Reports that a New York man may be carrying a rare and possibly virulent strain of H.I.V. have focused new attention on the biological relationship between the virus and methamphetamine, a drug that has become increasingly entwined in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in cities from San Francisco to Miami to New York. Although methamphetamine, often called crystal meth or speed, is most troubling to health officials because of its role in blotting out inhibitions and fueling high-risk sexual behavior, experts say they are also grappling with mounting evidence that the drug by itself may increase a person's susceptibility to infection by crippling immune function and facilitating disease transmission. [continues 817 words]
Joe Conason Wonders Why The President Is Punishing Drug Users For Offences He Has Also Been Linked To On the audiotapes of George W. Bush recorded secretly by his erstwhile confidant Douglas Wead in 1999, the future president revealed how much he feared candid discussion of his personal use of marijuana and cocaine. As quoted in The New York Times, Bush vowed that no matter what rumours and facts circulated about what he did or might have done, he would doggedly decline to answer forthrightly. [continues 654 words]
Oak Lawn -- This is regarding "Nicole's letter" (Editorial, Feb. 20). I was moved by Nicole Martinez's letter. She wrote that "Gang members and innocent people are killed and injured daily" and that she had to "reach out to people in authority." Her recent letter moved today's leaders, Mayor Richard M. Daley and top brass at Chicago police headquarters, but the mayor and the brass were moved differently than I. The mayor and Chicago Police Supt. Philip Cline were moved to preserve the status quo, to continue the war on drugs and their aggressive campaign against gangs and drugs. [continues 613 words]
Anyone Who Drives To Campus Could Be Picked For Random Search CHINA GROVE -- Students who park on campus at South Rowan High School would be subject to random drug and alcohol testing under a policy proposed to take effect with the 2005-2006 school year. Under the proposal, any student who buys a parking permit must agree to possible testing. School officials would randomly select five parking permit numbers each month and take the students holding them to a local medical clinic for a urine test. [continues 785 words]
Malacanang dismissed criticisms of its supposed leniency towards persons convicted of heinous crimes by saying that being locked up in one of the country's jails is already a fate worse than death. Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that convicted criminals languishing inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City live under the harshest circumstances. He pointed out that the meal budget for each prisoner is a measly P30 a day. "Thirty pesos a day per head for three meals. We can see that the condition inside the prison is enough punishment for those who are currently imprisoned," Bunye said in an interview over dzBB. [continues 307 words]
IT'S MULTINATIONAL Village, again. Authorities seized yesterday sophisticated equipment and chemicals used for the mass production of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) inside the posh subdivision in Paranaque City. The raid at 84 Jericho Street was the second in two weeks conducted on an alleged drug laboratory in the village, where five alleged shabu factories have been found since last year. An American drug expert who joined the raid said the pieces of shabu-making equipment found in the house were similar to those found in a big laboratory in Davao City. [continues 385 words]
NEGROS Oriental Governor George Arnaiz praised his anti-drug and anti-crime brainchild Task Force 24 for its numerous achievements in just a month after he created the 24-hour crime-buster organization. His praise came following the arrest of two alleged major drug pushers that raised the number of captured suspects more than ten since it was created on January 22 in Antulang Beach Resort during the monthly meeting of the Province's Executive-Legislative Agenda. The governor said, it was however too early to gauge the success of the group and hoped its members will sustain their active participation. Arnaiz admitted that solving the problem on illegal drugs is still difficult because the campaign is costly and needs the full support of the public. He warned, however, that the day will come when most, if not all, of the drug pushers will be arrested. [end]
A meth lab discovered northwest of Airdrie last week appears to have been one of the largest clandestine drug labs in the province, according to RCMP. The bust came after Didsbury RCMP responded to an unrelated matter, which ultimately resulted in a search warrant being executed on a rural property west of Didsbury Feb. 15. Although the occupants had only been at the property three weeks, once on scene law enforcement officers found a working methamphetamine lab and seized approximately 10 kilograms of the drug. [continues 390 words]
Inside Cebu One of the biggest cases that gets into the news headlines in Cebu is still that of the mega shabu lab raided last Sept. 24 in Mandaue City which undoubtedly caused huge embarrassment to Cebuanos as it has been dubbed the biggest shabu haul in Asia. Of course, 11 people, mostly foreigners, were arrested in that raid and thanks to Interpol cooperation, one of the ringleaders is now in jail in Hong Kong. But if you think that that raid has deterred foreign criminals from using the Philippines as base for illegal drug manufacturing, a couple of months ago, another mega shabu lab was raided in Davao City. Now you ask, how could this criminal activity escape the ever-watchful eyes of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte? At this point, everyone just has to be always on the lookout. [continues 840 words]
