget is very important for
emotional survival," said George Kunos, a neurobiologist at the
National Institutes of Health. | ||||||||||||||||||
The research, published today in the journal Nature, is not an
endorsement for pot smoking, scientists said. Instead, the findings
may help scientists develop new drugs to treat anxiety, post-
traumatic-stress disorder and phobias. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
International News | ||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (18-23) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
More drug users were killed in Bacolod City, Philippines last week,
with police claiming to be "puzzled" as to why this might be.
Declaring "illegal drug users will be the next drug pushers," police
elsewhere in the country say that vigilante executions are acceptable,
according to reports. | ||||||||||||||||||
In Colombia last week, another US-donated aircraft crashed, killing six crew members. The U.S. had given the aircraft, a UH1N helicopter, to the Colombian military to fight "the war on drugs." Officials immediately declared bad weather was the cause of the mishap, even though the army was forced to fight rebels to reach the crash site. | ||||||||||||||||||
In Bolivia, Sanchez de Lozada was elected president by congress last
week. In the long debate leading up to the vote, members of congress
chewed the traditional coca leaf. The US-educated Lozada was chosen
over upstart Evo Morales. Lozada promises he will continue coca
eradication; Morales' strong support in congress makes this
questionable. | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannabis eradication in Lebanon proceeded this week: the government
claimed to have destroyed large tracts of cannabis. The Lebanese
Anti-Drug Bureau, the Lebanese and Syrian armies worked together in
the eradication program, which was estimated to cost at least 200
million Lebanese pounds. | ||||||||||||||||||
And finally this week, in a BBC television first (and new
sensationalistic low), an 18-year-old will be shown injecting heroin.
The injection will be shown in a "groundbreaking" dramatization about
heroin abuse. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(18) DRUG ADDICTS' KILLINGS PUZZLE BACOLOD LAWMEN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
BACOLOD CITY -- Who's killing the drug pushers here? | ||||||||||||||||||
Even provincial police director Sr. Supt. Geary Barias is puzzled as to the identity of the killer of drug pushers in this city. | ||||||||||||||||||
Barias, however, was quick to surmise that the slaying of live-in
couple Felix Bahibag and Mari Fe Togle last month could be related
to the reported slaying of Evaristo "Dodoy" Prado, said to be a drug
pusher. | ||||||||||||||||||
Bahibag's body was found at Bgy. Cansilayan, Murcia while Togle's
was at Bgy. La Granja. Both bore three gunshot wounds in their
heads. | ||||||||||||||||||
Prado's killing was similar to the couple as he shot at close range
in the head. The pistol used was also similar. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
City police drug enforcement unit head, Sr. Insp. Thomas Martir
confirmed that Togle was on the list of the PNP order of battle
against illegal drug pushers in the city. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(19) COPS DIVIDED ON VIGILANTES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Police officers in Negros Oriental are divided on the formation of a
vigilante group in the province. | ||||||||||||||||||
Some police officers, who requested anonymity, favor the group's move
to sentence and execute illegal drug traders. | ||||||||||||||||||
DAILY STAR sources said the newly-formed "6425 Brigade" ( apparently
referring to Republic Act 6425, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972)
will help the police combat the drug lords, if there are any in the
province, as well as drug pushers and the users. | ||||||||||||||||||
Illegal drug users will be the next drug pushers, they said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(20) U.S.-DONATED COLOMBIAN HELICOPTER CRASHES, SIX DEAD (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - A Colombian military UH1N helicopter,
donated by the United States for the war on drugs, crashed into
guerrilla-controlled mountains on Friday, killing six of the seven
crew members on board, the army said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Gen. Luis Favio Garcia blamed the crash on "adverse meteorological
conditions," but offered no details. | ||||||||||||||||||
The helicopter was in route to pick up wounded troops when it
crashed about 250 miles (400 km) southeast of the capital Bogota,
near the town of Solita, in Caqueta province. | ||||||||||||||||||
The area is a stronghold of Latin America's largest guerrilla army, the 17,000-member Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The army clashed with a rebel fighters on Thursday near the crash site. FARC is fighting a 38-year-old guerrilla war, fueled in part by money from the cocaine trade, which claims 3,500 lives a year. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(21) CONGRESS ELECTS U.S.-EDUCATED BUSINESSMAN PRESIDENT OF (Top)BOLIVIA | ||||||||||||||||||
LA PAZ, Bolivia-Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, a wealthy businessman who
grew up in the United States, has won the presidency of this crisis-
wracked South American nation for a second time. | ||||||||||||||||||
Congress voted the millionaire mining executive back into office
Sunday, choosing him over Evo Morales, the rebellious Indian leader
of Bolivia's coca growers, by an 84-43 vote. | ||||||||||||||||||
The two men topped the voting in a June national election, but
neither won an outright majority. Under Bolivian law, Congress had
to decide between the two for president. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
Morales, 42, the son of Aymara Indian shepherds, gained Bolivia's
long-neglected indigenous majority, a political presence not seen
before. His group may join forces with Indian leader Felipe Quispe's
bloc of six congressmen. | ||||||||||||||||||
Their victories led to an unusual sight in Congress during the
marathon session to elect Sanchez de Lozada. During the 24-hour
debate, many Indians made their speeches in indigenous languages
while wearing their native garb. | ||||||||||||||||||
Others chewed coca leaf, the raw material of cocaine but also an important part of centuries-old Indian culture in the Andes. | ||||||||||||||||||
Morales has led sometimes violent protests against U.S.-backed
efforts to eradicate coca plantations. He has organized regional
strikes and highway blockades that have paralyzed parts of the
country. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
He has pledged to continue Bolivia's unpopular coca eradication - a
program the United States has hailed as a major success in the war
on drugs. But Morales's opposition force will likely make the
program a thorny issue. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(22) SOBH SAYS 50,000 DUNUMS OF HASHISH FIELDS DESTROYED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The commander of the Judicial Police, Brigadier Samir Sobh, said
Saturday that over 50,000 dunums of hashish fields had been
destroyed, as the second phase of cannabis eradication reached its
eleventh day. | ||||||||||||||||||
Members of the Anti-Drug Bureau, the Internal Security Forces and
the Lebanese Army joined forces with Syrian security forces in
Lebanon to carry out the eradication operation in Baalbek-Hermel
fields for the eleventh consecutive day. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
Sobh added that the bureau added 300 tractors and 200 workers to
speed up work, indicating that the cost of the campaign has exceeded
LL200 million. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(23) TEENAGE GIRL TO INJECT HEROIN IN BBC FILM (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A teenage girl will be shown injecting heroin into her neck and arm
in one of the most harrowing and contentious broadcasts ever shown
on British television. | ||||||||||||||||||
Seated on a bed in a dingy room, Michelle Pickthall, 18, is seen
breaking the end off a cigarette, dropping it into a bubbling spoon
and watching as brown liquid surges into a syringe. Tilting back her
head, she winces as the needle enters her neck, before slowly
relaxing with a bittersweet sigh. | ||||||||||||||||||
Her actions form the climax of a groundbreaking docu-drama about
heroin abuse that combines conventional fly-on-the-wall footage with
improvised reconstructions played out by Michelle, fellow addict
Shaun Mann, 21, and other residents of their Middlesbrough
neighbourhood. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists May Be Novel Class of Anti-Lymphoma
Agents | ||||||||||||||||||
"Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC), the major component of
marijuana, and other cannabinoids induce apoptosis in murine tumors
of immune origin, according to researchers at Virginia Commonwealth
University in Richmond." | ||||||||||||||||||
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439267?mpid=1881 (requires
registration) | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Investigators Missed Russian Mob in N.Y. Bank Scandal | ||||||||||||||||||
"...new evidence shows the accounts moved Russian crime profits from
trafficking in drugs, arms and people, and from extortion,
murder-for-hire and fraud." | ||||||||||||||||||
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=860 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Crossfire and Abrams Report Audio Online | ||||||||||||||||||
I've updated my drug policy audio archive with clips of two of today's nationally-televised segments related to the Nevada marijuana initiative, from CNN's "Crossfire" and MSNBC's "The Abrams Report." | ||||||||||||||||||
Submitted by Ethan Straffin | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association is reporting on the
preliminary findings of a study of drug testing programs in 9 different
school districts. The preliminary report is available through the DATIA
website at http://www.datia.org/resources/stud_test_study.htm
and can be downloaded as a PDF directly from | ||||||||||||||||||
Submitted by Doug McVay | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Resolution passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors opposes the
R.A.V.E Act, S2633. | ||||||||||||||||||
In one supportive and enlightened act, the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors has told Congress that they will not stand for the removal
or denial of civil rights as would be allowed in this act. The resolution
has been passed on to both senators for the state of CA, and the news
is now making national headlines. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
BIGGER APOLOGY IS NEEDED | ||||||||||||||||||
By Peter Lurie M.D. and Ernest Drucker Ph.D. | ||||||||||||||||||
Former President Clinton has recently acknowledged that "I was wrong"
for not heeding the masses of scientific evidence and legalizing
needle-exchange programs (July 12). | ||||||||||||||||||
But there are 17,000 individuals to whom Mr. Clinton really owes an
apology. We have estimated in the British medical journal, The Lancet,
that up to 17,000 HIV infections in the U.S. could have been prevented
by needle exchanges during Mr. Clinton's terms. What would a
now-contrite Mr. Clinton say were he forced to face those drug users,
their partners and their babies who were unnecessarily infected on his
watch because clean needles were not available? | ||||||||||||||||||
Peter Lurie, M.D., | ||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Director Public Citizen's Health Research Group, | ||||||||||||||||||
Ernest Drucker, Ph.D., | ||||||||||||||||||
Professor of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical
Center Washington | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
LETTER WRITER OF THE MONTH - July (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Adam Wiggins, Director, Neoteric http://www.neoteric.nu , Pasadena,
CA is recognized for his 15 published letters during July, and a
career total as archived by MAP of 50. You can review his published
letters at: | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
NEW TOOLS FOR REFORMERS, PLUS NEW J4J, MOMS, ETC. | ||||||||||||||||||
By Richard Lake http://www.mapinc.org/rlake/ | ||||||||||||||||||
Matt Elrod mentioned to me the other night that he had installed a relatively new Google search tool on a couple of MAP's webpages, so I tested them out. I was amazed. To me it is like magic! | ||||||||||||||||||
There is a new links database is at http://www.mapinc.org/dpr.htm | ||||||||||||||||||
But what I found most exciting is at the bottom of each page you
generate from the links database. | ||||||||||||||||||
If, for example, you use the dropdown on the Google line at the bottom to select DRCN Drug Library and then type in 'marijuana' in the blank window at the left and press the search button you will get a list of Drug Library webpages containing the word. | ||||||||||||||||||
Google told me: Searched pages from www.druglibrary.org for marijuana. Results 1 - 10 of about 2,360. Search took 0.19 seconds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Of course, I noticed (though hardly) the ad at the top of the Google
search results: "Think you know everything about MARIJUANA?
TheAntiDrug.com Get Advice, News, and the Facts on Drugs at
TheAntiDrug.com Sponsored Link " Then I thought, what the heck. Here
I am using this powerful tool and ONDCP is helping pay for it with
their silly ads. Thanks, ONDCP! | ||||||||||||||||||
Matt also installed the Google tool at the bottom of the MAP media
links page at http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm While this will allow
folks to do Google searches of newspaper websites, this does not
mean the results will include current news. Google does not update
from every site out there every day. I couldn't get a clue from
Google's FAQ pages as to actual frequency. So the best answer seems
to be often, but not often daily. | ||||||||||||||||||
Check it out! | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
I see that the new Journey for Justice webpages are up at
http://www.journeyforjustice.org/ I am told that the pages are still
a work in progress, so check back for more info. | ||||||||||||||||||
Journey events are in the works for Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New, Jersey, New, Mexico, New, York, North, Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South, Carolina, South, Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC! | ||||||||||||||||||
If you would like to help with events to fill in the blanks on the
Journey schedule, Please get your ideas together. Then (do to
personal requirements which are reducing the availability of the crew
working the Journey plans during the next week) contact the J4J team
after mid-August: Phone 509-684-1550 or email | ||||||||||||||||||
Personally, I am really excited about this Journey. I hope be at as
many midwest stops as possible! | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Oh, the Compassionate Moms website, down for months, is now back up
at http://www.compassionatemoms.org/ Still being updated, the pages
serve as a gateway for joining the superb Compassionate Moms email
list. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
MAP's new On Air database at http://www.mapinc.org/onair/ has a huge
potential, if folks pitch in to help make it happen. To know about
future shows reformers will be on, to have the data in one place,
easy to bookmark, is exciting! Please participate by recording your
upcoming (or past) media broadcast appearances. | ||||||||||||||||||
Yes, I know that TV shows may suddenly change what they are doing at
the last second for other issues they may think more important. But
at least this resource will help provide reformers as good
information as is possible. | ||||||||||||||||||
I get a special kick of trying to get on to the call in shows. Will
never forget watching Judge "give them all dirty needles and let
them die" Judy wiggle and spin when I nailed her on Larry King
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n232/a01.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
"You must give them guidelines and then let them self-regulate. If you can't trust them with the medication then you can't trust them with a 50 million dollar airplane to try and go kill someone." | ||||||||||||||||||
- Unidentified Desert Storm squadron commander quoted in report on U.S. fighter pilots who take amphetamines to get through long missions. See http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1439/a12.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
DS Weekly is one of the many free educational services DrugSense
offers our members. Watch this feature to learn more about what
DrugSense can do for you. | ||||||||||||||||||
TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: | ||||||||||||||||||
Please utilize the following URLs | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Policy and Law Enforcement/Prison content selection and analysis by Stephen Young (), Cannabis/Hemp content selection and analysis by Philippe Lucas (), International content selection and analysis by Doug Snead (), Layout by Matt Elrod () | ||||||||||||||||||
We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, NewsHawks and letter writing activists. Please help us help reform. Become a NewsHawk See http://www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm for info on contributing clippings. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included information for research and
educational purposes. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO DRUGSENSE ON-LINE | ||||||||||||||||||
-OR- | ||||||||||||||||||
Mail in your contribution. Make checks payable to MAP Inc. send your
contribution to: | ||||||||||||||||||
The Media Awareness Project (MAP) Inc. |
 | current issue | this issue |