Save us from politicians sending messages. They were at it again last week, debating a bill that would provide civil fines, instead of criminal records, for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana. "That's the wrong message to send to our kids," Attorney General Tom Reilly said. "We have to keep them out of drugs." State Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, agreed, saying the bill "sends the wrong message." Let's get real: Politicians don't send messages, especially to kids, who couldn't name their state representative if their iPods depended on it. For 40 years, politicians have been "sending messages" to kids about the dangers of pot and for 40 years, the kids have been ignoring them. [continues 813 words]
A recent report that Boston leads the nation in marijuana use seemed to be greeted more with laughter than concern. "Hub goes to pot," the Boston Herald's front-page headline screamed, "We are the highest city in the U.S!" Other media outlets reacted with a similar mix of bemusement and civic pride at the news from a federal agency that 12 percent of Massachusetts adults had smoked marijuana within the last month. The reaction is perhaps unsurprising, given the numbers. [continues 345 words]
It can start with an unintentional traffic infraction: possibly a failure to yield or a slide instead of a stop or a failure to use the directional. Although it's likely an innocent mistake, it can cause another motorist to respond. The response can be a blast of the horn, an exchange of verbal comments, a hand gesture or even worse. A few years ago a new term was coined called Road Rage. The number of vehicles on roadways has never been higher than today and unfortunately Road Rage incidents continue to grow. Some of these incidents have resulted in serious injuries and even deaths. [continues 406 words]
Officer Tom Hanshaw appears to be spreading myths about marijuana rather than dispelling them. "Myths, Truths about Drug Use," in the March 18 issue of the Amesbury News. He writes Myth No. 6: "Weed isn't that harmful. The Truth: Marijuana has been linked to mental illness. Linked is a weasel-word designed to cover the fact that marijuana has never been proven to cause mental illness, and that there was no increase mental illness in time periods when marijuana use soared, such as the 1960s and 1970s. [continues 75 words]
The topic in last week's article concerned teenagers and automobiles. Although you can't be with your teenager every time he or she gets into a car, you can teach them about the importance of wearing a safety belt. You can also influence a teenager when it comes to important decision-making. Your words as a parent, grandparent, family member or interested adult can make a difference. An old saying goes something like, "It takes a village to raise a child." Those few words have never been truer as the youth of today are growing up in a dangerous world. Things are much different today compared with growing up in the '70s, '60s or before. [continues 460 words]
