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AIDS increasing among minorities, women (The Associated Press
says AIDS-related deaths in Oregon dropped 62 percent from 1996 to last year,
from 238 to 90, according to the annual AIDS/HIV report released Tuesday
by the state Health Division. However, a greater percentage of women
and minorities have contracted the disease. No mention is made of what
proportion of new cases were attributed to intravenous drug users sharing
needles, but Jim Looney, a Salem man who has AIDS and is on a prevention
committee for Marion and Polk counties, said, "We are seeing infection
at a younger age, so outreach to street youth is especially important.")

Associated Press
found at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/
feedback (letters to the editor):
feedback@thewire.ap.org

AIDS increasing among minorities, women

The Associated Press
11/18/98 4:29 PM

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The number of Oregonians diagnosed with AIDS declined
dramatically last year, but a greater percentage of women and minorities
have contracted the disease, according to a new state report.

AIDS-related deaths in Oregon dropped 62 percent from 1996 to last year,
from 238 to 90, according to the annual AIDS/HIV report released Tuesday by
the state Health Division. Since 1981, 2,497 Oregonians have died of
complications from the disease.

Nationally, AIDS-related deaths dropped 26 percent in 1996.

In 1997, 291 Oregon people were diagnosed with AIDS, a 38 percent decrease
from the 468 cases diagnosed in 1996. That is the sharpest decline since
1993, when AIDS cases first started decreasing.

Oregon health officials cautioned that breakthroughs in treatments and
medication are not reasons to relax prevention efforts.

"It's good news that there is actually a treatment that dramatically seems
to be reducing death and end stages of the disease," said Steven Modesitt,
the state's HIV surveillance manager. "But we have to recognize there are
new groups where the epidemic is evolving."

Overall, the number of people with AIDS rose to 4,162 in 1997 from 3,870 in
1996.

Other trends outlined in the 74-page report:

In the past decade, AIDS cases in homosexual men decreased as a proportion
of total cases from 89 percent to 69 percent. During the same period from
1987 to 1997, the proportion of cases increased from 3 percent to 7 percent
among women; from 1 percent to 6 percent among blacks; and from 3 percent to
8 percent among Hispanics.

By the end of 1997, only 14 teen-agers were reported as having AIDS. But
health officials suspect a significantly larger number are infected with the
virus that leads to AIDS.

That's because 17 percent of all AIDS cases in Oregon -- 710 -- are of
people ages 20 to 29, and it takes from seven to 10 years for the virus to
progress from infection to disease.

"We are seeing infection at a younger age, so outreach to street youth is
especially important," said Jim Looney, a Salem man who has AIDS and is on a
prevention committee for Marion and Polk counties.

Warnings about AIDS often don't get to teen-agers, especially those who skip
school, said Barb Schmidt, who coordinates AIDS services for Polk County.
Reaching minorities also is a problem if they don't speak English.

"They don't have the same access to education and services," Schmidt said.
"I hate to see this turn into a disease of the disenfranchised."

(c)1998 Oregon Live LLC

Copyright 1997 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Medical-Pot Advocate's Trial Now In Jury's Hands (The Orange County Register
says the outcome of the trial of Marvin Chavez, founder of the Orange County
Patient, Doctor, Nurse Support Group, on trafficking charges, could determine
police conduct in future medical-marijuana cases.)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 11:12:11 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Medical-Pot Advocate's Trial Now In Jury's Hands
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John W. Black
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Copyright: 1998 The Orange County Register
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 1998
Author: Teri Sforza-OCR

MEDICAL-POT ADVOCATE'S TRIAL NOW IN JURY'S HANDS

Courts: The defendant's lawyer says he was entrapped;the prosecutor says the
case is one of simple drug dealing.

Marvin Chavez is either a compassionate crusader who bravely stuck his neck
out to ease others' suffering,or he's a street-level drug dealer who tried
to cloak his dirty business in California's new medical-marijuana law.

In an impassioned oratory Tuesday, Chavez's attorney, J. David Nick, accused
police and the district attorney of "a political witch hunt" riddled with
deception and gross misconduct that entrapped a well-meaning man.

Prosecutor Carl Armbrust calmly stated that the case was simple: Chavez
exchanged marijuana for money, and selling marijuana is illegal in
California.

Chavez is charged with 10 counts of selling or transporting marijuana, which
could land him in prison for a decade or more.

A gallery of about 20 ardent Chavez supporters filled the courtroom, some on
canes, some on crutches, some missing limbs, but all hanging on the outcome
of the trial that could determine police conduct in future medical-marijuana
cases.

Chavez is founder of the Orange County Patient, Doctor, Nurse Support Group,
the local "cannabis club" that popped up after Proposition 215 passed in
1996. Chavez suffers from severe back pain, and his group's mission was to
distribute marijuana to sick people who had a doctor's permission to use it.

The marijuana was given for free, Chavez maintains, but the group accepted
donations to cover operating costs.

Police mounted an undercover operation with officers posing as a sick man
and his caretakers, and police were expected to make "donations" when they
received their "medicine," they said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Arguments Made In Pot Case (The version
in The Long Beach Press-Telegram)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 19:37:25 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Final Arguments Made In Pot Case
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: FilmMakerZ
Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram (CA)
Contact: crutch@ptconnect.infi.net
Website: http://www.ptconnect.com/
Copyright: 1998 Press-Telegram.
Pubdate: 18 Nov 1998
Author: Joe Segura

FINAL ARGUMENTS MADE IN POT CASE

Court: Jury to begin deliberations on man charged with drug sales.

WESTMINSTER - The jury in the trial of medicinal marijuana advocate Marvin
Chavez was ordered Tuesday to consider only the law, while the defense
cried foul over the police undercover operations.

The six-man, six-woman panel is to begin deliberations today. Chavez
completed his testimony, punctuated by tears, in an emotional session Tuesday.

Chavez is facing nine felony charges of drug sales and one drugs-
transportation count. He told the jury he provided marijuana for medicinal
uses under Proposition 215, known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

However, Deputy District Attorney Carl Armbrust reminded the jurors that
Prop. 215 is not to be part of their decision, and that any exchange of
marijuana for cash or favors is considered an illegal drug sale.

"The law is specific," he said. "And we have to abide by that specific law."

Armbrust said Chavez was using Prop. 215 as a shield to camouflage his drug
sales activities.

"There is no doubt that this was a very sophisticated marijuana sales
business," the prosecutor added.

Attorney J. David Nick of San Francisco, however, said that the case was an
example of abusive governmental process.

"There was a political witch hunt," he said, adding that the jury process
is meant to prevent oppression by the government's "corrupt or overzealous
prosecutors."

Nick complained about having to use "dental procedures" to extract complete
testimony from undercover officers about their activities, and he
criticized their failure to mention or produce all recordings of their
encounters with Chavez.

Armbrust shared in the effort to hide key information from the jury, Nick
charged.

"He purposely fell asleep at the wheel ... so that their unbelievable
conduct could be hidden from you."

Nick portrayed Chavez as a compassionate man, attempting to assist those
who had lived in dark closets so that they could relieve severe or terminal
illnesses. The defendant had attempted to live by the law, even when
providing medicinal marijuana to undercover officers who posed as patients.

At this point, Chavez quietly wiped tears away at the defense table.

"Don't show them any sympathy," Nick pleaded, referring to the undercover
officers' case.

In rebuttal, Armbrust said that the undercover officer did nothing improper
in probing the drug-sales case, and rejected Nick's assertion that the case
represented oppressive activities. And he again emphasized that the jurors
are not to consider Prop. 215.

"It's not relevant," he said. "It doesn't apply here."

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Alterna Hemp Hair Care Company Sues President Of DARE America
In Support of Salons - Alterna Seeks Public Retraction of False Statements
(A company press release says the lawsuit was prompted by a statement
in the Nov. 6 Los Angeles Times by Glenn Levant, president and founding
director of DARE America, Inc., which nationally promotes the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program, or DARE. Levant said Alterna
was "promot[ing] an illegal substance.")

Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 12:20:06 EST
Errors-To: jnr@insightweb.com
Reply-To: friends@freecannabis.org
Originator: friends@freecannabis.org
Sender: friends@freecannabis.org
From: Jim Rosenfield (jnr@insightweb.com)
To: Multiple recipients of list (friends@freecannabis.org)
Subject: Alterna press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Kimberlee Mitchell
310-824-2508 ext:258

ALTERNA HEMP HAIR CARE COMPANY SUES PRESIDENT OF DARE AMERICA
In Support of Salons Alterna Seeks Public Retraction of False Statements

November 18, 1998

LOS ANGELES- Alterna Applied Research Laboratories, maker of professional
hemp hair care products, filed a lawsuit today against Glenn Levant,
who currently serves as president and founding director of DARE
America, Inc., which nationally promotes the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) program. Alterna filed the lawsuit in reaction
to defamatory statements made by Levant appearing on Friday, November
6 in an article in The Los Angeles Times.

I want to make it clear that our issue is not with DARE nor is
this lawsuit a critique of DARE's commendable work. Alterna believes
strongly in DARE'S drug education programs that teach our nation's
children about the evils of drugs. Our lawsuit was filed against
Glenn Levant as an individual, who made false and malicious public
comments about Alterna, which have not only maligned our company but
pose a reputational and financial threat to the thousands of salons who
sell our THC (Drug) free product across the nation. As a manufacturer I
have a responsibility not only to protect my own company, but the business
of my customers, reasons Mike Brady, vice president of sales and
marketing for Alterna.

In The Los Angeles Times article, Levant stated that Alterna
was "promot[ing] an illegal substance." Even after Alterna
provided the documented facts demonstrating that Levant is incorrect, he
nevertheless refused to acknowledge that Alterna's hemp product is a
viable and legal commodity, as is clearly stated in Public Law 91-513,
section 102 [15]: sterile hemp seeds [the source from where Alterna
gets the oil used in their products] are specifically excluded from the
definition of marijuana and are not controlled substances under federal
law. Levant's continual denial of these facts helped precipitate the
forced removal of Alterna's hemp shampoo ads from more than 100 bus
benches in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

The Los Angeles Times also quoted Levant as saying, "the shampoo
is a subterfuge to promote marijuana." Since incorporating hemp seed oil
into its products, Alterna has undertaken an aggressive national hemp
education campaign, called LEARN MORE, which is designed to dispel
myths and misinformation about the marked differences between hemp and
marijuana. Alterna perceives Levant's irresponsible and misleading
comments to be slanderous and far from the truth. Proactive in its
approach to educate the nation of hemp's many environmental, economic
and cosmetic benefits, Alterna holds fast to two proven facts: hemp is
not marijuana and hemp is not a drug. By associating a hemp leaf
with the word "HEMP" and the phrase "THC (Drug) free" in its
advertising Alterna has sent a clear message to the public that the
company is opposed to the drug culture. In addition, Alterna's
information laden hemp educational packages are mailed out to anyone
who calls looking to learn more about hemp. The company does not
align itself with any group that advocates the use or
legalization of marijuana.

Alterna can not excuse the derogatory and erroneous statements made
public in The Los Angeles Times article, which have negatively
affected the reputation of their Los Angeles-based business.

Alterna's goal is to resolve the lawsuit with Levant through means
of non-litigation. Ultimately, the hair care company would be
satisfied to receive a retraction in The Los Angeles Times, Levant's
payment of Alterna's legal fees as well as correctional advertising to
inform all Alterna customers of Levant's inaccurate comments. Mike
Brady, vice president of sales and marketing for Alterna, deems this
an appropriate response for the ill informed and damaging statements
Levant made publicly.

Since the forced removal of the city-owned bus benches early this
month, Alterna's awareness campaign has been temporarily impeded.
Alterna has been denied the opportunity to further create dialog
generating awareness about THC (Drug) free hemp, explains Mike Brady.
We plan to post a new billboard in Los Angeles this week to keep our
message alive. What we are doing is not only legal but ethical. Hemp's
many environmentally friendly uses can not be ignored. The billboard,
which is an oversized version of the fallen bus benches, will be
posted in Los Angeles on Westwood Boulevard and Olympic by Friday,
November 20.

Unconventional in its approach, Alterna consistently sets new
standards in the beauty industry in the fields of advanced
formulation and product performance. The first professional hair
care company to harness the power of nutrient-rich hemp seed oil in
January of 1997, Alterna continually redefines itself as an industry
innovator.

***

Jim Rosenfield
jnr@insightweb.com
tel: 310-836-0926
fax: 310-836-0592
Visit http://www.insightweb.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------

War on Crime (The San Francisco Bay Guardian
describes the The San Francisco Police Department's use of SWAT-style
equipment to carry out a drug raid Oct. 30 on a Western Addition housing
project. At a Nov. 4 police commission meeting, a train of furious and
sobbing  residents from the raided housing complex - all of them African
American - described how officers slapped them, stepped on their necks
and put guns to their heads while other officers ransacked their homes.
Weeping and terrified children, some as young as six, were handcuffed
and separated from their parents. SFPD narcotics lieutenant Kitt Crenshaw
said the operation was designed to "put fear in the hearts" of a gang
called the Knock Out Posse. "The raid went off, more or less, without
a hitch," Crenshaw said. "I feel bad for the innocent women and children
that were there, but in a way they do bear some responsibility for harboring
drug dealers.")

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1998 17:27:42 -0800
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
From: Gerald Sutliff (gsutliff@DNAI.COM)
Subject: War on Drugs, "Army Style"
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Subject:  War on Crime
Source:  SF Bay Guardian, November 18, 1998

(Note:  This is "late" but I'm posting it just in case it was missed last
month.  If it has already been posted, it's worth reading again.  As Bob
Dole said, "Where's the outrage?"

WAR ON CRIME

The SFPD used SWAT-style equipment to raid a Western Addition housing
project. Does military gear encourage military policing?

by Christian Parenti

JUST BEFORE, DAWN on Oct. 30, 90 law-enforcement officers wearing black
masks and fatigues and armed with assault rifles stormed the Martin Luther
King Jr./Marcus Garvey Cooperative in the Western Addition. They used
special  "shock-lock" shotgun rounds to blow apartment doors off their
hinges and cleared people out of rooms by throwing "flash- bang grenades,"
which produce nonlethal explosions that terrify and disorient people.

At a Nov. 4 police commission meeting, a train of furious and sobbing
residents from the raided housing complex - all of them African American -
described how officers slapped them, stepped on their necks and put guns to
their heads while other officers ransacked their homes. Weeping and
terrified children, some as young as six, were handcuffed and separated from
their parents. Some urinated in their pajamas. (Police chief Fred Lau told
the San Francisco Chronicle that officers wanted to keep the kids from
"running around.")

Residents of the complex say the raid was a violation of their civil rights.
Scores of people with no charges against them and no criminal records were
put in disposable plastic "flex-cuffs." Civil servants and grand mothers
were held at gunpoint. One woman was hospitalized after a fit of seizures;
other people were so distraught they couldn't return to work for days.

And a pit bull named Bosco - which many residents described as well liked
and friendly - was shot inside an apartment, dragged bleeding outside, and
shot again. Deputy chief Richard Holder told police commissioners that,
according to police intelligence gathered during covert operations," the dog
was "known for its jumping ability and was shot in midair."

The squad that raided the housing complex included agents from the San
Francisco Police Department's tactical squad and narcotics division, the
District Attorney's office, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. According to SFPD narcotics
lieutenant Kitt Crenshaw, who initiated and planned the operation, the
action was designed to "put fear in the hearts" of a gang called the Knock
Out Posse. "The raid went off, more or less, without a hitch," Crenshaw
said. "I feel bad for the innocent women and children that were there, but
in a way they do bear some responsibility for harboring drug dealers."

Agents made 11 arrests and netted a pound of what Crenshaw described as
"high-grade" marijuana, almost four ounces of crack cocaine, seven pistols,
and $4,000 cash. Residents say that money was not drug lucre, that it had
been collected to help pay for the funeral of Germain Brown, a recently
deceased friend. Thanks to state and federal asset forfeiture laws, the SFPD
may get to keep and spend 80 percent of the seized  money.

SWAT NATION

Though the raid on the King/Garvey project was brutal and audacious, it was
not unusual. Paramilitary or tactical policing -law enforcement that uses
the equipment" training, rhetoric, and tactics of warfare is on the rise
nationwide. According to a study by sociologist Peter Kraska, there are more
than 30,000 heavily armed, militarily trained police units in the United
States and the number of paramilitary police "call-outs" quadrupled between
1980 and 1995.

The tactical buildup has been fueled by fattened drug-war budgets and a wave
of federal largesse. Between 1995 and 1997 the Department of Defense gave
local police 1.2 million pieces of military hard- ware, including more than
3,800 M16 automatic assault rifles, 2,185 Rugar M 14 semiautomatic rifles, -
73 M79 grenade launchers, and 112 armored personnel carriers (APCs). One
tactical outfit calls its APC ,'mother"; another, in east Texas, has named
its APCs "Bubba One" and "Bubba Two."

Military gear given to the SFPD includes two helicopters, several electrical
generators, vehicles, and office furniture, according to tactical officer
Dino Zografos. Several years ago the department acquired  two APCs from the
United Kingdom.

The department's 45-officer tac-squad buys its own AR 15 and MP53 assault
rifles. Most of the SFPD's tactical training is done in- house, though SWAT
officers have received special instruction from FBI, military, and private
instructors.

Nationwide, tactical units have metastasized  from emergency response teams
into a standard part of everyday policing. SWAT teams that would once have
been called in only to handle the occasional barricaded suspect now conduct
routine drug raids like the one on the King/Garvey co-op. In Fresno,
Indianapolis, and San Francisco they even patrol high-crime areas.

Critics of SWAT-style policing say militarized training, weaponry, and
organization cause cops to over- react and treat ordinary policing
situations as military operations. "The fundamental problem with the SWAT
model is that if police become soldiers, the community be- comes the enemy,"
says Sacramento State University sociologist Tony Platt, one of the first
scholars to analyze the rise of tactical policing. "Paramilitary policing
erodes the idea of police as pubic servants subordinate to community needs."

And Kraska says, "The more paramilitary police units exist, the more all
policing will be militia rized." Considering what's happening around the
country, those charges don't seem far-fetched. According to a CBS News
survey of SWAT encounters, police use of deadly force has increased 34 per-
cent in the past three years. 

TACTICAL FUTURE

For a look at the future of American law enforcement, travel south on
Highway 99 from San Francisco to Fresno, and turn off on one of the city's
southern exits. On the pocked side streets of southwest Fresno's sprawling
ghetto, among fading stucco bungalows and dying rail yards, massive
paramilitary police operations take place almost every night.

It's a cold October night; 30 police officers (three squads of 10) don black
jumpsuits, military hel- mets, and bulletproof vests, lock and load their
Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine guns, and fan out for a routine patrol. Meet
Fresno's Violent Crime Suppression Unit (VCSU), the Fresno P.D.'s "special
forces" and America's most aggressive  SWAT team.

Since 1994 the VCSU has patrolled the city's have-not suburbs in full
military gear, with automatic assault rifles (the same model used by Navy
SEALS) at the ready. The unit is backed by two helicopters with infrared
scopes and an army- surplus APC; it's equipped with at- tack dogs,
flash-bang grenades, smoke bombs, tear gas, pepper spray, metal clubs, and
"blunt trama ordinance," essentially beanbags fired from shotguns, designed
to daze rather than kill.

"It's a war," Sgt. Margaret Mims of the Fresno Sheriff's Department says. In
the name of crisis management, the VCSU is free to use aggressive and
unorthodox tactics. Sometimes the unit quietly deploys troops on foot to
surround targeted corners or sweep through neighborhoods. At other times,
like this autumn night, agents move in a fleet of regular patrol cars "like
a wolf pack" looking for "contact," as a VCSU officer put it. "Contacts"
generally involve swooping onto street comers, forcing pedestrians to the
ground, searching them, running warrant checks, taking photos, and entering
all the new "intelligence" into a state database from computer terminals in
each patrol car. The area of operation is a poor and desolate African
American neighborhood Fresno residents call the Dog Pound.

As the patrol makes a routine traffic stop, a man is standing on the
sidewalk talking to the driver. When the VCSU pull up, he flees into a
nearby house. The VCSU immediately surround the area. Officers with AR 15s
and H&K MP5s "hold the perimeter," some watching the house, others looking
out at the neighborhood. Five officers rush the door.

The VCSU are not, technically, in "hot pursuit." They have no legal right to
enter the premises. But the elderly woman behind the black metal door is
confronted with five SWAT-style officers with submachine guns, and they want
to search her house. She consents. Five big, white cops move into the living
room and grab a young African American man. They demand to know his name;
it's David. "What?" he says. "Man, I didn't do anything!" As he protests,
his voice cracks and a tearful grimace clouds his face.

With consent from David's trembling grandmother, three cops search the
little bungalow. For all the agents' science fiction-esque uniforms and
state-of-the-art gear, they call up an awful specter from the past. More
than anything else, the robocops of the VCSU resemble the "patrollers" of
the Old South, the slave-catching militias that spent their nights rousting
plantation shacks looking for contraband, weapons, and signs that slaves
were planning to escape north.

"Are you on parole, probation? Hub?" a VCSU officer demands. "Let's go
outside, David." The suspect is cuffed, searched, interrogated, and forced
to the ground. His name is fed into a computer. A flashlight is continuously
pointed at his face.  No drugs are found. But David lied, saying he wasn't
on parole, and he is.  "That's a violation fo parole, David."The white cops
send another black man off to jail.

For much of the rest of the night, a standoff occupies 30 cops from three
different agencies and two from three different agencies and two
helicopters. The target is a teenager who hasn't been charged with any-
thing; he's just wanted for questioning. "If you're 21, male, living in one
of these neighborhoods, and you're not in our computer, then there's
definitely something wrong," VCSU officer Paul Boyer says.

WIDESPREAD ABUSES

Fresno's is the only police department in the country that deploys its
tactical units for routine patrol work. But big, aggressive SWAT operations
like the one at the King/ Garvey co-op are becoming more common. From
Albuquerque to Miami, tactical teams have repeatedly shot and killed unarmed
civilians in the course of botched drug raids. In a recent case in
Bethlehem, Pa., a SWAT team killed a suspect, then burnt his house down. And
thanks to confusion and the overzealous use of flash-bang grenades, tactical
officers are increasingly shooting one another; a case in Oxnard, Calif., is
the most recent example.

Perhaps the most infamous police tactical operation took place several years
ago in Chapel Hill, N.C. In "Operation Ready-Rock," police received a
blanket warrant allowing them to search every person and vehicle on the 100
block of Graham Street.

"We believe that there are no 'innocent' people at this place," the police
department's warrant request stated. "Only drug sellers and drug buyers are
on the described premises." Forty-five heavily armed commandos from local
and state law- enforcement agencies seated off the street and made what
police would describe as a "dynamic entrance" into a pool hall by smashing
in the front door and holding occupants at gunpoint. Whites were allowed to
leave the area; more than 100 African Americans were searched. Agents found
only minor quantities of drugs.

It's not every municipal agency that can afford equipment that's too
powerful for the task at hand. Else- where in North Carolina, the Greensboro
public library's bus- sized "bookmobile" was recently retired for lack of
funds. Shortly thereafter, the police department bought the bookmobile and
converted it into a mobile command- and-control center for its elite 23-
member Special Response Team.

The cops were delighted: a six- foot-five SRT officer had trouble standing
up in the previous van. "It's a great piece of equipment," police
spokesperson M.C. Bitner said, "It's really much betten than we had.

***

Parts of this article were adapted from the author's forthcoming book,
"Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis (Verso).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Session On Drug Tests Is A Bust (The Deseret News, in Utah,
says a national school-athlete drug-testing conference came to Salt Lake City
Monday, but no Utah school representatives showed up, and only about two
dozen officials from neighboring states attended. American Bio Medica Corp.,
a pharmaceutical and drug-testing company, funded the appearance
of Randall Aultman, the retired principal of Vernonia High School in Oregon,
where random drug-testing of athletes was endorsed by the US Supreme Court
in 1995.)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 16:26:23 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US UT: Session On Drug Tests Is A Bust
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Anonymous
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 1998
Source: Deseret News (UT)
Contact: letters@desnews.com
Website: http://www.desnews.com/
Author: Jennifer Toomer-Cook

SESSION ON DRUG TESTS IS A BUST

A national school athlete drug-testing conference came to Salt Lake
City Monday, but no Utah school representatives came, and only about
two dozen officials from neighboring states attended.

"We're kind of taken aback by the lack of people. Maybe they don't
have any drug problems in Salt Lake City," said Randall Aultman,
retired principal of Vernonia High School in Oregon whose random
athlete drug-testing policy prevailed in the U.S. Supreme Court in
1995. "The (drug) problem has grown in schools. Not enough is being
done to stem it."

Aultman speaks at conferences, funded by pharmaceutical and
drug-testing company American Bio Medica Corp., across the country.
Feelings on drug testing student athletes vary in Utah school
districts. The 6,800-student Murray School randomly drug tests
athletes monthly, with names and alternates selected by a private
company via computer. Students participating in interscholastic
activities in junior high or high schools sign an agreement for such
tests, which have overall community support. Those testing positive
for drugs can be suspended for up to 10 days and put on probation from
athletics.

"It's gone fairly well," said Steve Hirasi, assistant superintendent
of curriculum and instruction who oversaw drafting of the drug-testing
policy. Nobody has tested positive for drugs; reasons why could be in
data being compiled from drug-use surveys, he said.

"We feel student athletes are an example or role model to other
students, and we feel it's important for them to set a proper
example," he said. Tests costs $25 apiece; the district has budgeted
$2,000 for tests, which bus drivers also must take.

Box Elder High School has been there, done that, and moved on. The
school earlier this decade abandoned drug testing just two years into
the policy, which applied to students in extracurricular activities
from student government to basketball.

"The number of kids we actually nailed on it . . . was just one kid,"
said Jay Stuart, former Box Elder principal who is now an
administrative assistant for Box Elder School District.

The somewhat controversial program, which forwarded specimens to the
University of Utah, was not cost-effective, Stuart said. The program
dried up when its grant money did.

The state's largest school district, Jordan, is turned off by drug
testing of student athletes.

"Even though the Supreme Court has determined it is legal to test
student athletes, we still have some very strong concerns about
privacy," said Melinda Rock, spokeswoman for the district enrolling
more than 73,000 students. Rock says time involved in drug testing,
the district's strict drug and alcohol policy, and the fact that "we
sincerely believe our coaches are taking care of these problems among
their own teams" solidifies its stance. But Aultman believes all
school districts should implement such tests, used in about 30 schools
and districts in 16 other states. Aultman, a "law and order principal"
and former cop, said he tried everything from drug-sniffing dogs to
suspension policies to get students away from drugs - but to no avail.

Drug testing of athletes, however, worked. Those students, armed with
a reason to eschew drugs, set an example to start an anti-drug wave.
"It doesn't stop all of it, but it does give an aura to the school,"
Aultman said. "I saw such a difference in my school . . . my students
had convinced me this was a good thing."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Common sense and drug woes (Houston Chronicle columnist Thom Marshall
previews a local presentation on drugs and the drug war by Sandee Burbank
of Mosier, Oregon, founder of MAMA, Mothers Against Misuse And Abuse.
Sandee believes that education and individual common sense can be far more
effective than the government's oppressive war on drugs.)

From: cwagoner@bendnet.com
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 10:57:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject: DPFOR: ART: Common sense and drug woes
To: DPFOR@drugsense.org
Sender: owner-dpfor@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfor@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 08:11:04 -0600 (CST)
Subject: ART: Common sense and drug woes
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Cc: editor@mapinc.org
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org

Those of you who have not attended Sandee Burbank's presentation
should be sure to attend one. She gives a super presentation on
common sense drug policy. For those unfamiliar with MAMA see:
http://www.mama.org

***

From the 11-18-98 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com
viewpoints@chron.com

Common sense and drug woes

Mama always says we need to teach people social skills so they know how
to manage their lives without drugs.

MAMA says that a lot. As a matter of fact, Sandee Burbank, 54, director
of Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse since she co-founded the
organization in 1982 in Oregon, is going about the country with a slide
show called "Listen to MAMA, We Can Solve Our Drug Problems."

Sandee believes that education and individual common sense can be far
more effective than the government's oppressive war on drugs.

Just look at nicotine addiction, for example. The more folks learn about
its dangers and harmful effects, the more they avoid it. And Sandee
pointed out that this has been accomplished without putting people in
prison, without seizing property, without officers bursting into
apartments and shooting people.

She said the idea for starting MAMA grew out of conversations she had
with a friend about the ways drugs had been hurting so many people close
to them. The friend's husband was an alcoholic, Sandee's grandmother was
overmedicated to the point she could no longer communicate, a
cigarette-smoking uncle was dying from emphysema, a friend was addicted
to nasal spray ...

Mostly legal substances

Maybe you notice that all these problems involved substances that can be
obtained legally -- booze, prescription medicine, tobacco,
over-the-counter stuffy nose sniffers.

Sandee and her friend noticed that, too. They noticed that a person who
misuses or abuses legal drugs can be just as sick or just as dead as a
person who misuses or abuses illegal drugs.

We should teach kids to consider the health issues of all drugs, legal
or illegal, Sandee said. Before taking anything, a person should be
aware of the main effects to expect, the possible side effects, the
appropriate dosage for the person's weight, possible interactions or
allergic reactions. Will a person develop a tolerance and have to
increase dosage or switch to another drug? Can a person develop a
dependence upon the drug?

While information can be obtained on legal drugs, Sandee said that a
person cannot know the extent of risks involved with illegal drugs
because it isn't possible to make the producers and dealers adhere to
any standards of purity.

"Our laws actually increase the negative health effects," she said.

Having worked almost two decades for changes in the way society deals
with drug problems, Sandee said that lately she is noticing an increase
in the number of others who want reform.

The national discussion, she said, is picking up steam. More people are
expressing concern about problems with prescription drugs. The issue of
medical marijuana has fueled the debate. More people are starting to
question the federal government's war tactics, the seizing of assets,
locking so many people in prison when it would cost less to provide
treatment and fact-based education.

Sandee said she is starting to see more and more "mature moral outrage"
as she takes MAMA's message around the country. "It will take a bunch of
us who can really see what is going on to say: `Wait a minute. Tell me
how this makes any sense.' "

Right now, she said, many kids are dying because of heroin and "what is
killing them is the ignorance. And it's so tragic."

Improving people's lives

The war on drugs is about money and power, Sandee said. While it is
being conducted under the guise of protecting people from illegal drugs,
it actually has nothing to do with health.

Obviously, there is no easy answer to the complicated drug problem, but
Sandee said we should examine our social fabric for causes and
solutions. She cited illiteracy as one example -- so many people landing
in jail who cannot fill out simple forms. We must teach them to read and
write before we can realistically expect them to absorb much information
about the health effects of drugs.

I'll bet when she is in our town Thursday, Sandee will be impressed if
someone tells her about the new Houston READ Commission KEYS (Keep
Educating YourSelf) program that is using donated computers with locally
developed software to teach reading and writing to inmates in some area
lockups.

She is bringing her MAMA slide show to Houston at the invitation of the
Drug Policy Forum of Texas. It will begin at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's United
Methodist Church.

Thom Marshall's e-mail address is thom.marshall@chron.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Congressman's Son Sentenced In Marijuana Conspiracy (Reuters
says Randall Todd Cunningham, 29, of San Diego, the son
of US Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, was sentenced Tuesday
to two-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a conspiracy
to distribute marijuana.)

Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 19:13:57 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Congressman's Son Sentenced In Marijuana Conspiracy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: GDaurer@aol.com
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 1998
Source: Reuters
Copyright: 1998 Reuters Limited.

CONGRESSMAN'S SON SENTENCED IN MARIJUANA CONSPIRACY

BOSTON (Reuters) - The son of U.S. Rep. Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham was
sentenced Tuesday to two-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a
conspiracy to distribute marijuana, federal prosecutors said.

Randall Todd Cunningham, 29, of San Diego, was sentenced for one count
each of distributing marijuana and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Cunningham's father, a California Republican, was recently elected to
his fifth term in Congress.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Oregon's Kin File Suit Against City, 6 Officers (The Houston Chronicle
says the family of Pedro Oregon Navarro filed a federal civil rights lawsuit
Tuesday against the city of Houston and six Houston police officers,
alleging the officers acted as "judge, jury and executioner" when they killed
the Mexican immigrant in a botched drug raid July 12."I think the forensic,
physical and photographic evidence will clearly point to a man who was not
in a position to resist, did not resist, had no reason to resist
and was gunned down, indeed probably executed, without cause,"
Oregon family attorney Richard Mithoff said at a news conference.)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 16:24:52 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Oregon's Kin File Suit Against City, 6 Officers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1998 Houston Chronicle
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Author: Ed Asher

OREGON'S KIN FILE SUIT AGAINST CITY, 6 OFFICERS

Pedro Oregon Navarro's family Tuesday filed a federal civil rights
lawsuit alleging six Houston police officers acted as "judge, jury and
executioner" when they killed the Mexican immigrant in a botched drug
raid July 12.

"I think the forensic, physical and photographic evidence will clearly
point to a man who was not in a position to resist, did not resist,
had no reason to resist and was gunned down, indeed probably executed,
without cause," Oregon family attorney Richard Mithoff said at a news
conference.

The suit, which asks for an unspecified amount in damages, names the
city of Houston and the six officers.

It blames Oregon's death on a systemwide failure of the Houston Police
Department's policies in recruiting, hiring and training officers.

It also alleges that HPD practices discriminate against low-income,
minority neighborhoods, particularly when it comes to "authorizing a
raid of a residence in a predominately non-Anglo neighborhood."

"The fundamental problem here is not just with these particular
officers," Mithoff said. "The problem is the underlying policies and
practices and that's what we want to change.

"This kind of practice does not occur in other neighborhoods, in River
Oaks, in Tanglewood, in West University.

"We believe we'll be able to show from their own records, as well as
proof from experts, that there is a discriminatory pattern and practice."

The suit, alleging the officers violated Oregon's constitutional
rights, was filed on behalf of his mother, Claudia Navarro Pineda;
daughters Ashley, 4, and Belinda, 2; and other family members.

Police Chief C.O. Bradford has fired the six officers, calling the
shooting an "egregious" case of official misconduct. Five of the
officers are appealing their firings, contending their actions were
justified.

An internal investigation found that the officers had violated HPD
policies and state and federal laws, but a Harris County grand jury
cleared five of them and charged the sixth with criminal trespass, a
misdemeanor.

However, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation is
ongoing.

An HPD spokesman referred questions to City Attorney Anthony Hall, who
said, "It is the judgment of every city official I've talked to that
this was a tragic event, that this was not a good day for the city.

"The issues that remain are obviously issues of who is legally
responsible and liable for money. This lawsuit is obviously simply
about money. We will be determining those issues during the course of
this litigation."

Hall said it is too early to speculate whether the city would settle
the suit out of court.

The suit alleges that several HPD policies and practices led to the
shooting, including:

- "Applying or allowing a different standard in authorizing a raid of
a residence in a predominantly non-Anglo neighborhood than would be
applied in a predominantly Anglo neighborhood."

- Relying on unauthorized informants.

- Relying on HPD's gang task force rather than the more highly trained
narcotics squad.

- Allowing lax standards in recruiting, training and supervising gang
task force members.

The suit describes Oregon, 22, as a landscaper and soccer coach who
provided for his mother's care and "did not smoke, drink or use drugs."

Mithoff said Oregon came to Houston from Mexico eight years ago and
was applying for citizenship.

Based on an unauthorized informant's tip that drugs were being sold at
an apartment, the suit says, the officers went to Oregon's residence
"as judge, jury and executioner; entered his home without a warrant
and without probable cause; and fired approximately 33 rounds into the
bedroom of (Oregon), pausing only to reload."

Oregon never fired a weapon and no drugs were found in the apartment,
the suit said, and autopsy found no trace of drugs in his body.

Asked to elaborate on his comment that Oregon was "probably executed,"
Mithoff said, "We know he was shot in the back, that 12 shots were
fired from the back, that nine were shot into his back, one on top of
his head, one in the back of his shoulder, one in the back of his
hand. We know he was lying on the ground.

"Certainly the physical evidence points toward a planned escapade if
not a totally botched escapade.

"I think the facts will establish ... that this killing was totally
unjustified and constituted clear excessive use of force."

Paul Nugent, another attorney representing the family, disagreed with
Hall that the case is only about money.

"The family wants something positive to come of Pedro's tragic death,"
Nugent said. "They don't want other families to have to suffer the
loss of a son.

"Hopefully, this lawsuit can help the police department better train
and better supervise its officers so they don't have violations of the
law and they don't have citizens killed in their own homes."

The suit has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Simeon
Lake.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Congress Lands A Historical Blow To Democracy (River Cities Reader columnist
Jenny Lesner provides an Iowan's perspective on Congress's decision to quash
Initiative 59, the District of Columbia medical-marijuana ballot measure.)

Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 06:36:16 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Opinion: Congress Lands A Historical Blow To Democracy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Carl Olsen
Source: River Cities Reader (IA)
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 98
Author: Jenny Lesner
Contact: jlesner@saunix.sau.edu
Website: http://www.rcreader.com/

POLITICS by J.M. Lesner

CONGRESS LANDS A HISTORICAL BLOW TO DEMOCRACY

On November 4th, the Congress of the United States, which has jurisdiction
over the District of Columbia, passed an amendment that stopped democracy
cold. The amendment, introduced by Congressman Bob Barr (RGA), makes it
illegal for DC to fund the processing of any initiatives that would legalize
marijuana. The amendment was a last minute addition to DC's FY 1999 Budget,
in the face of an Initiative (Initiative 59) on DC's November general
election ballot that would allow terminally ill patients access to
marijuana, while protecting their physicians from prosecution should they
prescribe it.

Voters in Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington recently voted on similar
Initiatives that would legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
All but the District of Columbia approved the Initiative. While exiting
polls in DC reported overwhelming support for their Initiative 59, the
amendment kept the DC's Board of Election from counting the votes and
registering the results.

The amendment was held back by Congress for a few months, then strategically
placed into the 40-pound FY. This tactic was used in direct defiance of the
process of democracy. The ballots were printed at the time the amendment
was passed indicating the will of the people to make a decision about the
issue.

"It's absolutely unbelievable that our Congress thinks that they have the
authority to do this," said Carl Olsen, Head of Iowa's branch of the
National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws (NORML). "We
must definitely send a message to these guys that this is unacceptable."

Extensive research has proven that marijuana can provide necessary relief to
people with serious or terminal illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS. A 1997
study by the Institutes of Health found some patients can be helped by the
drug, principally to relieve nausea after cancer chemotherapy or to increase
AIDS patients' appetites. The drug has also helped some patients control
glaucoma.

DC's Initiative 59 proposes to protect patients with serious and terminal
illnesses from facing criminal penalties for the medicinal use of marijuana.
It would also exempt doctors, who prescribe small amounts of marijuana to
help ease their patients pain and suffering, from facing criminal charges.
Existing polls indicated that the voters in DC are strongly in favor of this
policy.

Those on Capitol Hill who oppose Initiative 59, use the Controlled
Substances Act of 1970 to justify their position with the amendment.
According to the Act, "All controlled substances in Schedule I that are
possessed, transferred, sold or offered for sale in violation of the Act
shall be deemed contraband and seized and summarily forfeited to the United
States."

The Board of Elections intends to bring suit against Congress for their
action on the grounds that the amendment is a direct infraction of citizens'
constitutional rights to decide an issue by, majority vote of the people.

Meanwhile, grass roots organization for legalizing medicinal marijuana
continues to grow as voters in Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Nevada and
Washington State fight to have their recently passed initiatives
implemented. According to AIDS activist Wayne Turner, "This Initiative is
about protecting the sick and dying from criminal prosecution, giving them
relief, and hope." More information can be found at a web site posted by Yes
on 59, [http://www.actupdc.org/press/legalupdate.html]

It is not yet known if, or when, the District of Columbia votes for
Initiative 59 will ever be counted. Congress has created a deeply
disturbing, possibly unconstitutional, situation by burying those votes, and
it appears that the courts will have to decide if what Congress has done is
unlawful. It is also a situation that will go down in history as a blow to
democracy.

Medical Marijuana Initiative Passed in Other States

In Arizona, voters have cleared the way to allow doctors to prescribe
marijuana and several other Schedule I drugs for seriously ill patients.

In Alaska and Oregon, new laws passed that legalized the possession of
specified amounts of medical marijuana, but only to patients enrolled in a
state identification program.

Although Nevada voters approved a similar initiative, state law there
requires voters to reapprove medical marijuana again in the year 2,000
before the measure can officially become law.

Washington States' new medical marijuana law allows patients with certain
terminal and debilitating illnesses, to grow and possess a 60-day supply of
marijuana.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Two soldiers arrested after fleeing pot deal
(According to the Associated Press, the soldiers from Fort Polk, Louisiana,
were stopped for speeding and told police they were trying to flee
"drug peddlers" from whom they had taken money without delivering marijuana.)

From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Two GA soldiers arrested after fleeing pot deal
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 18:36:18 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

November 18, 1998
Two soldiers arrested after fleeing pot deal
By The Associated Press

TIFTON -- Two soldiers from Fort Polk, La., who were stopped for speeding
told police they were trying to flee drug peddlers from whom they had taken
money without delivering marijuana, officers said.

Plimpton S. Everett, 21, and Wade S. Lancelin, 23, were arrested Sunday
afternoon after a patrol officer using radar caught them traveling 76 mph in
a 35 mph zone, Tifton police said Tuesday.

Detective Mitch Williams said the men told police they had planned to sell
20 pounds of marijuana to drug dealers in Tifton for $12,500. But they fled
with the cash before delivering any drugs, Williams said.

``They said they were being chased when they ran the red light,'' he said.
``I guess they figured it was better to be stopped by the police instead of
the drug dealers.''

Everett was charged with attempting to elude police, speeding and failing to
stop at a red light. Lancelin was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Both men posted bond and were released Tuesday.

The money and a handgun were confiscated from the car. Williams said Everett
also is facing a court martial on charges that he had 12 pounds of marijuana
on the Army base.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Study Finds A Sharp Rise In Smoking Among College Students
(According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a study released
in today's Journal of the American Medical Association says the smoking rate
among students at four-year colleges rose by 28 per cent from 1993 to 1997.
In previous studies, students were less likely to smoke than adults or peers
who were not in college. In the new study, however, 25 per cent
of the students surveyed said that they had become regular smokers
while they were in college.)

Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 19:08:17 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Study Finds A Sharp Rise In Smoking Among College Students
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Marcus/Mermelstein Family (mmfamily@ix.netcom.com)
Pubdate: Wed, 18 Nov 1998
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, The (US)
Copyright: 1998 by The Chronicle of Higher Education
Contact: editor@chronicle.com
Website: http://chronicle.com/
Author: Karla Haworth

STUDY FINDS A SHARP RISE IN SMOKING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Washington

The smoking rate among students at four-year colleges rose by 28 per
cent from 1993 to 1997, fueled in part by an increase in adolescent
smoking in the 1990s, according to a study released Tuesday.

The smoking study, which appears in today's issue of The Journal of
the American Medical Association, is part of the Harvard School of
Public Health's College Alcohol Study. The project tracks drinking,
smoking, and other high-risk behaviors of students at four-year
colleges in the United States.

All student groups, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or year
in college, were smoking more, the study found. The smoking rate
increased at 99 of the 116 colleges in the study, and smoking grew
faster at public colleges than at private ones, said Henry Wechsler,
the director of College Alcohol Studies for the School of Public
Health and a co-author of the study.

Mr. Wechsler said that the higher smoking rates could increase the
incidence of severe health problems as the current college population
ages.

"Unless this problem is checked, it will say much about the future
health of this country," he said in a news conference here Tuesday.

The authors of the study said it showed alarming evidence that college
students were not as resistant to the lure of smoking as they once
were. In previous studies, students were less likely to smoke than
adults or peers who were not in college. In the new study, however, 25
per cent of the students surveyed said that they had become regular
smokers while they were in college.

The researchers said that the more that students smoked, the more that
other students who may have experimented with cigarettes in high
school were encouraged to become regular smokers because they thought
it was the norm.

"As more teens start smoking, more smokers are going to college, and
that sort of feeds on itself," said William D. Novelli, president of
the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a private organization that aims
to reduce tobacco use among children and young adults.

The researchers attributed the jump in student smoking to increased
tobacco use among children and adolescents. They lambasted tobacco
companies for targeting children by using cartoon characters, such as
Joe Camel, to sell their products.

"The young person who saw Joe Camel at age 8 is now smoking at age
18," said William Mahood, a member of the Board of Trustees of the
American Medical Association.

The study compared the responses of 14,521 college students surveyed
in 1997 with 15,103 surveyed in 1993. Researchers polled students at
116 colleges in 39 states.

Although the study found across-the-board increases in smoking, some
colleges and groups had lower smoking rates than others. For instance,
Asian, black, and Hispanic students had lower smoking rates than white
students. Seniors and fifth-year students reported smoking less than
freshmen, sophomores, and juniors did. And some colleges -- including
commuter colleges, defined as institutions at which 90 per cent or
more of the students live off campus, and "highly-competitive"
colleges -- showed a lower prevalence of smoking.

The researchers said there was hope for college smokers, however. The
study found that half of all college smokers had tried to quit in the
previous year, compared with 30 per cent of adults not in college.

Nancy Rigotti, director of Tobacco Research and Treatment at
Massachusetts General Hospital, and a co-author of the study, said
that college health officials should take advantage of that statistic
by offering smoking-cessation and outreach programs both to
"full-time" and occasional smokers.

Dr. Rigotti said that colleges must discourage smoking by making
dormitories and other public places smoke-free. "Smoke-free areas not
only eliminate secondhand smoke," she said. "They limit the visibility
and accessibility of cigarettes around those who are trying to quit or
are still only occasional smokers."

She said that raising the price of cigarettes on and near campuses
also would deter smoking.

Background stories from The Chronicle:

"A Tobacco Company Ends Voluntary Ban on Advertising in Student
Newspapers," 5/1/98 "Students Engage in Behavior Posing Serious Health
Risks, CDC Study Finds," 9/5/97

For a new essay by Mr. Wechsler on a related topic, see:
"Getting Serious About Eradicating Binge Drinking," 11/20/98

-------------------------------------------------------------------

28% Jump In College Smokers - Researchers Alarmed (The Los Angeles Times
version)

Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 14:58:01 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US DC: 28% Jump In College Smokers-- Researchers Alarmed
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Pubdate: November 18, 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Copyright: 1998 Los Angeles Times.
Author: Alissa J. Rubin

28% JUMP IN COLLEGE SMOKERS-- RESEARCHERS ALARMED

WASHINGTON--Smoking among college students has risen by 28% in the last
four years, alarming researchers who say the new trend likely signals a
reversal of the 30-year decline in adult smoking rates and could lead to
further increases in tobacco-related illness.

The new study, released Tuesday by the Harvard School of Public Health and
published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., showed that college
students, who for years have been among the demographic group most
resistant to smoking, are rapidly catching up to their non-college-educated
contemporaries.

The shift is hardly surprising since it was presaged by an increase over the
last decade in the percentage of teens who smoked and since it is those
children who are now in college. Of the students surveyed in the study, 90%
had experimented with cigarettes in high school.

But the increase is still disturbing to public health experts, who until now
had focused little on whether the children who had experimented with
smoking as teenagers would become regular smokers.

"This is a very dangerous sign and it may signal an increase in the general
population of adult smokers," said Harvey Wechsler, a professor at the
Harvard School of Public Health, one of the study's authors. "When the most
resistant group changes, we have to worry about the rest of the population.
That's why something has to be done." Until recent years, the percentage
of adult Americans who smoked declined steadily from a high of nearly 43%
in 1966 to a fairly steady 25%, according to statistics from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Within these broad statistics, however,
different groups had widely varying habits, with college educated adults
among the least likely to smoke.

Now, according to the Harvard study, which surveyed nearly 15,000 students,
28% of college students count themselves as smokers. That is still fewer
than the general population--about 34% of non-college-educated people under
25 are smokers--but it is a substantial increase over previous years. As
recently as 1991, 12% of college-educated men smoked.

Although Asian, black and Latino college students all had lower rates of
smoking than white college students, the only demographic group whose
smoking did not increase at record rates were Latinos.

According to the study, smoking by Latino college students rose 12%.

Researchers were particularly concerned that of those students who were
smoking in college, 25% reported becoming daily smokers after previously
smoking only occasionally. Since the majority of college smokers are not
yet deeply addicted--fewer than 11% smoke more than a pack a day--they are
prime candidates for anti-smoking messages, said Nancy Rigotti, an
internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, another of the study's
co-authors.

"Clearly, the college years are a time of great flux . . . it is a window to
intervene in students' smoking habits," said Rigotti, who, along with other
experts, advocated that colleges undertake a range of anti-smoking
initiatives.

Among their recommendations: Schools should make dormitories smoke-free and
increase the number of public spaces, such as classrooms and meeting areas,
where smoking is barred. College health services also need to promote
smoking cessation programs, they said.

The tobacco industry's proposed settlement with several state attorneys
general, which was announced Monday, includes billions of dollars for
public health initiatives at the state and national levels, and a portion
of that money needs to be aimed at college smokers, said William Novelli,
president of the National Center for Tobacco Free Kids, a nonprofit group.

Said Rigotti: "This is a group that has fallen below the radar screen
because in the past we thought they didn't smoke much. We were really
focused on younger people because they were such a good political cause.
Now we have to do something about it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Trial Of Marijuana Crusader Delayed By Wait For Ruling
(The London Free Press, in Ontario, says the trial of multiple sclerosis
patient Lynn Harichy, for sitting on the police station steps and lighting
up a joint, was postponed again yesterday, to Feb. 3. The Ontario Court
of Appeal continued to ponder its long-awaited decision in the medical
marijuana case of Terry Parker, a 43-year-old Toronto epileptic who won
the first round of a constitutional challenge to Canada's ban on medical
marijuana after being busted for cultivation in 1996.)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 22:41:07 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Canada: Trial Of Marijuana Crusader Delayed By Wait For Ruling
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: London Free Press (Canada)
Contact: letters@lfpress.com
Website: http://www.canoe.ca/LondonFreePress/home.html
Copyright: 1998 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation.
Pubdate: 18 Nov 1998
Author: Don Murray, Free Press Court Reporter

TRIAL OF MARIJUANA CRUSADER DELAYED BY WAIT FOR RULING

Pot crusader Lynn Harichy had her trial postponed again yesterday while the
Ontario Court of Appeal continues to ponder a long-awaited decision on
another marijuana-as-medicine case.

Harichy, a 37-year-old Londoner who sat on the police station steps and lit
up a joint last year to protest marijuana laws, says she needs the illegal
weed to ease the spasms and pain of multiple sclerosis.

She is facing one charge of possessing marijuana and now has had two
scheduled trials postponed while waiting for the appeal court.

Federal prosecutor David Rowcliffe told Judge Kathleen McGowan yesterday
that with the defence's consent the case will be adjourned to Feb. 3 to set
a new trial date.

It is hoped that the appeal court ruling will be in by then because "it may
determine the outcome of this case," he said.

The top court is considering the case of Terry Parker, a 43-year-old
Toronto epileptic who came out on top legally after being busted for
cultivating marijuana in 1996.

In a precedent-setting Charter of Rights and Freedoms case, a Toronto judge
ruled Parker has a medical need to smoke marijuana. The judge ruled the
best way for Parker to get a supply was to grow it. The Crown immediately
appealed.

The judge stayed charges of cultivation and possession against Parker, but
convicted him of trafficking because he admitted giving a joint to other
seizure sufferers. He was sentenced to time served and put on probation for
a year.

Also bound for the appeal court is the case of former Londoner Christopher
Clay, who was convicted of possessing and selling marijuana after a highly
publicized trial last year.

Now living in Vancouver, Clay is crusading for the legalization of pot on
the grounds that maintaining it as a criminal substance violates the
Charter.

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Christa Nickels New Federal Drug Czar (According to a translation
and summary of an article from Schwaebische Zeitung, in Germany,
the former state health minister said she would be tackling drug addiction
as a health problem rather than a law-enforcement problem, and that a bill
would be drafted to establish safe injection rooms for addicts.)

Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 15:44:39 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Germany: Christa Nickels New Federal Drug Czar
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Pat Dolan
Source: Schwaebische Zeitung (Germany)
Copyright: Schwaebischer Verlag KG 1998
Pubdate: 18 Nov 1998
Website: http://www.schwaebische-zeitung.de
Translator: Pat Dolan (from German text)
Note: Main points summarised. Direct speech given in quotes. dpa=German
Press Agency.

CHRISTA NICKELS NEW FEDERAL DRUG CZAR

Bonn (dpa) - Christa Nickels, the 46 year old former State Health Minister,
has been appointed to the post of Federal 'Drug Czar'.

She has announced that she will be tackling drug addiction as a health
rather than a law enforcement problem. She will strengthen prevention
measures and will put assistance before punishment. "Addicts are sick
people. It is our duty to help them. The criminal prosecution of drug
dealers will remain, however, an important task."

She said a bill would be drafted to place 'injection rooms' on a legal
basis. Provision would be made to supply emergency relief to a carefully
chosen group, for whom access to counselling and therapy would be provided.

She said she would also concern herself with health problems arising from
addiction to alcohol and tobacco.

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Countdown To The First Fixing Rooms (A translation of excerpts
from an article in Sueddeutsche Zeitung, in Germany, says an "emergency room"
will be opened in Sshwabingen next summer with the support of the red-Green
coalition government. However, the Catholic Party threatens to force
a referendum over the proposal.)

Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 22:54:27 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Germany: Countdown To The First Fixing Rooms
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Pat Dolan
Source: Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)
Copyright: Sueddeutscher Verlag GmbH, Munich (SouthGerman Publishing Co.)
Pubdate: 18 Nov 1998
Website: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/
Author: Martin Thurau
Translator: Pat Dolan (from German text)
Note: Summary of main points. Quotes given in inverted commas.

COUNTDOWN TO THE FIRST FIXING ROOMS

Afterwards the Bonn Coalition wants to alter the illegal drugs statute

An 'Emergency Room' will be opened in Sshwabingen next summer. The Catholic
party threatens to hold a referendum

After nearly 2 years of heated controversy, a plan for a realistic way
forward has been proposed. It has now been officially announced that an
emergency room could open in Schwabigen as early as next summer.

Andrea Fischer's announcement of legal 'Fixing Rooms' has sparked further
discussion. This will require altering the law as it now stands. Up to this
point such establishments in Frankfurt and Hamburg have operated in a 'grey
zone'.

The political parties are sharply divided on the issue. The red-Green
coalition see them as a means of survival for hard core addicts, a place
where they can inject themselves in a clean, supportive environment without
fear of presecution. There would be less risk of deadly infection and would
reduce the spread of AIDS and hepatitis.

The government of Upper Bavaria saw them as illegal and sought to have them
delayed until a legal clarification had been obtained. The Catholic Workers
Party refected them out of hand, saying they would be a step backwards and
would send "the wrong message".

So the struggle continues with the possibility of protracted legal
wrangling ahead.

Alle Rechte vorbehalten - Sueddeutscher Verlag GmbH, Muenchen