Members of a committee charged with developing a drug testing policy for students in the Caldwell County School District are shifting their focus toward a new group of students. School Health Coordinator Will Brown, the head of the committee that began its research about two years ago, updated school board members on the group's progress this week. Initially, the committee had focused on developing a random drug testing policy for students involved in extracurricular activities, such as athletics, band and school clubs. [continues 207 words]
Chautauqua Speaker Brings Different Viewpoint On Marijuana To Campus Gatewood Galbraith is a free man. As a matter of fact, he is the last free man in America. He said so. He also said that Kentucky is a police state. He said marijuana has saved more lives than any other medicine in the world. And he said that our nation is in more peril than at any time in its history. Galbraith, if it weren't already obvious, likes to say a lot of things. In fact, he's made his name, and likely his career, from it. [continues 895 words]
If there is one thing Steve Hager, former editor of High Times magazine, and Bob Stutman, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, can agree on, it's that smoking marijuana might not be the right choice for college students, but it's about responsibility. "Make sure you make getting that education the most important priority while you're at this institution," Hager said Tuesday night in Memorial Hall at "Heads vs. Feds," a legalization debate hosted by the Student Activities Board. "If you don't, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." After Stutman was introduced as "the most famous narc in America" and Hager as "the most famous pothead in America," each was given 15 minutes to argue his case for or against the legalization of marijuana. [continues 309 words]
Marijuana, Weed, Green, Pot, Grass, Herb, Reefer, Chronic, Mary Jane, Ganja or Dope. No matter what you call it, marijuana, or at least its legalization, is one of the most divisive issues facing the country today. Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall, the Student Activities Board plans on bringing that discussion to campus as they present "Heads vs. Feds," a legalization debate between Steve Hager, long-time editor of "High Times" magazine, and Bob Stutman, a former New York state Drug Enforcement Administration agent. [continues 405 words]
Attorney General Eric Holder spoke of "a nation of cowards" last week and his words were parsed, dissected and scrutinized by some in the media as an affront to Americanism, but Holder is absolutely correct. Without a doubt we are a nation of cowards and cowardly in many walks of life. What do you call a 10th-grade dropout who becomes the street-level drug dealer? What do you call the college dropout who forsakes his or her education with no legitimate prospects beyond the 'hood? Hero? [continues 306 words]
Once again, a bill that seeks to punish prior use of a controlled substance with an automatic DUI conviction is before the Kentucky legislature. Like its predecessors, Senate Bill5 cleverly attempts to bootstrap an ill-advised rule regarding all drugs onto a rule created for the purpose of measuring alcohol impairment. Under SB5, a driver who tests positive for traces of marijuana can be convicted of "driving under the influence" even if that driver is unimpaired at the time of arrest. [continues 430 words]
This column was filed before Sheriff Lott abandoned efforts to charge Michael Phelps with a crime in connection with the incident. -- Editor. WASHINGTON -- Drink and drive and it's grrrrrrrr-eat! Smoke pot and your flakes are frosted, dude. So seems the message from Kellogg, which has decided not to renew its sponsorship contract with Michael Phelps after the Olympian was photographed smoking marijuana at a party in South Carolina. That's showbiz, of course, but the cereal and munchie company had no problem signing Phelps despite a prior alcohol-related arrest. In 2004, Phelps was fined and sentenced to 18 months probation and community service after pleading guilty to driving while impaired. [continues 676 words]
While the Senate debates the federal economic stimulus package, local drug task forces are optimistic at the prospect of receiving more money for their offices than in recent years. The $819 billion measure passed last week by the House of Representatives includes $3 billion to be allocated over a two-year period toward the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, the only source of federal funding that multi-jurisdictional drug task forces receive. The Senate version of the stimulus bill, which is currently under debate, contains a one-time allocation of $1.5 billion. [continues 584 words]
Before you venture into Ciudad Juarez, brace yourself to hear Texans tell you that you're crazy. Visiting friends in neighboring El Paso a few days before Christmas, I was immediately warned, "Don't even think about going into Juarez." Just across the shallow creek known as the Rio Grande from El Paso, one of the safest cities of its size in the nation, Juarez is a city under siege, the worst victim of Mexico's growing wars between drug cartels. [continues 675 words]
His Son, Ex-wife And Two Others Also Plead Guilty A Clay County marijuana grower who gained notoriety in the late 1980s by posing with his plants for a Herald-Leader photo has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to U.S. Attorney James A. Zerhusen. J.C. Lawson, now 53, pleaded guilty to conspiring to grow pot in the Big Creek area of Clay County in the summer of 2006. Lawson's ex-wife, his son, another relative and a partner, Douglas Imhoff, 50, also pleaded guilty. [continues 243 words]
Dear Editor, A recent article ("Face Off: Should Marijuana be Legalized? No," Sept. 19) examining marijuana legalization failed to consider the reality of the current situation, which is that despite 70 years of government propaganda and billions of taxpayer dollars wasted this year alone combating conduct that millions of Americans engage in, we are losing the war on marijuana. Notwithstanding Mr. McLaurine's reliance on arguments such as the gateway theory, a supposition that has been repeatedly debunked by scientific studies in recent years, to make his point, he does leave readers with some good advice: Do your own research on the issue and come to your own conclusions. [continues 177 words]
We have all heard the arguments: God made marijuana, man made alcohol - who are you going to trust? Who has ever heard of anyone overdosing on marijuana? It doesn't have any adverse affects on society. I would argue that these statements are sheer ignorance, in its purest form. Overall the legalization of marijuana (for public use) is something that should not be entertained. Marijuana is a drug. It is a substance that alters the inhibitions of an individual on a level different than alcohol. [continues 346 words]
Only one Bullitt County high school student tested positive for drugs last school year, though nearly 550 tests were given. "It's great news," said Jaime Goldsmith, the district's director of safe and drug-free schools. "It dispels some of those rumors that it's running rampant." Last year was the first for Bullitt's random drug-testing program. Athletes from Bullitt Central and Bullitt East high school were randomly selected to participate. The urine tests screen for marijuana, amphetamines, steroids, ecstasy, hydrosol, PCP, methadone, barbiturates, benzodiaphine (such as Xanax), opiates, cocaine, propoxyphene (in painkillers such as Darvon) and alcohol. [continues 618 words]
More potent weed puts today's kids at greater risk for health and social problems If you're a baby boomer, don't lull yourself into thinking that marijuana is a fading fad that represents a modest threat to today's youth. You'd be wrong. Nearly half of today's teenagers try marijuana before graduating from high school, and by their senior year more than 20 percent are regular users, Science Daily reported in May. More teens use marijuana than all other illegal drugs combined, and they are at greater risk than teens who smoked pot a couple of decades ago. [continues 693 words]
It was a celebration of newness of life for three Rowan County Drug Court Graduates June 13. "If it wasn't for drug court my baby wouldn't be here," said Drug Court Graduate Anthony Barnette. Carl Prust was happy he graduated from Drug Court and is pursuing one of his life goals. "I'm trying to start a motorcycle shop," Prust said. "Things are wonderful." "All three graduates have worked very hard in the program," said Circuit Judge William Mains. "We call this a graduation. In fact, we talked about rephrasing it as a celebration of life. This is not the end but a beginning." [continues 414 words]
Products Intended to Foil Positive Drug Tests NEWPORT - Federal authorities on Wednesday stormed the Monmouth Street offices of a company that makes shampoos, sports drinks and synthetic urine used to help people cheat on drug tests. The execution of the sealed search warrants was part of a nationwide investigation originating out of Pittsburgh, Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Rich Isaacson said. Officials declined to say what was sought in the raid. The lawyer representing the Newport company, Spectrum Laboratories, said a competitor of her client had a facility raided the same day in Union Township, Clermont County. An FBI spokesman confirmed a Clermont County raid in connection to the Newport investigation but said he could not elaborate, because the search warrant was sealed. [continues 401 words]
On April 7, The News-Enterprise reported that a 21-year-old woman had been charged with a felony for possessing marijuana seeds and growing equipment. In Kentucky, a felony conviction can result in the revocation or suspension of a professional license, strip students of financial aid for life, make it impossible for a capable and loving adult to adopt a child, and prevent a citizen from voting, serving on a jury, owning a firearm, securing public housing and obtaining food stamps. [continues 105 words]
New Drug Testing Data Show Effects Of Supply Crunch John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, highlighted new data showing significant reductions in meth and cocaine positivity rates in the American workforce, as well as continued disruptions in the supply of both drugs. According to data released today by Quest Diagnostics' Drug Testing Index (DTI), results from workplace drug screenings conducted in 2007 show a more than 50 percent decline in the percentage of positive tests for methamphetamine over two years, from 28 of every 10,000 people testing positive for meth in 2005 to 14 of every 10,000 testing positive for meth in 2007. [continues 495 words]
Committee Wants to Change Penal Code, Create Alternative Sentences for Nonviolent Offenders The Kentucky Justice and Safety Cabinet is working to alter the state's penal code to reduce prison and jail populations. But a reduction in jail population might actually be a financial blow to the Warren County Regional Jail. A state committee has been set up - incorporating law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders and others - to review the code and recommend changes. The first meeting of the committee was Monday, and it went extremely well, Kentucky Public Advocate Ernie Lewis said. [continues 706 words]
Drug dogs patrolled the halls of three county school buildings Monday morning. The county high school, middle school and the Butler Area Youth Development Center were canvassed by K-9 teams from the Owensboro Police Department, the Daviess County Sheriff's Department and the McLean County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Stan Hudson said charges had been brought against one high school student as a result. The juvenile was charged with marijuana possession. Another student may face a charge of possession of a controlled substance as a result of a separate investigation. [continues 484 words]
My column last week, in which I discussed how important the selection of a new superintendent was to the future of our community, struck a chord with a lot of people. I have received numerous e-mails and have been approached on the street by people who agreed with my assessment, as well as my hope that our new superintendent would be focused like a laser beam on academic achievement and excellence. Sometime before the end of this school year, the Scott County Board of Education will sequester itself in a room and make a decision that will have a profound impact on our community for years to come. However, that will not be the only important decision our school board will be making this year. In fact, it could be argued that, while selecting a new superintendent is certainly the most important personnel decision the board will make, it may not be the most important decision that directly affects our kids' lives. [continues 581 words]
The work of the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force is no doubt well-intended, but ultimately counterproductive. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs, while demand remains constant, only increases the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like methamphetamine, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn't fight crime, it fuels crime. With alcohol prohibition repealed, liquor bootleggers no longer gun each other down in drive-by shootings, nor do consumers go blind drinking unregulated bathtub gin. [continues 119 words]
All Hope Not Lost Hopes of obtaining funding to branch the Operation UNITE program into Madison County in the immediate future are looking dim, U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6th District, confirmed Friday. But all hope for the initiative is not lost. UNITE is an acronym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigative, Treatment and Education. The program "works to rid communities of illegal drug use through undercover narcotics investigations, coordinating treatment for substance abusers, providing support to families and friends of substance abusers and educating the public about the dangers of using drugs," the program's Web site states. [continues 448 words]
Should the doors to the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force close sometime this year, it would be a serious blow locally to the drug scourge police agencies are trying to combat. Funds for programs like this one have been dwindling for many years, but a recent announcement that the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant program was facing a cut of about 67 percent -- from $520 million to $170 million -- could prove fatal to the local program. The Byrne fund's program allotment here amounts to about $185,000, roughly 65 percent of the agency's annual budget. The federal money pays the salary of the director, Wayne Edwards, the salaries of a bookkeeper and secretary, and leases on vehicles used by task force agents. [continues 238 words]
Isn't it nice to see Kentucky potentially be the vanguard of a national movement instead of its hind end? Right now, Kansas is the only state in the U.S. (that I am aware of at least) that has established a system of registration for convicted dope dealers and manufacturers. Kentucky could join Kansas if House Bill 96, sponsored by Rep. Rick Nelson, D-Middlesboro, passes this year's General Assembly. Kentucky has had a sex offender registration system for years now, but am I alone in seeing in the papers many more arrests for meth labs and crack pushers than for rapists and pedophiles? Surely no Kentucky family has not been touched by the harm of illegal drugs and those who make and sell them. I urge all the mothers out there to call their legislators and ask them to support this important bill to keep the eye of the law on those who have endangered the public safety and health. Louisville [end]
Members of a Lyon County teen committee are leading the push to implement a random student drug testing policy in the county's school system. The "Engaging Youth Serving Communities" Committee (EYSC) made their presentation at a lunch meeting of the Lyon County Chamber of Commerce Thursday. The group of approximately 15 Lyon County High School students is sponsored by Lyon County Champions for a Drug-Free Kentucky and Lyon County 4-H. "We think that as a group of individuals we can accomplish a lot more than just one individual could," said member Julie Robertson. [continues 923 words]
A downward trend in local meth lab activity will not translate into a reduction of activities for a group formed to protect children exposed to such harmful drug environments. The Caldwell County Drug-Endangered Children Coalition (DEC) held a noon meeting Tuesday to update members on DEC activities and plans for the future. The local DEC group was first formed in the summer of 2005 to develop a community network and protocols for caring for children who are required to be removed from homes where drugs are being manufactured or other hazardous situations. [continues 604 words]
A task force that has arrested more than 2,400 drug suspects in Eastern Kentucky the past five years and provided money for drug treatment and education has laid off employees because of reductions in its federal funding, and could face a cut in a counseling program if it doesn't come up with more money. Operation UNITE laid off 10 police officers and two other employees. The task force had earlier left positions open in anticipation of a cut in federal funding, said Karen Engle, UNITE president and CEO, so the initiative now has 23 police officers, down from 40 officers at its peak. [continues 906 words]
A judge has upheld the sentence of a man who turned down an offer of probation in favor of a jury trial in which he was found guilty. Danny Dale Burress, 49, of 4450 Speck Ridge Road in Campbellsville appeared before Taylor Circuit Court Judge Doughlas M. George last Tuesday for sentencing. George upheld the jury's recommendation of 20 years. In November, Burress faced a jury on charges of second-degree selling hydrocodone, his second offense, and being a second-degree persistent felony offender. [continues 1190 words]
Not a day goes by that I don't read the Daily News and every day there are numerous people with their names listed in it because they committed various drug offenses. My question to all the drug war proponents is what good has the drug war really done? It has managed to cost the taxpayers billions of dollars of hard-earned money with no real benefit. If the drug war ended today, we would see a drastic drop in crime, from theft by drug addicts who no longer would have to pay a small fortune to obtain their drugs to murders that only happened because of a drug deal gone bad. [continues 177 words]
County school board members agreed Monday to begin an investigation into the possibility of developing a student drug testing policy. The move is the board's first step in what school district officials say will be a deliberative process, one without a predetermined solution. "My preference is we study it first, get our information and then make an informed decision," said school Superintendent Carrell Boyd, in the board's regular meeting Monday night. The board approved the formation of a committee to investigate the issue and provide a report in the spring. [continues 378 words]
When the Nelson County Board of Education decided to implement a random drug-testing policy for its students, it also included the school board in the pool of potential subjects. But Superintendent Dr. Janice O. Lantz had been subject to drug tests for several years before the board approved the policy. "I have my CDL (commercial driver's license) and I'm a bus driver," Lantz said. "I've been part of the rotation for several years." Nelson County is one of the counties Scott County is studying as the Scott school district is preparing to institute its drug-testing policy. [continues 589 words]
If a police officer is allowed to use Kentucky bourbon, then they should be allowed to use Kentucky-grown cannabis / marijuana (Former Oldham Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Possession of Pot, Nov. 28, 2007), without persecution. It's time to re-legalize the relatively safe God-given plant cannabis for responsible adults since it's safer than alcohol, especially compared to whiskey. Cannabis hasn't killed one person in over 5,000 years of documented use compared to cigarettes which kill over 1,000 Americans daily, and it is less addictive than coffee. There is no rational reason to lose a job for responsible use of cannabis, because of discredited reefer madness laws that should be appealed. Stan White, Dillon, Colo. [end]
Iusue: Steve Pavey Our View: A well-deserved award Most parents in Hardin County and the surrounding area don't know who Steve Pavey is. But their children probably do. A Kentucky State Police trooper, Pavey has spent countless hours in schools over the last several years talking to children about the dangers of drugs and what drug use can do to those who take them, as well as the people around them. For many children he has been the voice on the many drug-use pitfalls that are in society. [continues 286 words]
A former Oldham County police officer who handled the county's only drug-sniffing police dog has pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. But Gerald W. Colston will avoid jail time if he meets a number of conditions in the next year, including 100 hours of community service, according to the court order issued last Wednesday by Oldham District Judge Diana Wheeler. Colston, 38, was arraigned Sept. 4 after being charged with growing four marijuana plants outside his home on Rose Island Road. The charge is a misdemeanor. He resigned Aug. 31 from the police department, where he had worked for eight years. [continues 165 words]
When Scott County Schools and Scott Countians Against Drugs started looking into random drug testing for high school students, they looked at schools where it worked. "New Jersey and New Hampshire have national models," said Bob Leonard, co-chair of SCAD. "One of the people we looked at was Lisa Brady of New Jersey." Brady was principal of Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, N.J., when that school started testing students for drugs. In an article from the Student Assistance Journal, Brady said, "... after implementing Hunterdon's program, student drug use was dramatically reduced." [continues 494 words]
It's coming. And soon. By the time the 2008-2009 school year begins, Scott County schools plan to have a random drug testing policy in place. "Within the next several weeks, I will recommend to the board that we approve a drug testing initiative for our secondary schools," Superintendent Dr. Dallas Blankenship said. "In the meantime we are doing studies on timetables, the cost and the best way to implement this program." The schools and Scott County Against Drugs have been having a dialogue for almost two years on such a program and it is close to reaching fruition. [continues 531 words]
Says Amending, Extending Sentences Is Uncontitutional FRANKFORT -- Not unlike dozens of other Hardin County Drug Court candidates, Amanda R. Gaddie chose the rigorous get-clean program over jail time when a judge threatened revocation of her 90-day probated sentence for a 2003 drug possession conviction. But when she failed to show up for the first day of Drug Court, Gaddie faced consequences far greater than her original 90-day sentence. Because of her failure to comply with the strict Drug Court regimen, she was sentenced to the maximum for a misdemeanor drug crime -- 12 months in county jail. [continues 302 words]
Taylor County Schools are a step closer to requiring students who participate in extracurricular activities or drive to school to take random drug tests. At their regular meeting Tuesday, Taylor County School Board members discussed a drug testing policy presented by Taylor County High teacher Debbie Hinton on behalf of a committee appointed to study the issue. While students at Taylor County Middle School would be included, Hinton said, the testing would focus on the high school. "Students who participate in anything that is a voluntary activity could be tested," Hinton said. [continues 862 words]
Legislation Makes Large Dent In Production; Focus Turns To Interdiction ELIZABETHTOWN -- The warfront against the illegal stimulant methamphetamine is changing as less of the drug is being produced in small local labs and more of it is being imported from Mexico to satisfy a steady demand for it. Despite efforts in recent years to educate the public about its dangers, federal, state and local drug experts say the meth-using population seems to be holding steady. While estimated numbers of users appear constant throughout the state, domestic production of the drug appears to be on the decline in most parts of the state, aside from Jefferson and Bullitt counties. [continues 1301 words]
Here's a wake-up call for parents of high school students: Most teens know exactly where to go if they've got spare cash and want to buy illegal drugs. "It's so easy," was the unanimous response of the current members of The Courier-Journal's High School Round Table when asked if it would be difficult for them to buy drugs. Federal studies conducted in 2005 show that American teens use marijuana more than any other drug. Half of all respondents reported having tried drugs by the end of high school. [continues 1826 words]
How bad is the drug problem in our county? Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force Director Cheyenne Albro told the crowd of 60 attending a community drug forum Wednesday that the question is one of the most common ones he hears when speaking about drug issues. The answer is less than heartening. "Per population, your drug problem here in Princeton and Caldwell County is just the same as L.A., Miami, New York and other areas," he said. "All the same drugs that you deal with in other areas eventually find their way here," he added. [continues 796 words]
Scott Countians Against Drugs say their job will never be done. But they intend to keep on trying and this week SCAD, the community and the Scott County schools will join forces to observe Red Ribbon Week. "The sad part about SCAD," Johnny Griffin, SCAD chairman, said, "is that we'll be around for 25 more years fighting the same battle." SCAD will pass out red ribbons, stickers and pledge cards in the 15 public and private schools participating in Red Ribbon Week. The schools are also participating in grocery bag decorations. [continues 373 words]
Dawn Can't Stay Clean, So The State Takes Away Her Kids Tonio Smith stares mutely out the window as his mother, Dawn Nicole Smith, slumps, smoking, in a stained chair. The 8-year-old's eyes are solemn beneath black bangs as his mother stares unseeing into some middle distance. His father, Tony Smith, who long ago moved in with another woman even though he is technically still Dawn's husband, gathers his children's clothes and their important papers from a house strewn with trash, beer bottles and food. He's taking the four kids he had with Dawn to a new home. Garbage bags serve as luggage. It's May 2007. Tonio and his three younger siblings are leaving their eighth home since 2004, the latest Lexington area rental unit to start out nice enough but soon reflect the chaos of a drug-addled family life. [continues 887 words]
Kentucky Needs More, Better Drug Treatment Programs This past week, reporter Mary Meehan and photographer David Stephenson have recounted Dawn Nicole Smith's struggle with prescription drug abuse. It's a painful, ugly story that started before Smith was born and will outlive her as her five children make their way through the world. It's a complex story about the link between abuse and addiction, each nurturing the other, generation to generation. Smith's story ripples beyond her family to the foster homes, courts, recovery programs, churches, hospitals and jails where she's spent time and the courts, schools, social workers and foster homes that will try to fill the voids for her children. [continues 580 words]
BARBOURVILLE, Ky -- Deep in the Appalachian woods, Kentucky State Police Trooper Dewayne Holden's Humvee struggled up what once was an old logging trail. As his three-truck convoy stopped at a clearing atop a 3,000-foot ridge, Holden grabbed a machete and joined eight other armed troopers and National Guardsmen, hiking toward a hill under some power lines. But the pot growers had beaten them to the prize: Gone were the 40 to 50 marijuana plants worth as much as $100,000 that Holden spotted from a helicopter more than a week earlier. Only six spindly plants and some fresh ATV tracks were left. [continues 680 words]
BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - Deep in the Appalachian woods near the Knox-Bell county line, Kentucky State Police Trooper Dewayne Holden's Humvee belched smoke and roared as it struggled up what once was an old logging trail. As his three-truck convoy stopped at a clearing atop a 3,000-foot ridge, Holden grabbed a machete and joined eight other armed troopers and National Guardsmen, hiking toward a hill under some power lines. Keeping an eye out for nail pits, pipe bombs and poison-snake booby traps, they found fresh ATV tracks. [continues 1718 words]
Nurses throughout Kentucky spent Friday learning about the extent of the state's methamphetamine problem - and what they can do to help themselves and others. The Kentucky Nurses Association held its biannual health care summit Friday at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. Meth was the topic of choice because it impacts not only individuals and families, but also entire communities, according to Susan Jones, president of the association and a nursing professor at Western Kentucky University. "We want to provide information and to challenge people to do something about it," she said. "Everybody has a part in this." [continues 428 words]
Should all Kentucky counties and all Kentucky schools test their student athletes for drugs? Well, can't we agree that drugs are found more commonly in schools today then they were 30 years ago? And can't we also agree that probably most of those consuming narcotics today are teens between the ages of 15 and 18 years old? On any given day, I could have walked the hallways of my high school and spied two people standing off to the side and trading something in their hands while classes were changing. [continues 149 words]
FRANKFORT - Sheriff Marvin Lipfird and his deputies rounded up 20 more drug dealers last week in Harlan County and confiscated another load of prescription painkillers destined for Eastern Kentucky's black market. The drug problem, Lipfird said, just doesn't seem to be going away, despite the best efforts of local, state and federal authorities. "We need more personnel," said Lipfird, who has seven deputies helping him patrol an expansive mountain county that has been ravaged by illegal drugs and by increases in other crimes addicts commit to get money to feed their habits. [continues 521 words]