The Twin Lakes School Board will vote next month on whether or not to implement a random student drug testing policy at the start of next school year and will take with them to that vote, comments and concerns from the community as voiced during a public forum on the matter Monday. Parents, teachers and other community members joined Twin Lakes staff, administration and school board members during Monday's meeting in the high school library during which Dr. Tom Fletcher, Twin Lakes superintendent, shared the board's plan for a random drug testing policy. [continues 629 words]
Large amounts of illegal drugs were seized throughout the country in 2006, say security sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. While a variety of drugs were seized, the bulk of the shipments were of hashish and heroin. "The security forces seized in 2006 more than 2,100 kilograms of drugs, mostly hashish and heroin, from the various governorates in Yemen. In addition, it seized 41,000 prescription pills of various sizes and uses." The government has recently stepped up its efforts to combat drugs, which resulted last year in one of the largest drug busts in recent memory. In one incident last July, security authorities in Aden destroyed 1,052 kilograms of hashish and other drugs, including heroin, the value of which was estimated at YR 526 million. "Such quantities of drugs were seized thanks to efforts by policemen in the governorate who fight the phenomenon of trafficking drugs between Yemen and the neighboring countries," said Chief of Aden Security Department, Colonel Abdullah Qairan. [continues 719 words]
TV, Radio And Web Spots Depict Horror Stories From Users, Victims The camera draws in on a young woman's face. Her teeth are blackened with decay. Her neck is covered with red sores -- the work of a manic methamphetamine addict who can't stop clawing at her own skin. "It's really not a big deal," she says in an upbeat chatter. " ... It's like, you know, who's gonna tell? I mean look at me. You can't tell. I'm fine. Right? I'm fine." [continues 564 words]
My Thoughts On Things... I don't know how our society expects to control drugs and substance abuse, when anti-narcotic ads are running almost side-by-side with prescription drug promotions. In one ear people can hear about how marijuana, crystal meth, cocaine and ecstacy will ruin their lives, while in the other ear they hear about how sleeping pills, erectile dysfunction meds and the vast pharmaceutical catalog of legal drugs can help make their lives better. When the government can't properly educate and explain to the public the similarities between the two, what right does society have to condemn the 'illegal' drugs in society? [continues 651 words]
A Carpenters Union Spokesman Likes The Idea For On-Site Safety Saliva could replace urine as a means of testing for drugs in the construction industry if a measure moving through the Legislature is approved. Building and union representatives at a Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee hearing yesterday strongly supported the Senate Bill 1636 SD1 "to ensure workplace safety." State Health Department, Diagnostic Laboratory Services and Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii representatives cited many concerns about saliva drug testing. Judiciary and Labor Chairman Clayton Hee, (D, Kahuku-Laie-Kaaawa-Kaneohe), said he expects to advance the measure with some amendments suggested by the Health Department. [continues 410 words]
Florida's hazardous methamphetamine labs are reminiscent of the deadly exploding liquor stills that sprang up during alcohol prohibition. Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don't ID for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit the supply of drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like meth, 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. [continues 111 words]
Very recently, a student on this campus made some comments to me which have stuck as an example of exactly the kind of thinking that makes racism and prejudice still so alive today. This student associated Washington, D.C. residents -- predominantly black citizens, who she said live in violent neighborhoods and go to crappy D.C. public schools -- with involvement in illegal activities. She went even further to suggest that Georgetown's community service programs are an example of our (or her?) generosity and goodwill, essentially asserting that Georgetown students are on a higher moral ground, so to speak. [continues 677 words]
Party Pills Marketed As Being Legal Have Been Found With Illegal Drugs In Them, Police Say. Police national crime manager Detective Superintendent Win van der Velde said recent tests found that some pills which contained BZP, which is currently legal, also contained drugs such as MDMA or ecstasy which is illegal. "There is now scientific evidence that the line between illicit drugs and what are deemed as 'legal party pills' is becoming increasingly blurred," Mr van der Velde said. He said other pills sold on the black market as ecstasy had also been found to contain other illegal substances. [continues 367 words]
A large majority of British voters do not care if Tory leader David Cameron smoked cannabis at school or university. Cameron has not confirmed or denied reports in a new biography that he was disciplined for drug use while a pupil at Eton. A Populus survey for the Times found that 81 per cent of those polled thought such drug use at school or university by politicians did not matter and 85 per cent thought MPs should not have to answer questions about such activity and were entitled to "have made mistakes when they were growing up". [end]
In my column last Friday, I wrote about how Bulldogs' center Josh Heytvelt should be the focal point of the team's offense. Now, due to a shameful turn of events that transpired just hours later, it looks like we're not going to see if that strategy would've worked for the Bulldogs. By now everyone has heard the story. Needless to say, Heytvelt and freshman Theo Davis have been suspended indefinitely from the team after being arrested for possession of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms last Friday. [continues 616 words]
