Re: "Church builds wall to keep out drug users, homeless campers," Dec. 22. If the homeless drug-addicted want to use church property to sleep on, perhaps they should try being good neighbours. Just because they have addiction or mental health issues, it is not an acceptable excuse for leaving a filthy, dangerous mess behind. During their lucid moments, why not collect their used needles and trash and dispose of them safely? Perhaps the homeless shelters could organize cleanup parties every morning. If they were to keep their neighbourhood cleaner, people might be more welcoming. John Miller Victoria [end]
Regarding "Save lives: Legalize, regulate and tax marijuana " (Other views April 1): Upon first glance at the opinion by Jack A. Cole, it was my impression that the article was written as an April Fool's joke. Unfortunately it was not. The misstatements of facts contained therein were glaring. According to a study published by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in January 2014, marijuana use has been increasing among teenagers since the mid-to late-2000's. The article believes there is a correlation between the legalization movement and the increase, because teenagers perceive that the use of marijuana isn't dangerous or can lead to debilitating life circumstances. [continues 165 words]
I feel it would be helpful to go into further detail regarding marijuana prohibition, as it has been a topic of the Journal Junction recently. Marijuana has been widely recognized in recent years not as a "demon plant" (whatever that is) but as a heavily misunderstood resource with a variety of uses dating back thousands of years. Its original prohibition was not based on any scientific or medical observation, but was instead purely politically and racially motivated. Fear and manipulation have kept it at bay. [continues 218 words]
Personal Use Is OK; the Target Is Growers Who Steal Power; Scratch-and-Sniff Cards ROTTERDAM, Netherlands-Fire up a joint in the Netherlands? No big deal. Grow marijuana? That's a crime. Getting smoked: the nation's power companies. Volt-hungry pot farms have been stealing hundreds of millions of dollars of electricity a year. The problem has gotten so bad that one firm has blown a fuse. Stedin Netbeheer BV, a grid operator with 1.8 million customers, is now sending employees on raids with armed police officers, using sophisticated grid analysis to unearth pot plantations. [continues 984 words]
The recent drug busts in the Clarksburg and Morgantown areas should remind all of us -- including area city officials -- of the great job the local drug task forces are doing. The task forces, made up of various city and county police officers, are in the trenches fighting the war on drugs. What they do is dangerous. It's low-profile and high pressure. And it is absolutely essential in keeping drugs from becoming a bigger problem. It is disheartening to hear that some local officials have questioned supplying officers to these task forces. Seems some think it's a waste of money. [continues 351 words]
I was sorry to hear that Rush Limbaugh is addicted to prescription painkillers, but it is difficult not to feel some pleasure when a hypocrite gets exposed ("Limbaugh admits on radio he is addicted to painkillers,"Oct. 11). I've never understood why millions pay any attention to this strident windbag. He is apparently a man of great political intellect who dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University, a super-patriot who managed not to serve during Vietnam (like so many of his ilk) and a moral paragon who's been married three times. [continues 52 words]
The good news is that the federal prison system's drug treatment program seems to work. According to Cathy Thompson, who will coordinate a drug abuse program at the soon-to-be-opened Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Gilmer County, a recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that federal drug offenders who participate in treatment programs are less likely to be re-arrested for drug offenses. The program is offered to non-violent offenders and is intensive, according to Thompson. It is a 500-hour program that requires a substantial amount of class work and studying on the prisoner's own time. [continues 159 words]
U.S. Attorney Thomas Johnston, who oversees the Northern District of West Virginia, could easily pass as a second-year law student. But don't let his boyish looks fool you -- he's got experience, knowledge and 16 months as a U.S. attorney under his belt. And he's got an agenda to make the area safer. Johnston has made combating drugs, keeping guns away from criminals and curtailing domestic violence his office's top priorities. It's not surprising that there was more than a 50 percent increase in the number of drug and gun cases his office handled in 2002. [continues 327 words]
WOODBRIDGE, Va. - The decision this week by John Thune, the Republican candidate for senator from South Dakota, to concede to his rival, Tim Johnson, the Democratic incumbent, virtually guarantees that Mr. Thune's narrow defeat will go down in conservative lore as the one lost to voter fraud on an Indian reservation. This charge probably won't ever be proved, but people on the right will continue to believe it - just as many people on the left think corruption in Florida cost Al Gore the presidency. [continues 572 words]
A recent national study indicates teen-agers now have more trouble buying alcohol and tobacco products than they do purchasing marijuana. Talk about your mix of good and bad news. The study seems to indicate programs designed to curtail underage drinking and smoking are effective. Likewise, programs that stress drug-free schools seem to be working, as 63 percent of 1,000 teens polled said their schools are drug-free. "I think we're starting to see the fruition of some of those programs," Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, told The Associated Press. [continues 196 words]
I was struck (once again) by the prison sentence that Malcolm Sidbury could receive for selling $20 worth of crack on Lark Street in Albany ("Man guilty of selling crack,'' Times Union, Feb. 22). New York state is willing to throw this man in prison for 8 1/2 to 25 years, at taxpayers' expense? Surely Malcolm must've killed somebody, right? Albany [end]
Drug War Illusions George Will's latest syndicated column argues that American aid to Colombia will not help us win the war on drugs. "Will the United States ever learn?" he asks. "As long as it has a $50 billion annual demand for an easily smuggled substance made in poor nations, the demand will be served." True. But the point that demand calls forth supply does not apply only abroad. It also makes nonsense of efforts to suppress drug use by throwing drug sellers in jail. That doesn't mean that George Will should, to follow the logic of his position, abandon the war on drugs altogether. He could come out for punishing casual drug users, for real, so as to drive down demand. But does anyone think such a policy could be sustained for longer than two minutes? [continues 53 words]
It's fair enough that an editorial policy may favour drug harm minimisation, but it should not misinform about those with a different approach. In The Canberra Times (June 24, p.C2) Robert Macklin dismissed participants at the Australian Drug Summit 2000 as latter day Calvinists. Really? One of the Catholic priests who attended gave a drugs and ethics paper, and prominent Catholic layman Joseph Santamaria gave another. Among the many sponsoring organisations were three Catholic dioceses and a Catholic club. Calvinists? Patrons included Bishop Kevin Manning, Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Harry Goodhew, Pastor Brian Houston, President, Australian Christian Churches, Rev Dr Gordon Moyes, Superintendent Wesley Mission Sydney, G.E. (Rusty) Priest, President NSW RSL, retired Judge Athol Moffit, Mrs Angela Wood, jockey Darren Beadman and football icon Jack Gibson. Calvinists? Let's hear more from them. The facts are the Summit brought together a broad coalition of churches and groups, all with the humane objective of stopping people becoming imprisoned by addiction to narcotics, and releasing from addiction those who have become prisoners. They prefer 9 per cent of Australia's youth experiment with drugs, as in Sweden, rather than the 52 per cent which is the case in Australia. Mr Macklin's response was a string of boo-labels, such as zero tolerance, bleak, rigid, moralistic and against compassion, joy and the great adventure. The truth is the Summit has brought much needed balance to the debate, It can only help. Summit recommendations are on: http://www.wesleymission.org.au/drugsummit/ JOHN MILLER ACT Branch Spokesman, Christian Democratic Party [end]
THERE are many serious concerns regarding injecting rooms. In working with people with drug addictions, we believe there is a considerable risk that drug usage could increase, with resulting problems, following a Government heroin imprimatur. Robert Macklin ridicules Paul Osborne's proposals to reduce Canberra's drug problems (CT June 23, "Capital Times") and again (CT, June 24, p.C2) he denigrates others including the Salvation Army. Even from a zealous anti-Christian, that is unwarranted, considering they have been caring for, and rehabilitating, people with addictions for 135 years. [continues 115 words]
THE CANBERRA TIMES in recent weeks has spelt out a sad litany of Canberra drug problems including drug overdoses, drug deaths, drug wars and the increase in "party" drug usage. On Sunday, March 12, there were two front-page articles: the first highlighted the "chronic drug culture among the city's youth" and the second covered the despair of families trying to cope with drug users and noted "more young people than ever before are turning to drugs". It is the harm-minimisation philosophy (and its parallel-message of drug acceptability), which is contributing to this tragedy. Its advocates are not particularly interested in alternatives such as naltrexone, "saying no to drugs", "drug proofing your kids" or "making illicit drugs socially unacceptable". Further, most harm-minimisation advocates, including Robert Macklin (CT, March 11, p.C3) will give no credit to Australian Churches for their excellent work with young people. Meanwhile, our Minister for Health hands out 1600 needles and 40 litres of methadone every day and proposes heroin-shooting galleries. These are less than the "ambulance at the bottom of the cliff": they are more the "elevator back to the top". The only real solution for the drug tragedy will be based on stopping people starting and helping those who have started, to stop. John E. Miller, National secretary, Australian Christian Coalition [end]
FROM personal experience, heroin addiction is horrific. However, Michael Moore's heroin-injecting-room proposal is littered with problems. These include: (1) the Government becoming involved in the trade of illicit substances; (2) the possibility of attracting interstate addicts to Canberra; (3) the possibility of generating new addicts within Canberra; (4) the problem of locating the injecting room; (5) the difficulty in managing not only heroin, but also cocaine, barbiturates and hallucinogens et cetera; (6) the problem of users loitering, dealing, coming, going and driving; [continues 138 words]
THE BANNER headline story ("Heroin 'safe room' before Cabinet", CT, December 8) omitted important information. The NSW Parliament set up a joint committee to sift through the arguments for and against safe injecting rooms for NSW. They did so in response to the Wood Royal commission recommendation. The committee visited similar facilities in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. The committee, comprising members from both sides of Parliament, reported to the NSW Parliament in Febtuary this year. It was an up-to-date, comprehensive report full of facts both for and against. After full consideration, the NSW committee rejected the proposal as too hazardous. [continues 92 words]
DR WODAK ("Drug reform: US says yes", CT, 7 November, p.C4) omitted important information about the small number of American states that voted in referenda to allow cannabis for cancer patients. Dr Wodak omitted information on the same subject contained in a Sydney Morning Herald article that stated, "but the referenda initiatives were bolstered by $US5 million ($7.46 million) in advertising over the past year, said Mr Ethan Nadelmann, Director of the Lindesmith Centre, a drug-policy institute in New York. The campaign was financed by Mr George Soros, the billionaire investor who funds the Lindesmith Centre, Mr Peter Lewis, a Cleveland insurance executive and Mr John Sperling, a Phoenix entrepreneur.'' [continues 71 words]
