Two Republicans representing Morris County in Trenton want to 'put breaks' on legalization of marijuana by governor-elect. Two Republicans representing Morris County in Trenton are pushing back against the promise by Governor-elect Phil Murphy to sign a bill legalizing marijuana in the first 100 days of his administration. Murphy and the Democratic majorities in the Senate and Assembly have said they want marijuana legalized in early 2018, which could generate up to $300 million in annual taxes to the state. [continues 697 words]
In this divided nation, we should be able to at least find common cause in the fight to stop and treat opioid addiction, a scourge that knows no single identity, and that does not respect geographic boundaries or common socio-economic factors. This is a fight we must all take up, arm in arm, because in one way or another it affects all Americans. Indeed, the more we know about this menace to our national health, the worse it seems. According to a new analysis released by the Trump White House, the opioid addiction crisis may already be much worse than previously thought. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the true cost of the crisis, as of 2015, stands at $504 billion, a figure more than six times the most recent estimate. [continues 405 words]
PATERSON -- About a dozen men and women sat on hard plastic chairs early Wednesday morning inside a conference room at the Well of Hope Drop-In Center on Broadway, where a flat screen television broadcast sports highlights on ESPN. Some came for the free coffee. A sign said the limit was one cup per hour. Others were there to use the showers and toilet facilities. A 57-year-old man who would only give his name as "Julius" was waiting to see a nurse about a blister on his foot. [continues 957 words]
Gov. Chris Christie is growing impatient with the Trump administration over its delay in declaring the opioid epidemic a national emergency. Christie said during an interview with MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes on Tuesday night that too many lives are being lost to drug overdoses for a formal declaration to wait any longer. "I think it's time for the president and White House staff to get on this and for the president to demand that they get the papers in front of him so he can sign it," Christie said. [continues 454 words]
Energy drinks could be a gateway to cocaine use, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health found that young adults who said they'd consumed energy drinks yearly between ages 21 and 24 were at greater risk for subsequently doing cocaine, using prescription stimulants for non-medical uses and problem drinking. The 1,099 study participants were recruited as 18-year-old college students. Those who didn't consume energy drinks as they got older were less likely to develop substance-abuse problems. [continues 338 words]
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump met with Cabinet members and senior staff at his golf club in Bedminster to discuss the opioid crisis. Missing at the meeting was Gov. Chris Christie, the chairman of the president's commission charged with studying the national rise of heroin and opioid addiction. Christie is on vacation. While the governor missed the meeting, the president is missing the message Christie has been sending for several years: treatment over incarceration will save lives. Long before his approval rating tanked at 15 percent, Christie used his then sizable political capital to focus on treatment and rehabilitation. He did it when he pushed for drug courts. He did it when he eloquently spoke of a law student friend who died because of addiction. And during his presidential bid, Christie resonated most effectively with voters when talking about drug addiction. [continues 473 words]
When it comes to the state's medical marijuana law, progress has come in increments rather than great strides. New Jersey's Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, state law since 2010, has been implemented ever so slowly under Gov. Chris Christie, who has never hidden his disdain for the law. Yet those disappointed by the snail's pace of the law, and the establishment of new medical marijuana centers, have new reason to take heart. As Staff Writer Lindy Washburn reported, North Jersey will soon be welcoming the state's largest dispensary of medical marijuana yet -- at a 10,000-square-foot facility on Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus. Once it opens, the dispensary plans to serve up to 4,000 patients a month with a variety of strains of cannabis. The Christie administration has issued a permit to grow medical marijuana to Harmony Foundation and will consider issuing a permit to dispense marijuana after the crop is tested later this year. [continues 357 words]
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker introduced a bill Tuesday to make marijuana legal at the federal level, marking the first time the New Jersey Democrat has come out in favor of full legalization and further stoking tensions with a Trump administration that has sought to roll back the clock on federal drug policy. The Marijuana Justice Act, as Booker is calling his bill, would also allow people serving time for marijuana-related offenses to be resentenced and automatically expunge federal marijuana use and possession crimes. States whose marijuana laws disproportionately affect minorities or poor people would lose federal funding for law enforcement and prison construction, among other funds. [continues 699 words]
The call to legalize marijuana in New Jersey has been loud and clear, lately. Legalization rallies have occurred in groups in Trenton, and front-runners from both parties of the gubernational primary elections have been vocal in their support of legalization. What is there to know about the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey? The state's medical marijuana program added 5,000 participants last year, and total enrollment now exceeds 10,000, according to the state's Health Department. There are five state-licensed dispensaries, also known as alternative treatment centers, and Secaucus just got approval to open its own dispensary. [continues 179 words]
Regarding "Marijuana should be legalized" (Your Views, June 6): The points the writer raises regarding legalizing cannabis are ignorant and obviously not factual. They are clearly just his uneducated opinion. Just how will legalization reduce street drug markets? Issues of increased tax revenue, economic boost to retail and job creation, and not contributing to homelessness and violence are irrelevant. Do you want to be driving your car at 70 miles an hour on the Turnpike with your kid in the back, next to someone who is high because he just finished smoking a recreational joint? [continues 152 words]
Regarding "Opioid crisis continues to grow" (Editorial, July 22): Most of the efforts on overdosing of opioids in Governor Christie's programs have to do with treating the addict. We need more to be done to prevent the addiction from happening in the first place. And at the same time, we should not shame people who want to use soft drugs. When we have a legal drug, alcohol, which causes far more harm than cannabis does, there is something wrong. We need to acknowledge that some people have a need to benefit from cannabis, and we gain nothing by censuring them. The "stigma" hasn't really worked very well. People have found benefit from this plant. We would be better off accepting this rather than putting them through arrests and worse. Roy Sutton Rahway, July 25 [end]
The national opioid crisis is spreading. Despite increased awareness of the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, the numbers of fatalities and overdoses continue to rise. That is too true in Bergen County. As Staff Writer Steve Janoski reports, despite the efforts of Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal, the county appears on track to surpass last year's totals of 320 overdoses; 259 of which were opioid related. Ninety-eight people died. That's an 11 percent increase in overdoses from 2015 and a 12.6 percent increase in fatalities. [continues 441 words]
Medical patients in severe pain seek comfort in a variety of ways. Some remedies, they find, work better than others. Some medications, they find, are less addictive than others. These are factors that must be weighed as New Jersey considers the pros and cons of whether to expand its list of "debilitating medical conditions" for those who wish to participate in the state's medical marijuana program. More than 12,500 residents have been registered under the program since it was legalized in 2010, yet many more patients and caregivers want to participate and say the state's existing rules are too restrictive. We agree. [continues 379 words]
New Jersey is gearing up for an intense campaign for marijuana legalization. Senate Bill 3195 and Assembly Bill 4872, which would legalize marijuana in New Jersey, have been introduced by state Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari, D-Union, and Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer. The Drug Policy Alliance commends the sponsors for their leadership on this issue and we will be working with them to ensure that the final legislation contains provisions missing from the bill that are essential to establishing a fair and equitable marijuana market and repairing the disproportionate harm that marijuana prohibition has inflicted on communities of color. To highlight the need for these provisions, the Drug Policy Alliance is releasing a short video, made in collaboration with Brave New Films, which explores the current and historical impacts of marijuana prohibition on communities of color. The video features racial and social justice advocates from across New Jersey. [continues 575 words]
Looking beyond Gov. Chris Christie and seeing a more socially liberal future, Democratic lawmakers opened their campaign to legalize marijuana in New Jersey with a lengthy legislative hearing Monday. Although no vote was planned on the bill that was introduced last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing formally set in motion a campaign to make New Jersey among the first states in the Northeast to legalize marijuana. Voters in eight other states and Washington, D.C., have approved marijuana legalization, but New Jersey would be the first to do so through legislation. [continues 615 words]
West Milford police revived a 31-year-old Hewitt woman suffering from a heroin overdose on Jan. 21. [photo] A West Milford police car sits idle behind town hall on Dec. 31, 2016.(Photo: Joe Sarno/NorthJersey.com) WEST MILFORD -- Local police revived a 31-year-old Hewitt woman suffering from an apparent heroin overdose on Saturday afternoon. West Milford police officers administered the opioid-blocking medication naloxone to the resident after finding her unresponsive at approximately 2:12 p.m. on Jan. 21, according a Jan. 24 press release from the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. [continues 66 words]
[Name redacted] of Denville, was charged by Wayne police with possession of heroin.(Photo: Courtesy of Wayne Police) [Name redacted], 26, of Denville was arrested and charged with possession of 39 bags of heroin, among other charges, on Jan. 4. According to police records, Officer Tomasz Cydzik observed a 2000 Honda Civic parked in the CVS parking lot on Hamburg Turnpike with her head down "as if unconscious" around 9:40 p.m. When the officer approached, [name redacted] opened her eyes and police observed an uncapped syringe inside the vehicle, according to police reports. After further investigation, five Suboxone under-the-tongue films, one Clonazepam pill, a sandwich-sized plastic bag containing suspected marijuana, two additional hypodermic needles, multiple open glassine bags of suspected heroin, 39 additional bags of heroin stamped "suicide squad" and one small zip lock bag containing suspected cocaine, police records show. [continues 59 words]
[photo] Gov. Chris Christie led a roundtable discussion at Integrity House in Newark, following the signing of an executive order declaring opoid addiction a public health crisis. At right, Integrity House President Robert Budsock. At left is Vanessa, an Integrity House program graduate.(Photo: Dale Mincey / NorthJersey) NEWARK -- In front of a small group of recovering addicts, Gov. Chris Christie signed an executive order on Tuesday declaring the opioid addiction problem in New Jersey a public health crisis. The event, which was held at Integrity House -- an substance abuse recovery home on South Street in Newark -- took place less than an hour after Lt. Gov. Kim Guagdano announced her candidacy to succeed him as governor. [continues 587 words]
[photo] Governor Christie's attorney asked for the dismissal of a probable cause finding on an official misconduct complaint over the George Washington Bridge lane closures.(Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey) Chris Christie plunged himself into the center of a crisis on Tuesday. It's a place where he's comfortable and often compelling. It's also a place where he thrives. "Our friends are dying. Our neighbors are dying. Our co-workers are dying. Our children are dying. Every day. In numbers we can no longer ignore,'' Christie said in his seventh State of the State speech, which was part sermon, part call to arms for the Legislature to confront the state's drug addiction crisis that "is ripping the very fabric of this state." [continues 940 words]
[photo] Governor Chris Christie delivers his State of the State address on Tuesday.(Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey) As he composed a lengthy State of the State speech dedicated to battling New Jersey's heroin and opiate crisis, Governor Christie said he was intent on including one component that will not only challenge lawmakers in Trenton, but drastically alter the health care industry around the state. He insisted on a new law mandating that no resident with health insurance could be denied coverage for the first six months of inpatient or outpatient treatment, an unprecedented length of time, experts say. He told his administration two months ago to figure out how such a major change could be done. [continues 869 words]
The opioid epidemic may have cost as many lives as have been recently lost in Syria. Yet understanding it is difficult. I saw an Associated Press article that showed that pharmaceutical companies are focusing on lobbying state legislatures. There is a strong relationship between Medicare prescriptions and state income. The poorer the state, the more opioid prescriptions, presumably showing that legislators are particularly vulnerable to Big Pharma if their constituents don't have much money. There is a correlation also with a state's Republican leadership suggesting that less regulation leads to more Medicare opioid prescriptions. [continues 88 words]
Six months ago, AJ Solomon visited Gov. Chris Christie at the State House to apologize for using heroin while a member of the governor's advance team. [photo] Governor Chris Christie told the story of AJ Solomon, a recovering heroin addict, to illustrate his focus on combating drug addiction in New Jersey. Here, the Governor hugs Solomon as he exits after the address.(Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com) Six months ago, AJ Solomon visited Gov. Chris Christie at the State House to apologize for what he felt was the ultimate betrayal -- using heroin while a member of the governor's advance team in 2012 and 2013. [continues 629 words]
Christie this week reaffirmed his public commitment to making N.J. a national leader in fighting drug addiction. [photo] Governor Christie speaks about drug addiction at a Walgreens in East Brunswick on Dec. 22, 2016.(Photo: Nicholas Pugliese/STATE HOUSE BUREAU) Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday visited a Walgreens in East Brunswick to highlight initiatives the company is undertaking to promote the safe disposal of unused prescriptions drugs and expand access to a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. His final public appearance before Christmas came on the heels of a related event Wednesday evening where Christie and former Gov. Jim McGreevey led a candlelight vigil on the State House steps in memory of people who have died from or are struggling with addiction. [continues 642 words]
New Jersey will receive a $1.3 million grant to target the heroin trade and illegal prescription drug activity as law enforcement and legislators team up to lower rates of addiction and overdoses, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. announced Thursday. [photo] A grant from the U.S. Justice Department would target the heroin trade and misuse of prescription drugs.(Photo: RECORD FILE PHOTO) New Jersey will receive a $1.3 million grant to target the heroin trade and illegal prescription drug activity as law enforcement and legislators team up to lower rates of addiction and overdoses, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. announced Thursday. [continues 248 words]
[photo] Governor Chris Christie holds a baby boy facing perinatal addiction while the boy's grandmother looks on while he was touring the Jersey Shore Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Neptune, N.J. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. The baby boy is 49 days old and suffers from withdrawal symptoms transferred from his mother who had addiction issues. (Photo: Tim Larsen/Governor's office) With changes to health care among the top priorities for President-elect Donald Trump when he takes office next month, New Jersey is likely to gain greater flexibility in Medicaid and possibly help drug users get access to treatment, Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday. [continues 421 words]
One is a former nurse. Another used to be in law enforcement. There were a recruiter and a graphic designer. Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal and Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino at the press conference on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. They were among 40 people arrested this week in an investigation led by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office to combat the area's "staggering" heroin epidemic. This time, after arresting the alleged users for drug possession, detectives offered them help -- the chance to enter a five-day detox program run by Bergen County Regional Medical Center. Twelve people accepted. [continues 1881 words]
Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale confirmed Saturday afternoon that city police are investigating a report that a 3-year-old tested positive for marijuana early Saturday morning. Speziale said that at 3 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31, police were met by child protective services at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center because "a 3-year-old had tested positive for marijuana." "It is an unfortunate situation," Speziale said. "We don't if it is because of contact or ingestion. We take these situations as serious." [continues 91 words]
OLD TAPPAN - After a year-long debate on a proposed random drug testing policy in the Northern Valley Regional High School district, the Northern Valley community created a drug coalition to promote a safe and substance-free environment for students in its seven towns. The grassroots, community-based committee held its introductory meeting on April 3 at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan to lay out the organization's framework and discuss its objectives. "Everybody has really wanted to do something, and this is an opportunity where we can all come together and make a positive difference in our community if we can all act as one," said Melissa Driscoll, president of the NVRHS Old Tappan's Parent Teacher Student Organization. [continues 381 words]
Fair Lawn Two weeks after announcing its intention to enter the legal marijuana industry, Fair Lawn electronics recycler AnythingIT has made good on its promise. Leaders at the Zink Place facility said the company will soon introduce Weedhire.com, a career website that specifically targets employment within the legal cannabis industry. The site will function as an online portal for employers in the marijuana business to post job listings and job seekers to send in resumes. AnythingIT is aiming to fill industry demands that will create employment for accountants, lawyers, inventory management, marketing, cultivators and lab technicians. [continues 353 words]
FINALLY, the governor has given the go-ahead to New Jersey's medical marijuana program. It's a huge relief for people suffering excruciating pain and for the people who care for them. Gov. Jon Corzine signed the medical marijuana law in January 2010. But for 18 months, chronically ill patients who would qualify for the drug have had to wait as Governor Christie tinkered with the legislation and then put it on hold. This last move occurred in April after the governor asked the Obama administration for reassurance it would not prosecute employees associated with the state-sanctioned program. Christie would allow nothing, he said, until he got an answer. It looked like a stalling tactic to us, since the federal government can't promise to not enforce its laws. [continues 194 words]
What you called a compromise on medical marijuana in "Easing the pain" (Editorial, Dec. 8) is not accurate. Six dispensaries were part of the law, so on that point what is the compromise? There was no compromise. You didn't mention that the 10 percent THC limit for the product makes the program unworkable for many patients who use a higher percentage. They will not get enough medicine and have to turn to the street. The limit of three strains per dispensary is also bad. Different strains have different results, and patients do better with wider variety. [continues 112 words]
If our elected public officials can't come together and find common ground when it comes to treating the most seriously ill among us, how can we expect them to reach consensus on more politically charged issues impacting the state? Thankfully, last week, in a show of common sense, Republican Governor Christie and at least one Democratic lawmaker seemed ready to finally clear away the smoke and come up with a way to get medical marijuana to those in New Jersey who most need it, including the terminally ill. The goal is to settle on the parameters in order to begin dispensing the drug in July. [continues 392 words]
Regarding "End delays for medical marijuana" (Editorials, July 31) on New Jersey's stalled medical marijuana program: The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of usage. [continues 87 words]
Thank you for your call to Governor Christie to implement the medical marijuana program immediately ("Speed the relief," Editorials, July 13). We should consider why he has such concern for "doing it right." The elephant in the room is those people who will not qualify to be medical marijuana patients. They are in a gray area. Their ailments are not considered severe enough or they are simply recreational users. They would love to stop being treated as criminals. Some people prefer cannabis over aspirin and other products for pain relief. [continues 108 words]
STOP BLOWING smoke. It's time to inhale. Cancer patients, people with AIDS, victims of Lou Gehrig's disease and others have waited long enough. They were supposed to be allowed to smoke medical marijuana starting in October. Thirteen other states already allow it, and New Jersey became the 14th back in January, when the Legislature passed the nation's strictest law and then-Gov. Jon Corzine signed it. But then Governor Christie pushed back the start date to January 2011, in a move befitting a prosecutor, because he wanted "to do it the right way," his spokesman said. [continues 313 words]
A Paterson man was sentenced to 23 years in state prison Friday for killing a drug dealer who he owed $1,200 because he feared the dealer was out to kill him first. Damian Anderson, 30, will have to serve 85 percent of his term under sentencing imposed by state Superior Court Judge Raymond A. Reddin in Paterson. He previously pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in connection with the shooting. Anderson was originally charged with murder in the Aug. 16, 2007, killing of 30-year-old city resident Anroy Carnegie on 11th Avenue near East 28th Street in Paterson. [continues 285 words]
PASSAIC - In the last 12 months, the city's Housing Authority has put 30 families on an eviction list and more than 150 people on a "no-trespass" list as part of a tougher stance against drugs and crime on its premises. And while some are lauding the program, others say it does nothing more than uproot families or tear them apart. "I try to tell him don't go out there and get into trouble, but I can't control what he does," said Margaret Jackson, whose son, Calvin Stegal, 19, has numerous arrests for drugs and one arrest for beating up another tenant, according to Jose Colon, the authority's security director. Jackson sobbed when she learned she has been put on the authority's eviction list. [continues 1038 words]
PATERSON -- Who's Barry? Who's Kris? Who's Rollack? A rash of red gang graffiti has sprung up along Union Avenue in the city's 1st and 2nd wards, and now police and city officials worry that a turf war may be erupting along this quiet, working-class commercial strip. The brightly colored graffiti signifies a bold attempt by the Bloods street gang to enter the drug-dealing territory controlled by the Crips and the Jasper Street Posse, authorities said. [continues 460 words]
Drug testing rules proposed by the state Board of Education would make it harder and more costly for districts to randomly test students, local and White House officials testified Wednesday in Trenton. The rules would not require districts to test students, but would stipulate that those that do screen teenagers must conduct and analyze the tests at state-licensed laboratories, or become state-licensed labs themselves. Any costs associated with drug testing would fall to the district. Currently, most of the 20 districts in the state that screen students rely on school nurses to conduct and analyze the tests. Results that aren't clearly negative are sent to a lab for further evaluation. [continues 638 words]
"When politics trumps science, people die." Robert Sharpe, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, Letter to the Editor, Herald News, May 17, 2007 Fortunately for the city of Paterson, on Tuesday night science, medical research and common human decency trumped politics. In the long run, this means that hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who might otherwise be condemned to the awful fate of living with the HIV virus or perhaps dying from full-blown AIDS, get a new lease on life. [continues 440 words]
PASSAIC -- Residents of Speer Village say they are chafing under the authority of a Passaic police officer who told them he's the new sheriff in their town. Many who live here, in the city's largest public housing complex, say a pair of city police officers recently assigned to patrol the grounds ticket, harass and arrest residents who feel they are doing nothing wrong. One officer in particular, Officer Alex Castellon, who resident leader Rene Griggs said introduced himself as the new sheriff, is the focus of many residents' ire. [continues 692 words]
River Dell and Lakeland regional high schools are expected to adopt sweeping random drug testing programs next week, joining a growing number of New Jersey districts with similar policies. Under the programs, any student who participates in a club, plays for a team or has a parking permit at the school is subject to testing for a variety of illegal substances, including alcohol, marijuana, steroids, cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines, among others. At River Dell, that means between 85 percent and 90 percent of all high school students next year will be required to sign consent forms permitting the random tests, Superintendent Patrick Fletcher said. [continues 900 words]
Re: "Needles prickly issue for city" (Trend Spotting, May 14) Resistance to Passaic's needle exchange program is not without precedent. Needle exchange programs have been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially hard to reach population. However, such programs often give rise to a "not in my backyard" reaction. An alternative is syringe access regulation. Allowing drug users to purchase clean needles in pharmacies has the added benefit of not costing taxpayers a dime. [continues 154 words]
PASSAIC -- It's a good example of how an urban myth can get in the way of rational policymaking. Last week, the Passaic City Council stymied a proposal that would have paved the way for the Passaic Alliance, the city's only free health care and outreach center, to establish a sterile syringe access program, commonly known as a needle exchange. "My concern is we might be opening up a Pandora's Box, people coming from all over getting clean syringes," said Councilman Gerry Fernandez at a council session. "I am leery (of) doing something that's going to bring a lot of undesirable people into the city." [continues 583 words]
NEW JERSEY'S prison population has declined by thousands in the past few years, a good sign that court-managed drug diversion programs are paying off. They have been so effective that the state's Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing wants to see them expanded. The drug court's diversion programs has kept 6,700 non-violent offenders from having to serve time behind bars since the mid-Nineties. Were it not for the hands-on approach of teams of probation officers, counselors and judges, most of them would be added to the present population of 23,000 inmates being held in the Department of Corrections prison facilities. The strict court-managed monitoring regulates every aspect of the participant's daily life -- down to his curfew. Only 14 percent get rearrested for new offenses, recent drug court figures show. [continues 567 words]
New Jersey is at the forefront of a national trend to make drug and alcohol testing as common as gym class for teens who play high school sports, participate in extracurricular activities or drive to school. The White House announced on Friday that $1.6 million in grants will be available for districts like Kinnelon that are considering plans to start programs, and for districts like Wayne that are looking into making voluntary programs mandatory. The districts have until May 8 to apply. [continues 1119 words]
KINNELON -- The district is exploring a program that could require high school students to agree to random tests for cocaine, marijuana and other drugs in order to participate in extracurricular activities. Superintendent James Opiekun told parents at a forum Tuesday night that drug testing would "help us address a problem, just like a drunk-driving sobriety test." But some parents worried that required testing could reduce participation in sports and clubs, cost too much money and curb students' rights. "I've always been asked for my permission for scoliosis tests, for physicals," said parent Vic-toria Maroldi. "I can't believe that I would not be asked for my permission for you to urine-test my kid." [continues 411 words]
PEQUANNOCK -- You'll never win if you're on drugs. That's the message of a winning commercial written by a pair of 13-year-olds from Pequannock Valley Middle School. How good was the original script? It beat out 1,000 others statewide. Dana Carrubba and Deanna DeVito started filming their public service announcement Friday on the Pequannock Township High School track. "The message is that if you do drugs, it's not just that it can hurt you," Dana said. "But you could lose your friends and end up hanging out with people who only like you because you do drugs." [continues 379 words]
Re: "No cure or common sense after 25 years" (Editorial, June 6) Regarding your June 6 editorial, needle exchanges have been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially hard to reach population. Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. The Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57 percent of AIDS cases among women and 36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of "zero tolerance" laws that restrict access to clean syringes. In the interest of containing the HIV epidemic, let's hope New Jersey's tough-on-drugs politicians acknowledge the drug war's tremendous collateral damage sooner rather than later. Robert Sharpe, MPA, policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy, Washington, D.C. [end]
BANGKOK, Thailand -- When HIV first escalated in Africa and the Caribbean, Asia remained virtually untouched and unaware. But the world's most populous continent is catching up. Today, 25 years into an epidemic that has claimed 40 million lives worldwide, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest number of infections after sub-Saharan Africa. The big question now is: How far will it go? "I don't think it will go the African way," where in some areas up to a third of the population is infected, UNAIDS chief Dr. Peter Piot said in an interview with The Associated Press. But "there's slow but steady growth and with that kind of population denominator, the numbers are staggering," [continues 804 words]
