Drugs are a problem in Hanover. Drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana are probably here to stay. And even if you're not directly affected by drug addiction, odds are you know someone in the area who is. That's the type of straight talk delivered to about 40 people gathered at a "town hall" meeting at the Hanover Community Health and Education Center on Tuesday. "You can buy drugs anywhere you want in this town, and you can buy anything," Hanover Police Chief Randy Whitson told the listeners. "This room, with the problem that we have, should be standing-room only. This room should be packed." [continues 535 words]
Re. Parent protests pyjama fundraiser (Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette, April 26): What she is saying is that Stevie's life can't be remembered at Mount Pleasant because she died of drugs? Stevie was 13 and made a fatal mistake. I hope that the students get a beautiful tree to remember a beautiful young girl whose life ended far too early. Catherine St. James [end]
The debate over the decriminalization of cannabis is generally divided between those who feel it would relieve strain from our judicial system and those who believe pot is a grave social threat. One of the underlying issues of this debate begs the question of whether cannabis is addictive, and if so, whether such an addiction is something we should worry about. But how is addiction defined? Webster's defines it as a compulsive need for, and use of, a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal, or a persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful. In general, scientists largely agree that there are two primary types of addiction: psychological and physical. [continues 457 words]
