-------------------------------------------------------------------
NORML Weekly News (Republican Coalition Proposes Life Without Parole
For Kansas Marijuana Growers; Oakland, Mendocino County,
And Santa Cruz Officials Pledge Support For Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Named In Federal Lawsuit; Hawaii Supreme Court Strikes Down
Marijuana Challenge; School Anti-Drug Programs Preaching Zero Tolerance
Receive Failing Grade From National Research Journal)
From: NORMLFNDTN@aol.com
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 17:58:53 EST
Subject: NORML WPR 2/5/98 (II)
A NON-PROFIT LEGAL, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION
THE NORML FOUNDATION
1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW
SUITE 710
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036
T 202-483-8751 o F 202-483-0057
E-MAIL NORMLFNDTN@AOL.COM
Internet http://www.norml.org
. . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to marijuana
prohibition.
February 5, 1998
Republican Coalition Proposes Life Without Parole For Kansas Marijuana
Growers
February 5, 1997, Topeka, KS: A Republican coalition of 38 state
representatives is backing legislation that imposes a sentence of life
without parole to any individual convicted of growing 100 or more
marijuana plants.
"This legislation would enact one of the most severe anti-marijuana
statutes in the country," said NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup,
Esq. "It is shocking to believe that this is the direction some states
are heading in regards to non-violent marijuana offenses, especially at a
time when much of the Western world is shifting toward policies of
marijuana decriminalization."
House Bill 2367, presently before the House Judiciary Committee, applies
to persons who grow marijuana as well as those who possess significant
quantities of the drug. The Committee held its third hearing on the bill
Monday, but has yet to take any serious action. The Committee must
decide on all pending legislation by February 28.
"Since the potential harm stemming from the cultivation of 100 or more
marijuana plants is relatively minor when compared to violent offenses,
it is impossible to justify this sort of mandatory punishment," said
Tanya Kangas, Director of Litigation for The NORML Foundation.
Kansas law currently allows inmates convicted of capital murder or
murder in the first degree to be eligible for parole after serving 25
years of their sentence, Kangas noted. "Apparently, Kansas Republicans
are prepared to punish non-violent marijuana growers more severely than
murderers," she said.
Presently, federal law mandates a five year sentence for persons found
growing 100 marijuana plants.
For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or Keith
Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500.
***
Local Officials Pledge Support For Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Named In
Federal Lawsuit
February 5, 1997, Oakland, CA: Officials in Oakland, Mendocino County,
and Santa Cruz unanimously passed resolutions condemning the federal
government's effort to close down local cannabis buyers' clubs.
"It is important that the governmental leaders in the jurisdiction[s]
most directly impacted by the federal lawsuit are unanimous," said
Oakland attorney Robert Raich who, along with NORML Legal Committee
member William Panzer, represents the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Club.
"Republicans and Democrats alike recognize that medical marijuana
distribution benefits both public health and safety. The Clinton
administration should heed their call and immediately dismiss the lawsuit
with prejudice."
Last week, a U.S. district court judge combined the six cases against
the clubs into one. The facilities targeted in the federal complaint
are: San Francisco Cannabis Cultivators' Club, the Oakland Cannabis
Buyers' Cooperative, San Francisco Flower Therapy, the Marin Alliance for
Medical Marijuana, the Santa Cruz Cannabis Buyers' Club, and the Ukiah
Cannabis Buyers' Club. To date, not a single public official in any of
the communities served by the six dispensaries have endorsed the federal
action.
"Public officials are satisfied with the way cannabis buyers' clubs are
implementing the spirit of Proposition 215," said NORML Executive
Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. "They oppose attempts from Washington to
stifle the will of the voters and the needs of seriously ill patients who
depend on these facilities."
Oakland city officials called the local buyers' club "a well-organized,
safe, and responsible" facility, and urged the federal government "to
desist from any and all actions that pose obstacles to access to cannabis
for Oakland residents." Similarly, the Mendocino Board of Supervisors
resolved its support for the Ukiah Cannabis Buyers' Club, and further
called on Congress to conduct hearings on the legalization of marijuana.
The Santa Cruz City Council resolved to support the Santa Cruz Cannabis
Buyers' Club as well as a local dispensary not named in the suit, The
Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana.
Public hearings in the federal lawsuit are scheduled to begin on March
24.
For more information, please contact either Dale Gieringer of California
NORML @ (415) 563-5858 or Attorney William Panzer @ (510) 834-1892.
***
Hawaii Supreme Court Strikes Down Marijuana Challenge
February 5, 1997, Honolulu, HI: Hawaii's 1978 privacy amendment to the
state constitution does not allow individuals to possess or use marijuana
for recreational purposes, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled on Friday.
"In as much as we are convinced that the [1978 Constitutional
Convention] delegates who adopted the privacy provision did not intend to
legalize contraband drugs, we also believe that the voters who later
ratified the privacy provision did not intend such a result," Associate
Justice Mario Ramil stated in a 36-page opinion. He was joined by Chief
Justice Ronald Moon. Justices Robert Klein and Paula Nakayama wrote a
separate concurring opinion, and Associate Justice Steven Levinson
dissented.
The 4-1 decision affirmed the petty misdemeanor conviction of Lloyd
Mallan, who was caught smoking marijuana in his car in 1990. Mallan's
challenge -- which had been pending before the Hawaiian Supreme Court for
four years -- was the first time the high court ruled on whether the 1978
privacy amendment legalized the simple possession of marijuana.
Justice Ramil ruled that Mallan did not have a "fundamental right" to
smoke marijuana recreationally. However, the Court's opinion specified
that the ruling did not address the use of marijuana for medicinal or
spiritual purposes.
"It appears that the court is leaving the door open for future
constitutional challenges, particularly on the medical use issue," NORML
Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. said.
For more information, please contact Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202)
483-5500 or Donald Topping of The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii @ (808)
988-6287.
***
School Anti-Drug Programs Preaching "Zero Tolerance" Receive Failing
Grade From National Research Journal
February 5, 1998, Thousand Oaks, CA: The most comprehensive collection
of scientific evidence to date suggests that "zero tolerance" drug
prevention programs such as D.A.R.E. fail to prevent drug use among
America's youth, states the February issue of the national research
journal Evaluation Review. Research published in the issue also
indicates that "misleading or inadequate evaluation methods [are] being
used to justify these programs' widespread application."
Five new studies provide evidence that "current programs and their
conceptually flawed underpinnings cannot consistently prevent youth from
using or abusing substances," said Dr. Joel Brown of the Center for
Educational Research and Development. "Th[is] research ... represents
one of the first coordinated attempts to challenge the myopic approach to
program evaluation and look at the broader issues of students'
well-being."
The federal government currently spends about $2.4 billion annually on
youth drug prevention programs, according to General Accounting Office
(GAO) 1997 estimates.
For more information, please contact either Michael Shellenberger of
Communication Works @ (415) 255-1946 or Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.
-END-
MORE THAN 11 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965...ANOTHER EVERY 49 SECONDS!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NORML Redesigns, Updates World Wide Web Site (New Attractions
At 100-Plus-Page Site Include Feature Allowing Visitors To Send Free Faxes
To Their Members Of Congress)
From: NORMLFNDTN@aol.com
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 16:23:41 EST
Subject: Announcement: New NORML homepage debuts (II)
For Immediate Release 2/5/98:
TAKE THE QUIZ: HOW MANY HAVE INHALED? WHO'S THE TOUGHEST PRESIDENT ON POT
SMOKERS?
Send a free fax, follow the medical marijuana controversy at NORML's Web
site!
February 5, 1998, Washington, DC - How many American have been busted for
pot smoking? How many have inhaled? Which President has seen the most
marijuana arrests on his watch.?
Test your knowledge in the interactive quiz at NORML's new Web site at
www.norml.org. NORML is the national nonprofit lobbying organization
working to reform marijuana laws since 1970.
Visitors can also send free faxes to their members of Congress, urging
them to free the states to regulate medical marijuana.
"Medical marijuana issues will be on the ballots in several states this
year and the new NORML Web site is a great resource for anyone interested
in this issue and anything else related to the on-going controversies
about marijuana and drug prohibitions," explains R. Keith Stroup,
executive director of NORML.
The NORML site contains hundreds of pages of information and documents on
the medical marijuana issue, prosecution of pot smokers, state-by-state
lists of current laws and reform efforts, and a section on drug testing.
Visitors are also invited to sign up for a free e-mail newsletter and to
become NORML supporters.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said, "Whether
you're a student, activist, medical patient, government official,
politician, representative of the media or inquiring citizen in search of
accurate and verifiable information on cannabis--the new and improved
NORML homepage is the site to 'bookmark'. With both organization's
information posted on the site, our great hope is that www.norml.org will
serve as the internet's one-stop shop for up-to-date news and information
about cannabis and our public education and law reform efforts."
The new NORML site was created by Mal Warwick & Associates, Berkeley.
Jo-D Harrison is the WebSlave.
For more information, call Keith Stroup @ NORML (202) 483-5500 or Allen
St. Pierre at The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Or visit the site
at www.norml.org.
In America, a citizen is arrested every 49 seconds on marijuana
charges...over 11 million since 1965!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shootout Suspect Indicted On 13 Counts (Latest From 'The Oregonian'
On Shooting Death In Portland Marijuana Task Force Warrantless Break-In)
February 5, 1998
Shootout suspect indicted on 13 counts
Steven Douglas Dons, accused of killing a
Portland police officer, could face more charges
By David R. Anderson
of The Oregonian staff
A Multnomah County grand jury Wednesday
indicted Steven Douglas Dons on 13 counts of
aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder
and assault in a shooting last week that killed a
Portland police officer and injured two others.
Prosecutors have not presented evidence to the
grand jury related to weapons or marijuana plants
found in the house where Dons lived at 2612 S.E.
111th Ave.
"The investigation is continuing, and additional
charges probably will be presented later on," said
James McIntyre, a Multnomah County senior
deputy district attorney.
Investigators are looking
into Dons' background to
see whether he can be
charged as a felon in
possession of a firearm. In
addition, a grenade
launcher found at the scene could lead to federal
charges. Investigators will ask for help from the
federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms, McIntyre said.
Dons, 37, is scheduled to be arraigned Friday,
probably in the hospital, McIntyre said.
Authorities transferred Dons on Tuesday to
Adventist Medical Center, where he is being held
in a locked and guarded facility. He remains in
fair condition, said Lisa Carter, a hospital
spokeswoman.
Dons' attorney, Andrew Bates, could not be
reached Wednesday by telephone but has said he
cannot comment on the case.
McIntyre said prosecutors would press the case
against Dons as a death penalty case, but that
won't become an issue unless Dons is convicted.
"That's up to a jury to decide," McIntyre said.
He said he could not comment on whether he
presented evidence to the grand jury about
Jeffrey H. Moore, 44, who rented the house in
which Dons was living.
"The investigation is continuing," McIntyre said.
Twelve people testified before the grand jury
during three days, including Dons' brother, John
Dons.
The 13 counts include two counts of aggravated
murder, one under the theory that Dons murdered
a law enforcement officer and the other under the
theory that he committed murder to conceal
another crime, in this case marijuana growing.
The other charges are nine counts of attempted
aggravated murder and two counts of assault.
On Jan. 27, Portland police went to the house
where Dons lived to investigate a possible
marijuana growing operation. When they knocked
on the door, no one answered. Officers smelled
marijuana, and as they waited for a search
warrant, they saw smoke coming out a chimney
that smelled like marijuana smoke. Fearing that
someone was destroying evidence, officers broke
down the front door and were met with a hail of
gunfire.
Officer Colleen Waibel, 44, was killed. Officer
Kim Keist, 39, was seriously wounded, and Sgt.
Jim Hudson, 42, was slightly wounded in the
hand.
Police took Dons into custody after a 21/2-hour
standoff. He had been shot once in the chest
during the initial exchange of gunfire.
Keist is in fair condition at Legacy Emanuel
Hospital, said June Crawford, a hospital
spokeswoman. Keist has done some walking and
is eating.
"She has progressed but still has a long way to go
considering the injuries she sustained," Crawford
said.
Police found 51 marijuana plants and at least 10
guns, including two SKS semiautomatic rifles, in
the house where Dons lived.
Police continued to refuse to comment on the
investigation Wednesday. They did say that one
officer's gun had jammed, said Lt. Cliff Madison,
a Portland police spokesman. Search warrant
documents indicate that one of two Glock
semiautomatic weapons that were recovered from
the house's porch had a spent round in the
chamber, 15 rounds in the magazine and the
trigger depressed. It appeared the gun had been
fired at least once before jamming, Madison said.
Semiautomatic weapons occasionally jam and
usually can be cleared in a second by an
experienced shooter, Madison said. Investigators
will determine what caused the gun to jam.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dons Faces Aggravated Murder, Assault Charges (Version From KOIN,
Portland's CBS Affiliate)
KOIN Channel 6
Portland, Oregon
http://www.koin.com/
letters to editor:
c6knews@koin.com
Dons Faces Aggravated Murder,
Assault Charges - Wounded Officer's Condition
Downgraded After Additional Surgery
PORTLAND, Updated 8:38 a.m. February
05, 1998 -- Prosecutors say they will seek the
death penalty against Steven Douglas Dons if
he is convicted of aggravated murder in a
shooting that killed a Portland police officer and
wounded two others.
Dons, 37, also faces charges of attempted
aggravated murder and assault. He was indicted
Wednesday by a Multnomah County grand
jury.
Arraignment is scheduled Friday, probably in the hospital where he is recovering
from a gunshot wound to the chest, said James McIntyre, a Multnomah County
senior deputy district attorney.
Authorities transferred Dons on Tuesday to Adventist Medical Center, where he is
being held in a locked and guarded facility. He remains in fair condition, said Lisa
Carter, a hospital spokeswoman.
McIntyre said the death penalty wouldn't become an issue unless Dons is convicted.
"That's up to a jury to decide," he said.
Officer Colleen Waibel, 44, (pictured, above), was killed Jan. 27 when police broke
down the door of Dons' home during an investigation into a possible marijuana
growing operation. Two other officers were wounded in the incident. The officers
were met with a hail of gunfire when they entered the home.
Dons was arrested after a 2-hour standoff. He had been shot once during the initial
exchange of gunfire with police.
McIntyre said prosecutors did not present evidence to the grand jury related to the
large cache of weapons or marijuana plants found in the house.
"The investigation is continuing, and additional charges probably will be presented
later on," he said.
Investigators are looking into Dons' background to see whether he can be charged
as a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition, a grenade launcher found at the
scene could lead to federal charges. Investigators will ask for help from the federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, McIntyre said.
Dons' attorney, Andrew Bates, could not be reached Wednesday by telephone but
has said he cannot comment on the case.
Meanwhile, the condition of officer Kim Keist, who was seriously wounded, has
been downgraded to serious at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman
said. She underwent more surgery after complications arose from her wounds. She
suffered injury to her kidneys, liver and other organs in the incident.
Previous stories:
Feb. 03: Cameras May Have Caught Shootout
Jan. 30: Almost 5,000 Pay Respects to Slain Officer
Jan. 30: Funeral Today for Slain Officer
Jan. 28: City Mourns Officer's Death
Jan. 28: Shooting Sparks Gun Control Issue
Jan. 27: Katz and Moose Respond to Tragedy
Jan. 27: Police Officer Fatally Shot
Copyright 1998 by The Associated Press
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Demonstration In Support Of Methadone Clinic (News Release
From Floyd Ferris Landrath Of American Antiprohibition League
Announces Demonstration February 7 In Portland)
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 03:20:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Anti-Prohibition Lg
To: AAL@inetarena.com
Subject: ACTION: SUPPORT DEMO METHADONE CLINIC/HR
AMERICAN ANTIPROHIBITION LEAGUE
"Drug War, or
3125 SE BELMONT STREET
PORTLAND OREGON 97214
Drug Peace?"
503-235-4524
fax:503-234-1330
Email:AAL@InetArena.com
Release Date: Thursday, Feb. 5, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ACTION NOTICE
DEMONSTRATION OF SUPPORT FOR LOCAL METHADONE CLINIC
SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 9-11A.M.
2600 SE Belmont Street (bus #15)
Portland
PLEASE HELP YOUR ANTIPROHIBITION LEAGUE TO
1) Show community support for clinic/methadone maintenance
2) Encourage dialog between clinic operators and community
3) Educate community about benefits of Harm Reduction *
4) Support recovering addicts
5) Reduce stigma of addiction
(Sign making party Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at the League office)
* -- The Swiss model, heroin maintenance
The Swiss are getting very good results with both heroin and
methadone maintenance. The Swiss trick is taking addicts from where
they are, rather than demand them to be immediately drug-free or simply
switch drugs and dealers. In the last 3 years over 1,000 hard-core
heroin addicts, all VOLUNTARILY enrolled from 18 different treatment
centers across Switzerland, have been stabilized. Some of the addicts
have gone on to abstinence, others are slowly reducing their daily
dosage. Over 90 percent are gainfully employed and their families kept
together. Drug-related crime, HIV, overdose and the heroin black-
market have plummeted in the areas of the program, which will be going
nationwide in the next 2 years. A referendum passed last summer by
Swiss voters demonstrated overwhelming public support, for heroin
maintenance.
Now the Swiss are actually closing no longer needed prisons as they
expand drug programs like this one. The Dutch, by the way, are soon to
follow and a national dialogue is now under way in Australia over an
heroin trial similar to the Swiss model.
Meanwhile back on the drug infested streets of Portland, methadone
maintenance provides us with a good model of how society could better
control a drug like heroin. Methadone maintenance strongly suggest, by
simple extension, that heroin maintenance would work even better. We
have a choice: Addicts and dealers running wild on our streets, or well
regulated clinics run by medical doctors working in concert with the
community.
ACTION NOTICE
R E M I N D E R
DEMONSTRATION OF SUPPORT FOR LOCAL METHADONE CLINIC
SATURDAY, FEB. 7, 9-11A.M.
2600 SE Belmont Street (bus #15)
Portland
This demo is especially important in light of the fact that this
particular clinic was vandalized recently when persons unknown put glue in
all the door locks. Please come to the demo, hold a sign for awhile and
show your support for Harm Reduction and those fighting addiction.
Thank you.
Floyd.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Strip-Search Case Will Be Reviewed By State Police ('The Oregonian'
Follows Up On Story About Teacher With Badge In McMinnville, Oregon,
Violating Rights Of As Many As 30 Teenage Girls - Police Officer
Who Ordered Searches Permanently Transferred To Patrol Duty)
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 04:43:40 -0800
From: Paul Freedom
Organization: Oregon State Patriots
To: Cannabis Patriots ,
"libnw@circuit.com"
Subject: CanPat> Strip-search case will be reviewed by state police
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@teleport.com
February 5, 1998
Strip-search case will be reviewed by state police
Detectives' investigation of the McMinnville incident will
begin today with interviews with Duniway students
By Dana Tims
of The Oregonian staff
McMINNVILLE - Oregon State Police detectives will
begin interviews this morning with the McMinnville middle
school students who say they were strip-searched last
week.
The McMinnville police officer who ordered the searches,
Kent Stuart, 47, has been permanently transferred out of his
school-based position to patrol duty.
"It's not a demotion," said Rodney C. Brown, the city's
police chief. "It's a lateral transfer."
Brown declined to comment on the investigation, but he
defended the cops-in-school program, calling it
exceptionally popular and effective at instilling life skills in
the students who get to know the officer in their building.
The state police investigation into the Jan. 29 incident at
Duniway Middle School will take from five to 10 days,
possibly longer, said Lt. Mike White, who will supervise the
crew of four detectives.
The detectives, all of whom have backgrounds in crimes
against children, will work in teams of two consisting of one
man and one woman, White said.
Interviews with as many as 30 students, as well as the
school administrators and McMinnville Police Department
personnel involved, most likely will be conducted at the
school, he said.
White emphasized that the state police investigation will
focus on possible criminal violations stemming from the
searches, as well as the alleged theft activity at the school
that triggered the searches. Any possible violations of either
McMinnville police or Duniway school policies would be
left to those jurisdictions to investigate, he said.
"We're going to be looking to see if an officer overstepped
the bounds of his authority," White said. "Right now, we're
hearing many varying stories because varying things appear
to have happened."
Information from the interviews will be passed to Yamhill
County District Attorney Brad Berry, who will decide
whether to take any alleged wrongdoing to a grand jury.
The most likely charge would encompass official
misconduct, White said. It is either a felony or a
misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances.
First-degree official misconduct, a felony, requires a finding
that someone "knowingly performs an act which constitutes
an unauthorized exercise in official duties," according to
Oregon law.
Dramatically different versions of the incident have emerged.
Several girls say a number of students were taken to a
separate room during gym class last Thursday and ordered
to pull down their pants and underwear and shake out their
bras. The searches occurred after someone had ransacked
the girls' locker room.
Some girls contend that Stuart, with the assistance of
Patricia Jenkins, the school's vice principal, directed two
women employees of the police department to conduct the
searches.
Some girls also say that their requests to notify their parents
before the searches were denied.
School officials have said that the girls were told
to loosen their pants and shake out their bras but stopped
short of saying that the girls were ordered to remove
clothing. Brown, the police chief, has said that the girls were
told to remove only their shoes and coats.
If true, the incident would appear, at the very least, to
violate the school district's student rights and responsibilities
handbook.
"When (police) interrogation takes place in school, as
elsewhere, and the student is a focal suspect, he or she is
entitled to be advised of his or her rights, which includes the
right to counsel and the right to remain silent," reads the
handbook, which is distributed annually to all students.
School district Superintendent Elaine Taylor and Duniway
Principal Mickey Toft declined to speak with reporters
Wednesday regarding the incident.
Jenkins, reached at her McMinnville residence, said only,
"I'm not talking to anyone, thank you." She has been placed
on paid administrative leave pending the outcomes of the
state police criminal investigation and any subsequent review
of policies the district undertakes.
Jenkins, 50, was hired by the Beaverton School District in
1979 as a language arts teacher. In 1984, she received a
master's degree from Lewis & Clark College. She
completed a school administrator preparation program there
four years later. She was an acting vice principal for the
district for four months in 1992 before resigning. She was
hired that fall at Duniway.
If she is fired for her part in the incident, she could appeal
the decision to the Fair Dismissal Appeals Board, a state
panel that reviews teacher and administrator dismissals.
A possible defense could allow Jenkins to say she was
acting on Stuart's orders to aid in the search. The law
enabling the defense, passed during the last legislative
session, was referred to by some as "contempt of cop." It
requires citizens to obey an officer's lawful orders.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Panel Defers Action On Marijuana Bill ('Honolulu Star-Bulletin' Says
Hawaii Legislature's House Health Committee 'Deferred For Further Study'
HB 2403, Medical-Marijuana Bill Introduced By Representative David Tarnas,
Democrat From South Kohala)
Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 18:25:27 -0500
To: DrugSense News Service (mapnews@mapinc.org)
From: Richard Lake (rlake@mapinc.org)
Subject: MN: US HI: Panel Defers Action On Marijuana Bill
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Don Topping
Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Author: Helen Altonn
Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 1998
Contact: letters@starbulletin.com
Editorss note: The following are some other Hawaii newspapers: Haleakala
Times on Maui (haltimes@maui.net), West Hawaii Today
(editor@westhawaiitoday.com), Hawaii Tribune Herald (htrib@interpac.net),
Maui Times (mauitime@maui.net), Molokai Advertiser News
(molokai@aloha.net), Kau Landing (kau-landing@aloha.net)
PANEL DEFERS ACTION ON MARIJUANA BILL
Victoria Rectenwald, who suffers from severe asthma and threat of lung
failure, held up syringes she constantly carries for drug injections.
"This is what I consider hard drugs," she said.
Rectenwald, an oceanographic researcher, was among residents and groups
today urging the House Health Committee to approve a bill legalizing
medical use of marijuana.
The committee deferred the bill for further study.
Benefits of marijuana to people with severe nausea, pain, glaucoma, AIDS
and other conditions were described in testimony on HB2403, introduced by
Rep. David Tarnas (D.), South Kohala.
Law enforcement, health and anti-drug officials protested the measure,
arguing that it would violate federal law, encourage marijuana-growing and
send a mixed message to kids.
Capt. Alvin Nishimura of the Honolulu Police Department said findings of
more than 12,000 scientific studies on marijuana show no conclusive
evidence that marijuana smoking is safe for medicinal purposes.
He said marijuana use appears to be growing among Hawaii's teens and would
get worse if permitted for medical conditions.
Dorothy Cornell, 71, said she's "an expert patient" subject to nausea from
cancer treatments, and that no drugs prescribed for her have worked. "I
don't care if it's (marijuana) unsafe if I'm dying. Who cares?"
Dr. Len Howard, Hawaii Medical Association president, said in written
testimony that no objective studies have been conducted in controlled
settings to indicate marijuana is useful or better than usual therapies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Media Awareness Project Focus Alert Number 51 - Lungren Lies (MAP
Orchestrates Online Outrage Over California Attorney General's Assertion
To 'Sacramento Bee' That Teen Use Of Marijuana Has Increased In California,
Arizona, Due To Medical Marijuana Initiatives)
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 15:34:14 -0800
To: mgreer@mapinc.org
From: Mark Greer
Subject: FOCUS ALERT No. 55 Lungren Lies
FOCUS Alert #55 Week of February 1, 1998
IF THIS DOESN'T GET YOU TO WRITE A LETTER PLEASE TELL US WHAT WILL! Send
ideas to MGreer@mapinc.org
A published letter can have a value of hundreds or thousands of dollars
for reform and can effect millions of readers. It is a great (perhaps
the best) way for a reform minded person to spend their time.
***
Folks:
Dan Lungren needs to be slammed for this lie (details below). And, the
paper needs to be chastised for printing anything Lungren says without
checking the facts.
This is a known anti-215 campaigner. The paper should have looked at his
comments with a good dose of doubt.
***
The original article: Currently unavailable
***
SAMPLE LTE and FACTS:
In the Sacramento Bee ("Lungren: Medical pot spurs teen drug use,"
Feb. 3, 1998), Attorney General Lungren was reported as blaming a recent
rise in teen drug use on Prop. 215, claiming that Arizona and California
were the only two states in the nation to report an increase in teen drug
use.
In fact, there exist no data on drug use in California since
passage of Prop. 215. According to Lungren's press office, the basis for
his claim was the latest National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, conducted
by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
which dates from 1996 - before Prop. 215 was in effect!
Neither is there any basis for Lungren's claim that Arizona and
California, the two states that passed medical marijuana measures, are the
only two states to have shown increased drug use. Except for California,
which showed a statistically insignificant increase in 1996, the Household
Survey did not record breakdowns of data for other states: any trends in
Arizona or the other 48 states are therefore entirely speculative.
According to SAMHSA researchers, there is no evidence for Lungren's
claim that medical marijuana initiatives have spurred teenage pot use.
However, there does exist ample evidence that teenagers and voters
should disbelieve Attorney General Lungren's mendacious claims about drugs.
(Thanks to Ellen Komp for researching this story)
***
PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER
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letters@blk.com (BLK, LTE's)
letters@examiner.com (San Francisco Examiner)
letters@latimes.com (Los Angeles Times)
letters@link.freedom.com (The Orange County Register)
letters@modbee.com (Modesto Bee)
letters@sfbayguardian.com (San Francisco Bay Guardian)
letters@sjmercury.com (San Jose Mercury News)
letters@TheReporter.com (Vacaville Reporter)
letters@uniontrib.com (San Diego Union Tribune)
lgwt@livewire.com (Los Gatos Weekly-Times)
local@bakersfield.com (The Bakersfield Californian, Local Editor)
mperry@bakersfield.com (The Bakersfield Californian, Online Editor)
newsroom@blk.com (BLK, Editorial)
opinion@bakersfield.com (Bakersfield,Californian,Opinion Editor)
pactrib@hax.com (Pacifica Tribune)
paweekly@netcom.com (Palo Alto Weekly)
pdletters@aol.com (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
sacbedit@netcom.com (Sacramento Bee)
sentcity@cruzio.com (Santa Cruz County Sentinel News Desk)
sented@cruzio.com (Santa Cruz County Sentinel)
sfarwell@ridgecrestca.com (Ridgecrest Daily Independent)
sfexaminer@aol.com (San Francisco Examiner)
sfxmag@mcimail.com (S.F. Examiner Magazine)
slott@scripps.com (San Luis Obispo Telegram Tribune)
sn@livewire.com (Saratoga News)
towncrier@losaltosonline.com (Los Altos Town Crier)
urbmag@netcom.com (Urb Los Angeles)
ladtn@village.ios.com (Los Angeles Downtown News)
vcstar@aol.com (Ventura County Star)
viewpoint@asucla.ucla.edu (Daily Bruin, UCLA Viewpoint)
webmaster@TheUnion.com (The Union (Grass Valley/Nevada City)
weekly@pasadenaweekly.com (Pasadena Weekly)
Just DO it!
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the included information for research and educational
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Mark Greer
Media Awareness Project (MAP) inc.
d/b/a DrugSense
MGreer@mapinc.org
http://www.DrugSense.org/
http://www.mapinc.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Restraining Order Closes Outlet For Medical Marijuana ('Los Angeles Times'
Says Only Medical Marijuana Dispensary In Ventura County, California,
Closed Its Doors Wednesday And Will Not Reopen Until March 2 -
Depending On Judge's Decision)
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 18:04:07 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US CA: Restraining Order Closes Outlet for Medical Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Source: Los Angeles Times
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Fax: 213-237-4712
Pubdate: February 5, 1998
Author: Kate Folmar, Times Staff Writer
RESTRAINING ORDER CLOSES OUTLET FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Prop. 215: Prosecutors and cannabis seller accept judge's decision to shut
down dispensary at least until March court hearing on its legality.
THOUSAND OAKS--The owner of Ventura County's only medical marijuana outlet
closed her doors Wednesday and will not reopen them before March 2,
allowing a judge time to consider whether to shutter the cannabis center
for good.
With the consent of county prosecutors and medicinal marijuana activist
Andrea Nagy, Superior Court Judge William L. Peck on Wednesday issued a
temporary restraining order against the Rainbow Country Ventura County
Medical Cannabis Center in Thousand Oaks. The order will prevent Nagy and
her boyfriend, Robert Carson, from selling marijuana to people with such
diseases as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and multiple sclerosis at least until
the March court hearing.
It was the second blow to Nagy's operation in two days, coming after a
decision by the Thousand Oaks City Council to write stiff new zoning rules
that could ban marijuana dispensaries.
"Let me issue this temporary restraining order without it being any
indication of how I'm going to rule" on prosecutors' requests for
preliminary and permanent injunctions, Peck said Wednesday. "It's simply
restraining the defendants from distributing, selling or otherwise making
available marijuana to anybody other than themselves for medicinal
purposes," he added. "It's shutting down the facility for a short period of
time."
However, "Andrea and Robert will be able to grow and possess and cultivate
medical cannabis for their own personal use," said Nagy's attorney, James
M. Silva. "They cannot provide cannabis to others."
At the March 2 hearing, Peck will consider a request from the Ventura
County district attorney's office for a preliminary injunction that would
close the area's first and only marijuana dispensary until a civil suit
against Nagy goes to trial. In the interim, Nagy's legal team will have
time to file briefs explaining why the center should remain open.
Contending that the cannabis center is a threat to public health and safety
and engages in "anti-competitive, unfair, fraudulent and unlawful business
practices," the district attorney's office on Monday filed a civil suit
seeking to permanently close the pot outlet.
Nagy opened the center in Thousand Oaks about a year after California
voters approved the medical marijuana initiative, Proposition 215, in 1996.
County prosecutors are also requesting permission to seize the cannabis
center's furniture, destroy its thriving back-room crop and possibly fine
Nagy and Carson more than $25,000 each. But the ultimate goal is compliance
with the law, not fines, Deputy Dist. Atty. Mitch Disney said. By agreeing
to temporarily close her doors, Nagy avoided a harsher restraining order
proposed by Disney.
Nonetheless, the prosecutor called the order fair.
"The judge enforced California law," Disney said. "The restraining order
recognizes that the people of California, in enacting Prop. 215, did not
intend to legalize the sale of marijuana or the warehousing of large
quantities of the drug."
However, Peck would not allow police to seize Nagy's thriving marijuana
crop, as Disney had requested. Recently, the 28-year-old Nagy has found
herself embroiled in legal and zoning battles with county prosecutors and
Thousand Oaks city leaders. Officials treated her gingerly when her
cannabis center opened in an office park in September, awaiting court
interpretation of the state's voter-approved medical marijuana initiative.
The topic is a tricky one because the new state law conflicts with federal
laws that prohibit growing, distributing or possessing the illicit weed.
But a December appellate decision, which said Proposition 215 did not make
cannabis centers legal, seems to have emboldened local authorities. That
decision, which was related to a very large San Francisco pot club, is
being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Now Nagy, a legal secretary who uses marijuana to treat her chronic
migraines, has been barraged with challenges to her dispensary. The first
was the civil suit filed by the district attorney's office. The next salvo
landed Tuesday night, when the Thousand Oaks City Council gave initial
approval to new zoning regulations that would ban all marijuana
dispensaries in the city. Furthermore, city leaders decided that the new
rules--which would not take effect for several months--should be used to
put the cannabis center out of business.
But Nagy's clients were fuming about the council's action. "I'd like to
know what we're supposed to do for our medicine now," said Kathleen DiSilva
after the vote. The 37-year-old mother, who has undergone 13 intestinal
surgeries in two years, uses marijuana to treat her Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
City To Pay ACLU For Challenge To Drug Policy ('Los Angeles Times' Says Court
Awards $67,393 After Glendale, California, Is Forced To Back Down Only
From Drug-Testing All Current Employees Who Are Candidates For Promotions)
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 17:12:24 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US CA: City To Pay ACLU For Challenge To Drug Policy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Source: Los Angeles Times
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Fax: 213-237-4712
Pubdate: February 5, 1998
Author: Buck Wargo
CITY TO PAY ACLU FOR CHALLENGE TO DRUG POLICY
Attorneys had asked for $961,900, will receive $150,576. Case went all the
way to U.S. Supreme Court.
CITY HALL - The city of Glendale will pay $150,674 in attorney's fees to
lawyers of the American Civil Liberties Union who challenged the city's
drug-testing policy. The Second Appellate District of the California Court
of Appeal awarded $67,393 in attorney's fees, and the city has agreed to an
additional $77,000 settlement in Superior Court, City Attorney Scott Howard
said Wednesday. The remaining amount is attorney costs such as subpoena
fees and depositions. Attorneys have the right to petition for fees as a
way to encourage them to take lawsuits against governmental bodies, Howard
said.
In October, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case that generated national
attention, announced it would not hear a challenge to Glendale's policy of
drug testing all applicants offered city jobs. By denying a request to hear
the petition of Lorraine Loder - a Glendale attorney and member of the
American Civil Liberties Union, which represented her in the case - the
high court let stand a January 1997 decision by the California Supreme
Court. That decision allowed Glendale to test new applicants but
restricted testing of current employees who were candidates for promotions.
Howard said the ACLU attorneys petitioned the appellate court for the fees.
The attorneys had sought $961,900 for the case, he said. Initially, the
city opposed paying fees because it argued that the "big crux" of the case
against the city dealt with testing of new employees, Howard said. The city
plans on developing a policy for those tests for emergency personnel such
as firefighters and police officers.
The fees will be paid out of the city's self-insurance fund. An estimate of
the city's attorney costs in the case was unavailable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Smokin' Professor Still Can't Get Arrested So He Is Making His Points -
Escalating His Challenge - A Conversation With The Professor (Richard Cowan
In 'Marijuananews.com' Notes Retired Penn State Chemistry Professor
Julian Heicklen Was Unsuccessful In His Second Attempt To Get Arrested
For Smoking Marijuana, But Otherwise Very Successful, And Vows To Continue)
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 1998 00:41:37 EST
Originator: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: Chris Donald
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: ART: puffin' Penn State Prof going to Capitol Hill
from: http://www. marijuananews.com
A Personal Newsletter on the Cannabis Controversies
Date: 02/05/98
Richard Cowan, Editor and Publisher
The Smokin' Professor Still Can't Get Arrested So He Is Making His Points -
Escalating His Challenge - A Conversation with the Professor
University Park, Penn State Campus
February 5, 1998
Also See:[17] The Penn State Professor Who Can't Get Arrested Gets An
Articulate Ally: A Local Editor!
[18]The Professor Still Can't Get Arrested Smoking Marijuana at Penn
State Gates -- Says: "I am an advocate of freedom."
Retired Penn State chemistry professor Julian Heicklen struck out
again. He struck out at getting arrested for smoking marijuana, but he
also struck a few blows for freedom in the process. I called him this
afternoon. He was at home, not in jail.
As he has for the last two weeks, Heicklen, 65, openly challenged
state and federal marijuana prohibition by smoking a joint at the
gates of Penn State in the presence of the campus police and a crowd
of over three hundred students and onlookers, a lot of media, and
probably a few narcs.
Two weeks ago (See [19] Police Refuse to Arrest 65-year-old Penn State
Chemistry Professor Taking Part In Smokeout) the police refused to
arrest him, saying that they did not think he was really smoking a
joint - because it just did not smell like marijuana. Last week,
a campus cop flashed his badge, roughly grabbed Heicklen's hand
and seized the joint, presumably for testing. Heicklen responded to
this "mugging" by filing charges against the cop and demanding that
the University fire him.
An Etiquette Lesson
This week the same cop came up and politely requested that the
professor give him the joint for testing. Heicklen just ignored him.
"May I please have your cigarette," he asked. Heicklen says nothing.
The cop then told the Chemistry professor that if he did not give him
the joint for testing, he would not be able to arrest him. Heicklen
says nothing.
Finally, the newly polite cop gave up, even after Heicklen - who
had never smoked until two weeks ago - took drags on six or seven
joints handed to him by his fellow rebels. Some of them must have been
marijuana, he observed. "They couldn't all be sage."
In his speech to the crowd, Heicklen accused the local DA of selective
prosecution. Yesterday, a student was arraigned on marijuana charges
after the police entered his apartment without a warrant, saying that
they had smelled marijuana. A cop mugs an elderly professor, but the
DA won't prosecute. The cops won't arrest the professor for
smoking marijuana in public, claiming that they can't tell that
it's marijuana without testing it, but they will prosecute a
student for smoking in his own room. Dubious priorities.
While Heicklen is obviously enjoying himself, he has also made two
serious points.
1. That the campus police can no longer claim that the smell of
marijuana can be the basis of an arrest.
2. That the police and the DA really are being selective in their
enforcement of the marijuana laws.
I asked him what he did after the demonstration. "I went to lunch. I
had the muchies."
Next week Heicklen says he is going to cross the street away from the
Penn State gates and smoke on the State College city side where the
jurisdiction is different and the challenge to the DA is more direct.
His ultimate objective is to smoke on the steps of the US Capitol.
Stay tuned. This is going to be very interesting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Petition Campaign Falls 2,433 Signatures Short Of Goal ('Associated Press'
Recaps Yesterday's News About Mainers For Medical Rights' Marijuana
Ballot Initiative)
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 07:40:09 -0500
From: "R. Lake"
Subject: MN: US ME: Wire: PETITION CAMPAIGN FALLS 2,433 SIGNATURES SHORT OF GOAL
To: DrugSense News Service
Reply-to: rlake@utoledo.edu
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Chris Clay http://www.hempnation.com/
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 1998
PETITION CAMPAIGN FALLS 2,433 SIGNATURES SHORT OF GOAL
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Activists seeking to force a statewide referendum on
whether to legalize marijuana for limited medical purposes fell less than
2,500 signatures short of the number needed.
In order to get their measure on the November ballot, Mainers for Medical
Rights had to submit the signatures of at least 51,131 registered voters to
the secretary of state's office by Monday.
Although the group delivered 48,688 signatures, or 2,433 too few, it held
out the prospect that the question could still appear on the ballot in
November.
Craig Brown, Mainers for Medical Rights' political consultant, said his
organization gave the city of Portland a final batch of signatures on Jan.
23, but that the city still has not certified those petitions.
It was unclear what would happen if the group were to obtain the additional
signatures and submit them to the secretary of state's office. Julie Flynn,
director of corporations and elections, said her office might have to seek a
ruling from the Attorney General's Office.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Stench Of Marijuana In Motel Room Leads To Seizure Of Guns And Drugs
('Associated Press' Item On 17-Year-Old Canadian Boy Popped With 32 Pounds
Of Cannabis, Three Machine Guns, In Westbrook, Maine)
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 07:48:33 -0500
From: "R. Lake"
Subject: MN: US ME: Wire: STENCH OF MARIJUANA IN MOTEL ROOM LEADS TO SEIZURE OF
GUNS AND DRUGS
To: DrugSense News Service
Reply-to: rlake@utoledo.edu
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Chris Clay
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 1998
STENCH OF MARIJUANA IN MOTEL ROOM LEADS TO SEIZURE OF GUNS AND DRUGS
WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) - A 17-year-old Canadian boy was arrested after
authorities found 32 pounds of marijuana, three machine guns and a mason jar
full of hashish and other drugs in his motel room.
``It's one of the largest drug cases made in Maine this year,'' said
Westbrook Police Chief Steven Roberts. ``It's well over $100,000 worth of
drugs . . . with a street value approaching half a million dollars.''
Police were summoned to the Super 8 Motel Tuesday after a worker reported a
strong odor of marijuana emanating from room 132. Someone had tried
unsuccessfully to control the odor by blocking the door with a towel.
When police arrived on the scene, they knocked on the window and identified
themselves. Officers arrested the boy after he climbed out a window and
began running into the parking lot. He surrendered after slipping and
falling on ice.
The teen-ager used a fake name and driver's license as he checked into the
motel Saturday, renting a room for himself and another room for a woman he
was traveling with, the chief said. But when police were called to the motel
the next day, only the man was found.
Jonathan Toof, the federal prosecutor assigned to the case, said finding the
woman ``is a loose end we'd like to tie up.''
Police found the discovery of the three machine guns - an Uzi, a
semiautomatic Mac 10 and a fully automatic Mac 10, all with silencers - to
be particularly disturbing.
``That kind of firepower would likely overwhelm 99 percent of the police
departments in the state of Maine,'' said Roberts, whose department turned
the case over to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
The 17-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, was arraigned on drug
and weapons charges in federal court Tuesday, two days after his arrest.
Police don't know why the teen-ager was in Westbrook or whether the drugs
were destined for the illegal market in Maine.
``From our perspective, he could have just been a mule (transporting drugs
for someone else),'' Roberts said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
50 Percent Of Baby Boom Generation Tried Marijuana ('Reuters' Reports
On New Study In 'American Journal Of Public Health' Based On Data
From Government-Sponsored National Household Surveys Of Drug Abuse)
Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 13:53:11 -0500
To: DrugSense News Service
From: Richard Lake
Subject: MN: US: Wire: 50% Of Baby Boom Generation Tried Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Marcus-Mermelstein Family
Source: Reuters
Pubdate: 5 Feb 1998
Reuters source: American Journal of Public Health (1998;88(1):27-33)
Editor's note: It will be appreciated if anyone can find the original
article and send it to editor@mapinc.org
50% OF BABY BOOM GENERATION TRIED MARIJUANA
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Baby boomers, people born in the United States
between 1946 to 1964, had much higher rates of illicit drug use in their
teen years than the generation born before World War II, according to a
report in the American Journal of Public Health.
The researchers say that while 2% of teens born between 1930-1940 tried
marijuana, 50% of those born between 1956 and 1965 tried the illicit drug
in their teen years.
The findings are based on data from government-sponsored National Household
Surveys of Drug Abuse conducted from 1991 through 1993. The data was used
to compare the percentages of people born in the US from 1919 through 1975
who began using drugs before the ages of 15, 21, and 35.
The authors, from the National Opinion Research Council in Washington, DC,
say the study provides important information "on how often and how early in
life Americans start to consume drugs," data that is valuable for tracking
the effects of prevention policies and predicting drug problems.
"Age of initiation of alcohol, cigarette, and illicit drug use is a
powerful predictor of drug consequences and dependence," the authors write.
They point to studies of patients and the general population suggesting
"that adolescents who begin drug use at early ages use drugs more
frequently, escalate to higher levels more quickly, and are less likely to
stop using."
While the percentage of people who started to use marijuana declined in the
1980s, cocaine and other illicit drug use peaked later and showed less
evidence of decline.
But these percentages, the authors note, belie the dramatic difference in
range and extent of drug use prior to age 35 between people born before
versus after the war.
"Only two drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, were used before age 35 by more
than 6% of individuals born during 1930-1940, while 10 drugs -- alcohol,
cigarettes, and eight illicit drugs (marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens,
inhalants, stimulants, pain killers, tranquilizers, sedatives) exceeded
this threshold" in people born between 1951 and 1955.
The authors propose several possible factors that might explain the
increase in illicit drug use among those born after World War II. Among
these are the steady decline in two-parent families, changes in beliefs and
values, and price shifts in drug markets, depending on supply and demand.
Another study finding appears to go against the long-held "sequential" view
that illicit drug use follows early use of alcohol and tobacco. The 1991
through 1993 surveys showed a drop in previous alcohol and tobacco use
among marijuana users under 21 years old.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Study Shows High Smoking Rate Among Asian-American Men ('Associated Press'
Article In 'San Jose Mercury News' Reports On Survey Results
Released Wednesday By US Centers For Disease Control And Prevention)
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 16:08:01 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)
Subject: MN: US: Study Shows High Smoking Rate Among Asian-American Men
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Marcus-Mermelstein Family
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Pubdate: Thu, 5 Feb 1998
Author: Dara Akiko Tom, Associated Press
STUDY SHOWS HIGH SMOKING RATE AMONG ASIAN-AMERICAN MEN
Many still don't realize health risks, poll says
Associated Press - Nearly a third of Vietnamese-American and
Korean-American men use cigarettes, and a substantial number of people in
those communities don't realize the health risks associated with smoking,
according to a study released Wednesday.
The nationwide tobacco study -- believed to be the first of its kind
conducted in Asian languages -- also found that a third of the women in
Vietnamese and Korean communities often are exposed to secondhand smoke at
home.
``Cigarette addiction is clearly a problem among Asian-American smokers,''
the study concluded. ``Current programs to help smokers kick the habit are
. . . not reaching Asian-American communities.''
In the Bay Area, some anti-smoking programs aimed at the area's large
Vietnamese emigre population have worked, said Dr. Nam Tran of the Santa
Clara Valley Health and Hospital System.
A decade ago, Nam said, about 57 percent of Vietnamese men in Santa Clara,
San Francisco and Alameda counties smoked. Today, about 35 percent do.
An alarming trend, though, Nam said, is that although older smokers have
kicked the habit, teen smoking is increasing.
The county has held anti-smoking classes in Vietnamese. To help lure people
to quit, Nam has even offered $50 gift certificates to students.
The smoking study took questions from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention survey and translated them for the 811 respondents, most of
whom were foreign-born.
The CDC survey, conducted primarily in English, found that 20.4 percent of
Asian-American men smoke. The new study, released in Washington, D.C.,
found that 34 percent of Vietnamese-American and 31 percent of
Korean-American men currently smoke.
``Government surveys which are conducted only in English may be only
telling part of the story,'' said Mary Chung, president of the San
Francisco-based National Asian Women's Health Organization, which
commissioned the study.
Smoking rates among women were much lower, but one in three faced ``heavy
exposure'' to secondhand smoke at home, the study found. More than
two-thirds of those surveyed attempted to quit smoking, but failed.
The study also found that 34 percent of Vietnamese-Americans and 12 percent
of Korean-Americans were unaware that smoking can be addictive. One in five
did not know that smoking has been linked to bronchitis, emphysema,
pulmonary disease and mouth cancer.
Compared to 20.4 percent for Asian-American men, CDC data from 1994 showed
that 28 percent of white men smoke. The figures were 33.9 percent for black
men, 24.3 percent for Hispanic men and 53.7 percent for American Indian
men.
Lleyln Grant, a spokesman for the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, noted
that the agency does try to find a person in the home to translate for
respondents and has at times hired professional translators.
``We make every effort to get an accurate survey,'' Grant said.
The study was conducted by telephone from Nov. 22 to Dec. 15.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED Anti-smoking classes in Vietnamese are held
intermittently throughout the year. For more information, contact Dr. Nam
Tran, (408) 945-8702.
Mercury News Staff Writer De Tran contributed to this report.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CIA Links Mexico's Interior Minister To Drug Lords ('Washington Times'
Says Francisco Labastida Ochoa, Second-Most-Powerful Official In Mexico
And A Likely Candidate For President, Is Alleged To Have Longstanding Ties
Going Back To His Governorship Of Sinaloa)
Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 16:59:29 -0500
To: DrugSense News Service
From: Richard Lake
Subject: MN: Mexico: CIA Links Mexico's Interior Minister To Drug Lords
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: "Frank S. World"
Pubdate: Thu, 05 Feb 1998
Source: The Washington Times
Author: Bill Gertz, The Washington Times
Contact: letter@twtmail.com
Website: http://www.washtimes.com/
CIA LINKS MEXICO'S INTERIOR MINISTER TO DRUG LORDS
Mexico's new interior minister, the second-most-powerful official in the
country and a likely candidate for the presidency, has been linked by the
CIA to international narcotics traffickers.
Francisco Labastida Ochoa has "long-standing ties" to drug dealers since
serving as governor of the state of Sinaloa for six years, according to a
report labeled "top secret" that was obtained by The Washington Times from
agency sources.
The report says Mr. Labastida collaborated with drug dealers and ignored
their trafficking activities, but denied taking payoffs.
Disclosure of Mr. Labastida's drug-trafficking connections could undermine
his chances of becoming president of Mexico. He is one of two Cabinet-level
Mexican officials who meets the qualifications of the ruling Institutional
Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, to run for the presidency in 2000,
the report said.
Drug-related corruption in Mexico's regional and federal governments is a
long-standing problem. Mexico is a major supply route for illegal heroin
and cocaine entering the United States.
Mr. Labastida was appointed last month as Mexico's government secretary, a
post equivalent to interior minister, by President Ernesto Zedillo after
the massacre of 45 civilians in Chiapas province.
"Labastida's appointment could prove costly to the Zedillo administration
should reports become public that he has maintained ties to
narco-traffickers since his stint as governor of Sinaloa," the CIA report
stated.
According to the report, "Labastida has denied receiving payoffs but has
acknowledged privately that he had to reach unspecified agreements with
traffickers and turn a blind eye to some of their activities."
He was governor of the northwestern coastal province of Sinaloa, a reputed
bastion of illegal drug-trafficking activities, from 1987 to 1993, the
report noted.
Fernando Lopez, a spokesman for Mr. Labastida in Mexico City, declined to
comment on the report. He said Mr. Labastida was too busy dealing with the
Zapatista insurgency and aftermath of the Chiapas massacre to be
interviewed on the matter.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman James McGivny declined to comment
on the CIA report. As to accusations Mr. Labastida is tied to drug
traffickers, "normally we do not discuss who is under investigation or
subject of a DEA intelligence report," he said.
But a U.S. government official who specializes in Latin American affairs
and who is familiar with the report said, "It's a matter of great concern.
"It remains to be seen whether this will be factored into the annual
certification process," said the official, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity.
Susan Snyder, a spokeswoman for the State Department's bureau of
international narcotics and law enforcement affairs, had no immediate
comment.
As government secretary, Mr. Labastida has been trying to deal with an
insurgency by Zapatista rebels and "is considered the second-most-powerful
official in Mexico," the CIA said.
According to the CIA report, Mr. Labastida was selected by the Mexican
president for the post to promote public security and help Mr. Zedillo cope
with an opposition-controlled lower house of congress.
The Clinton administration certified that Mexico was cooperating in the
battle against drugs last year despite the disclosures a year ago that
Mexico's top anti-drug official, Gen. Jesus Gutierrez Robollow, was linked
to drug lords. Certification must be carried out again this year.
Gen. Gutierrez, director of the Institute of Combat Against Drugs, was
fired and arrested on suspicion of taking payments from a top Mexican drug
lord.
Administration officials at the time said they had no intelligence
information linking the general to drug trafficking.
As interior minister, Mr. Labastida is not directly in charge of the
country's anti-drug efforts but is responsible for internal security, a
position that gives him access to Mexican government intelligence
information on drug activities.
John Bailey, a Georgetown University specialist on Mexican government
corruption, said he is not surprised by the report of Mr. Labastida's ties
to drug traffickers.
"The interior minister is not in the direct line of law enforcement
authority, but he deals with political intelligence," Mr. Bailey said.
"Even though that is not his charge, he would run across these types of
drug-trafficking problems from his position."
Mr. Bailey said Sinaloa is one of several regions in Mexico that is
notorious for large-scale drug activities.
"I just don't see how anybody could be governor of a state like Sinaloa and
not be affected by corruption," he said.
Mr. Bailey said that the governor of Sinaloa before Mr. Labastida was
linked to drug traffickers and that Mr. Labastida "seemed to be better" in
that regard.
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17,000 Arrests In City Drugs Crackdown ('The Irish Independent'
Notes Ireland's Increasing Use Of Expensive US Enforcement Tactics
Has Led To More Than 1,000 Arrests A Month In Dublin -
'Dramatic Improvements' In Crime Rate Claimed For 'Some Areas')
Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 13:43:22 -0500
To: DrugSense News Service
From: Richard Lake
Subject: MN: Ireland: 17,000 Arrests In City Drugs Crackdown
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Newshawk: Zosimos
Pubdate: Thursday, 5 February 1998
Source: The Irish Independent
Contact: independent.letters@independent.ie
17,000 ARRESTS IN CITY DRUGS CRACKDOWN
A CO-ORDINATED Garda crackdown on drug dealing on Dublin streets codenamed
Operation Dochas has resulted in the arrest of a massive 17,000 suspects in
the first 14 months.
New figures revealed last night show that Dochas and a series of subsequent
specialised anti-drug operations have had a major impact on the level of
street crime.
The number of syringe attacks in districts in the two inner city garda
divisions has plummetted by 11pc in some areas and to 32pc in other
targetted regions.
Burglaries, break-ins, and larcenies from cars, a favourite crime of street
drug addicts are all down substantially.
This follows a series of garda measures specifically concentrated on
preventing drug-related crime, particularly around the centre of Dublin
where the addicts were very active in smashing car windows and grabbing
goods from seats.
Dochas is concentrated throughout the Dublin metropolitan area and the
latest figures, obtained by the Irish Independent last night, showed that
drugs with a street value of more than IR£4,750,000 were seized in the 14
months since it was launched in October 1996.
Special anti-drug patrols carried out 69,400 street searches for drugs and
another 22,000 suspects were searched in garda stations after being
detained for questioning.
In a blitz on the dealers' suspected haunts, gardai searched 4,100 premises
and also set up 17,700 vehicular checkpoints on the targetted streets.
After arresting 17,000 suspects, the gardai brought charges in 7,800 cases
and issued summonses in another 15,200.
Assistant Garda Commissioner Jim McHugh, who has overall responsibility for
policing in the capital, said last night there was no doubt that Dochas and
other special initiatives had resulted in dramatic improvements in the
crime rate in some areas.
Dochas was complemented eight months ago by Operation Mainstreet which was
launched in the area around O'Connell Street. It led to 90 charges under
the Misuse of Drugs Act. The Gardai are awaiting directions from the DPP in
another 50 cases. It has resulted in the seizure of heroin worth £250,000
and other drugs with a street value of £15,000.
Chief Supt Richard Kelly, who is in charge on the north central division,
last night paid tribute to the north inner city communities for their
"tremendous help" in tackling the drug problem in their area.
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[End]
to 1998 Daily News index for February 5-11