Louis Joselphson is to be commended for making the case for substance abuse treatment ("State limits our ability to prevent crises," Sunday Monitor Viewpoints, Dec. 9).

A study conducted by the RAND Corp. found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in societal costs. There is far more at stake than tax dollars. The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have us believe.

Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Not only do the children lose out, but society as a whole does too. Incarcerating non-violent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social behavior.

[continues 80 words]

Eight out of 20 Keene State College athletes recently tested positive for marijuana under a pilot drug-testing program run by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at some Division III institutions.

Keene State Athletic Director John Ratliff described the large number of positive tests as "alarming" and "eye-opening."

Twenty student-athletes from three Keene State teams were tested as part of the pilot program - about 5 percent of the total athletes at the college. The college did not disclose which three teams were tested.

[continues 477 words]

Shaheen: Admission Ripe For 'Dirty Tricks'

A senior Hillary Clinton supporter drew Barack Obama's admissions of past illegal drug use into the Democratic presidential race yesterday, saying that Obama's honesty would expose him to Republican attacks in a general election.

"It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?' " Bill Shaheen, a co-chairman of Clinton's national and New Hampshire campaigns, told the Washington Post. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

[continues 847 words]

LITCHFIELD - Officials at Campbell High School say students will be punished if they continue attending class wearing unauthorized senior T-shirts promoting underage drinking and drug use.

This week about 15 students were caught wearing three different versions of Campbell High School class of 2008 T-shirts that feature not-so-subtle drug or alcohol references, Principal Bob Manseau said. "Messages advocating the use of drugs and alcohol, even cleverly conceived ones, are unacceptable," Manseau said.

The students were not punished, and the tees were not confiscated. But Manseau said the T-shirts violate the school's dress code and that starting today, any pupil spotted wearing them to class will be disciplined.

[continues 327 words]

Mental Patients' Drug Abuse May Go Untreated

A man is shot and killed by the Concord police in his family's home after acting erratically. A woman is shot with a bean bag gun by the police after threatening behavior. A parent writes to me asking for help for her child who has a long history of mental health issues, but I can offer only very limited services.

In each of these real cases, families and individuals are concerned and frustrated by a lack of responsiveness in our mental health system. Frankly, I share their concern. A growing number of people who are uninsured or under-insured and have co-existing alcohol and drug problems are not getting what they need from New Hampshire's mental health system.

[continues 313 words]

KITTERY, Maine -- A rash of heroin use and drug dealing arrests throughout the area this year is an "obvious indication" that drug is on the rise, say police.

According to Kittery Detective Steve Hamel, that increase is being caused by a combination of falling heroin prices and an increase in the use of gateway drugs like OxyContin and methadone.

"In the past year and half we've seen a large increase in heroin arrests, and heroin use as well," Hamel said Thursday. "The price is cheap. You can get a bundle of heroin for $50."

[continues 662 words]

SANFORD -- An emergency moratorium ordinance preventing a methadone clinic from locating in Sanford's Mid-Town Mall went into effect Tuesday, Dec. 4, following a unanimous vote by the Town Council to approve it.

The emergency measure will expire in March, giving councilors and town officials time to review and address existing regulations and zoning ordinances that would apply to medical clinics and methadone clinics.

The action by the town council came as a result of inquiries from Colonial Management Group, LP, in Manchester, N.H., which proposes to set up a methadone clinic in Sanford. The Florida-based company currently operates a methadone treatment center in Bangor and three in New Hampshire.

[continues 748 words]

The Telegraph recently ran an Associated Press story that reported that two men, 50 and 47, were arrested in Charlestown for growing 10 marijuana plants.

They were charged with a felony and released on personal recognizance bail.

The story, fewer than 100 words, provided few other details. Contrast that to the way the "Britney Shaves Head!" saga last summer splashed across the world media stage for days.

Personally, I'd rather hear more about what motivated those guys in Charlestown to grow a controlled substance, what impact our federal drug policies are going to have on their families and the rest of their lives, and most important, hear some spirited analysis and debate on whether the punishment fits the crime.

[continues 487 words]

CONCORD -- Prosecutors can't wrap multiple drug sales into a single trial, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The ruling comes in the case of a Nashua man, Sean Brown, who was convicted of selling heroin to two people on four different occasions in 2005.

The ruling is a significant change from past practice in the state, and a local defense lawyer, Eric Wilson of Nashua, said it could cause further backlogs in the state trial courts, or lead to more plea bargains in drug cases.

[continues 561 words]

And so Barack Obama tells high school kids in New Hampshire that he "made some bad decisions" at their age. He "experimented" with pot and cocaine. This is old news - but even if it were new news, it would be ho-hum in today's politics.

After all, drug use has proven no bar to high office - at least for those who evaded arrest. Vice President Al Gore, ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have all admitted to smoking pot. President Bush refuses to deny that he snorted cocaine. And no one believes that Bill Clinton "didn't inhale" on that joint.

[continues 527 words]

AT MANCHESTER'S Central High School on Monday, Sen. Barack Obama admitted to students in a study hall that as a teenager he was a "goof-off," a drinker and a drug user. He was right to be so candid.

"You know, I made some bad decisions that I've actually written about," Obama said. "You know, got into drinking. I experimented with drugs. There was a whole stretch of time that I didn't really apply myself a lot. It wasn't until I got out of high school and went to college that I started realizing, 'Man, I wasted a lot of time.'"

[continues 275 words]

The 24 "Operation DAG" drug arrests announced recently by Manchester Police Chief John Jaskolka might have made the city a trifle safer for a few days, but any positive effects from such crackdowns don't last. Even if all 24 of those arrested were truly drug dealers, which is very unlikely, the busts simply created 24 job openings which by now have probably been filled.

Of course, Manchester residents are right to be concerned about the very real problems of drug abuse and drug addiction. But although it may feel good to celebrate what looks to be progress, scapegoating of drug peddlers can distract us from seeing the entire picture.

[continues 468 words]

SGA and SSDP Create Resolution Responding to the Maintenance Checks

The Student Government Association (SGA) is working on passing a resolution denouncing actions taken against students during the maintenance inspection that occurred on October 2, 2007.

The resolution, which came from the Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), starts by stating, "It is a vital role of the university and the state of New Hampshire to uphold constitutional principles that ensure privacy and due process to all American citizens." It then describes the Trailer Four incident and the issues surrounding the incident. These issues include the belief that Rindge Police "threatened" the administration and the "unannounced" searches.

[continues 349 words]

Money used to combat alcohol, substance abuse

Skyrocketing drug related indictments in Rockingham County have raised alarms in local schools signaling the need to beef up prevention, intervention, and treatment programs for community youth. That process has just been made easier thanks to a 5-year, $100,000 a year federal grant received by the Sanborn/Timberlane Regional Safe and Drug Free Communities Coalition.

Executive Director Andrea Bonner announced the grant award at the coalition's quarterly meeting on Wednesday at Timberlane Regional High School. Bonner said the money will be used to support collaborative efforts to reduce alcohol and other substance abuse among people in the communities of Kingston, Newton, Fremont, Plaistow, Atkinson, Danville, Sandown and Hampstead.

[continues 436 words]

HAVERHILL -- West Huddleston, chief executive officer of the National Drug Court Institute located in the nation's capital, recognized the Grafton County Drug Court Sentencing Program this week for its outstanding achievement, lauding the county's "tireless efforts to foster community transformation through reducing drug addiction and crime."

The Community Transformation Award has been awarded to only four other jurisdictions nationwide out of a total 2,016 drug courts in operation.

County Attorney Rick St. Hilaire remarked, "It is a credit to the drug court sentencing team -- from Judge [Jean] Burling to our coordinator, Bob Gasser, and to the supervision officers, defense attorneys, and treatment providers -- that the pilot program has shown success so early. The years of planning and hard work have paid off, and this award is quite an honor for the team."

[continues 201 words]

EXETER - Clayton Holdon said Mitt Romney's stance on medicinal marijuana is unclear, and the wheelchair-bound Dover resident said he will continue to bird dog the candidate across the state until he receives a sufficient answer.

Holdon, 22, said he suffers from a rare form of muscular dystrophy and has smoked marijuana since being hit by a car while crossing the street in his wheelchair at the age of 16. Holdon said he has asked John Edwards and Fred Thompson whether he should be arrested for smoking marijuana and has found only Romney to be difficult.

[continues 225 words]

Portsmouth Forum Explores the Question

PORTSMOUTH --The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union held the first of what they hope will be many forums across the state Sunday afternoon addressing student rights and K-9 drug searches in schools.

Executive Director Claire Ebel said after a search at Portsmouth High School last year, where students were told to put their backpacks in the hallway so K-9 drug dogs could search them, she received many calls from outraged parents, students and educators about what they viewed as a violation of student rights.

[continues 455 words]

Last week, four students at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge returned to their on-campus apartment to find that they had been locked out. The students were not allowed to enter the house to eat, sleep or get their books for 26 hours.

A routine maintenance check had turned up an empty grinder, allegedly used for marijuana. When police fully searched the house, they did in fact find a small bag of marijuana.

When sophomore Robert Braverman was arrested on Oct. 4, hundreds of students at FPU rallied in front of his home to protest police action and the university's drug policy.

[continues 257 words]

FPU Dorm Locked While Search Warrant Obtained

RINDGE - The handcuffs that circled Robert Braverman's wrists made him more victim than villain in the eyes of the nearly 30 students who rallied in support Wednesday as police escorted him from his home at Franklin Pierce University.

"You're the bravest one of us, Rob," supporters shouted to Braverman, one of four students displaced from their on-campus house this week after Rindge police allegedly found marijuana paraphernalia.

"Stay strong. You'll be out soon," they said.

[continues 1036 words]

EXETER -- Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said he's satisfied with his campaign's financial health during a stop in the state Saturday afternoon.

With the third quarter fundraising deadline approaching today, McCain's numbers are expected to be lower than his Republican rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. But McCain said he expects to do fairly well.

"Money doesn't matter that much. How you do in Town Hall meetings ... matters," he said.

[continues 557 words]