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

Legal defense fund for Lina and Gina Savage in detention since 11-20-98
(A Bay Area list subscriber forwards what could be the most disturbing news
of the year. Despite Proposition 215, authorities in Contra Costa County,
California, have decided that no medical marijuana patient will be allowed
to raise children. Please help stand up for the rights of Gina, age 1,
and Lina, age 4, taken from their biological parent to a foster home!)

From: "ralph sherrow" (ralphkat@hotmail.com)
To: ralphkat@hotmail.com
Subject: Legal defense fund for Lina and Gina Savage
in detention since 11-20-98
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 17:06:22 PST

Hi everyone, Here's one to get behind, even if its only $5.00

This guy's kids were taken from him almost a month ago because he was a
patient growing his medicine. Because he was using MMJ the county called
him an unfit parent and not fit to raise his own kids & for the kids to
come home, he has to move out and because his father is so old the kids
will have to be sent to a foster home.

He wants to get his kids out of jail & he wants to get his medicine out
of jail, but "women & children" first. Ralph

***

Subject: Oakland club #1926 Legal defence fund for Lina and Gina Savage
in detention since 11-20-98
To: ralphkat@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 16:16:38 -0800

From: bha4@juno.com (Beatrice H Alderson)

Dear Ralph,

On Nov 20, 1998; MY children were taken into protective custody
after the El Cerrito Police ransacked my home. On Dec. 16, 1998 my
children were turned over to the custody of Contra Costa County to be
placed into permanant foster care.

Contra Costa County's position is that all medical Pot users will not be
allowed to raise their children.

I am calling on the intellectual comunity and all others who are
willing to stand up for the rights of young Gina, age 1 and Lina, age 4,
to be raised by their biological parents.

The lawyer Robert Raich at 510-338-0700 has agreed to defend this case
but, he justifiedly needs a retainer of 2,000 dollars to begin work on
what is proving to be the last administration of injustice by out-going
Attorney General Dan "sore looser" Lungren.

My phone # is 510-232-1158 call Robert ("Bob") Savage
7412 Potrero Ave.
El Cerrito. Calif. 94530

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

Sacramento Police: Arrest, Kill & Destroy (A list subscriber forwards
a witness's account of yesterday's court hearing in the case
of Sacramento-area medical marijuana defendant Robert Ames.
Two years after passage of Proposition 215, the Sacramento Police
Department admitted in open court, in the county's first medical-marijuana
cultivation case, that the department's policy is to automatically arrest
all medical cannabis patients, kill all immature medical cannabis,
and destroy all medical cannabis gardens, regardless of any paperwork
documenting a cultivator's medical status. Ames was ordered to stand
trial next year on two felony charges - cultivation, and posesssion
with intent to distribute.)

From: "ralph sherrow" (ralphkat@hotmail.com)
To: ralphkat@hotmail.com
Subject: Fwd: Sacramento Police: ARREST, KILL, & DESTROY
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 21:19:59 PST

Subject: Sacramento Police: ARREST, KILL, & DESTROY
To: ralphkat@hotmail.com (ralph sherrow)
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 23:38:54 -0800 (PST)
From: [name deleted at sender's request]

Ralph,

Please distribute this anonymously. Thanks.

--- cut here ---

Yesterday, the Sacramento Police Department admitted in open court,
in the case of California Medical Cannabis Patient Robert A. Ames
(bob@rush.com), that it is Sacramento Police Department policy to
automatically ARREST, KILL, & DESTROY. ARREST ALL medical cannabis
patients, KILL ALL immature medical cannabis, & DESTROY ALL medical
cannabis gardens.

This is Sacramento's response, two years after passage of California
Health & Safety Code Section 11362.5, California's Compassionate Use
Act of 1996. ARREST, KILL, DESTROY, & "let the courts sort it out".

That was the testimony Friday in Sacramento's first known medical
cannabis cultivation case to come to court in Sacramento County.

Sacramento Police Detective MacKannin testified that, regardless of
medical paperwork demonstrating medical status, all patients caught
with medical cannabis will be arrested and prosecuted, all immature
medical cannabis will be killed, and all medical cannabis gardens
will be destroyed.

Robert Ames was arrested October 12 at his home in Sacramento County
by MacKannin for cultivation of 32 medical cannabis plants. MacKannin
testified that he believes that Robert "was growing it for himself and
to give it away to others for free".

The judge noted that this case doesn't include most of the items
ordinarily found in sales cases. The judge read the law to the
prosecutor and indicated that giving away medical cannabis for free to
qualified medical patients would not be illegal under California state
law.

Robert was ordered to stand trial next year on two felony charges,
cultivation, and posession with intent to distribute medical cannabis.

Robert's next court appearance will be a pre-trial conference on
March 8, 1999.

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

Pair Gets Chance To Defend Pot Use (The Press Democrat,
in Santa Rosa, California, says that even though Lori Converse,
of Guerneville, had two letters from doctors authorizing her marijuana use,
she was arrested for growing marijuana and taken to jail, along with her
caregiver, William McConnell. For some reason left unexplained by the
newspaper, District Attorney Mike Mullins has decided to violate the letter
and spirit of Proposition 215 by disregarding the letters from Converse's
physicians and making her try to prove her claims of medical use to a
physician review board. It's also not clear why Converse's attorney
applauded the prosecutor's extralegal demand.)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 15:12:31 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Pair Gets Chance To Defend Pot Use
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)
Contact: letters@pressdemo.com
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/
Forum: http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/talk/
Copyright: 1998, The Press Democrat

PAIR GETS CHANCE TO DEFEND POT USE

A Guerneville couple charged with growing marijuana for sale may
escape prosecution under an offer by the district attorney to let them
try to prove their claims of medical use to a doctors review board.

In what would be the first such use of the newly created board, Lori
Converse and her caregiver, William McConnell, will try to win
approval for their cultivation based on records outlining Converse's
long battle with degenerative disc disease and other back ailments
stemming from two car crashes.

In the meantime, their court case was postponed Friday so Converse can
have a doctor petition the board for review of the case.

Supporters of medical marijuana use hailed the decision as enlightened
and judicious, applauding District Attorney Mike Mullins for his
willingness to try to make California's 1996 medical marijuana law
work.

"I actually am lauding the district attorney's offer in this and his
willingness to review the facts and merit of the case," said Jamie
Thistlethwaite, Converse's attorney.

"From the very beginning I thought I was doing the right thing,"
Converse said in an interview outside court, seated at a hallway bench
while her 16- year old son gently massaged her spine.

"I was blown away that they threw me in jail and treated me so
brutally in the first place. I figured being broken and all that
they'd take that into consideration."

It's not clear when the case might go before the review panel,
established by the Sonoma County Medical Association in the fall and
set to hold its first confidential hearings next month.

But there also could be a problem. The medical group specifically
wanted to avoid taking cases already involved in prosecution in order
to prevent the possibility that they or a patient's confidential
medical records could be subpoenaed, legal counsel Larry McLaughlin
said.

Mullins acknowledged the board was established to only review cases in
which no arrest or prosecution was pending, but said he believed there
were several exceptions involved in Converse's case.

They include the fact her September arrest came just one day after law
enforcement officials and the medical community launched the board.

But Mullins, who said he was alerted to the case only Friday morning,
said he'd also reviewed some of Converse's records, and "there is
reason to believe she has a serious illness within the meaning of the
(medical marijuana) statute."

The physicians on the review board have final say in the matter and
could refuse to take Converse's case.

Converse, 33, who walks unevenly even with a cane, said marijuana has
offered so much relief from her back injuries that she's been able to
go without morphine and other drugs her doctors used to prescribe.

She still was taking morphine when she and McConnell, 43, were
arrested Sept. 17, and said she was forced to withdraw cold turkey
from the medication during six days in jail.

McConnell later was jailed for three more weeks when he was unable to
provide a urine sample to probation officials.

She says she had two letters from doctors authorizing her marijuana
use at the time of her arrest, but was taken to jail anyway, along
with McConnell.

The two were scheduled to appear back in court Feb. 24 to determine if
the case will go forward or be dismissed.

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

New Somoma board may get pot case (The San Francisco Examiner version says
several physicians from outside Sonoma County had acknowledged Lori Ellen
Converse's medicinal marijuana use but never recommended it, as required by
Proposition 215.)

San Francisco Examiner
Copyright: 1999 San Francisco Examiner
Contact: letters@examiner.com
Website: http://www.examiner.com/
Forum: http://examiner.com/cgi-bin/WebX

Saturday, Dec. 19, 1998

Bay Area Datelines

New Somoma board may get pot case

Santa Rosa - A Guerneville couple who claimed they were cultivating
marijuana for medicinal purposes were given a chance to avoid court via the
county's new medical board review process.

Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Raima Ballinger on Friday put off the
preliminary examination for Lori Ellen Converse and William Robert
McConnell, giving Converse more time to seek a local physician's
recommendation for marijuana to ease pain.

In September, Sonoma County sheriff's deputies seized 12 mature cannabis
plants from Converse's garden and a half-pound of processed marijuana.
Converse and her caregiver, McConnell, 43, were arrested.

A car accident left Converse, 33, with a degenerative spinal condition that
restricts her to a wheelchair.

If Converse were to get a recommendation for medicinal marijuana use, she
could petition the Professional Standards and Conduct Committee of the
Sonoma County Medical Association about whether marijuana use is warranted
for her condition.

Should the committee warrant such use, its positive finding can be used to
shield Converse and McConnell from prosecution, according to an
understanding between District Attorney Mike Mullins and the medical
association.

Mullins said Friday that he is making an exception with this case, the first
to potentially go through the review process, because several physicians
from outside the county had acknowledged Converse's medicinal marijuana use
but never recommended it, as required by Proposition 215 of 1996.

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

Confiscated Drugs Stolen From Under Nose Of Customs
(According to an Associated Press article in The San Jose Mercury News,
The Union Tribune in San Diego said Saturday that U.S. Customs agents
are under investigation for delivering 7 tons of confiscated drugs
to an incinerator and then allegedly leaving the drugs unattended
and susceptible to theft - a procedure they may have followed
on as many as five other occasions.)

Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 12:13:34 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Wire: Confiscated Drugs Stolen From Under Nose Of Customs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Galasyn
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Copyright: 1998 Mercury Center
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Author: Associated Press

CONFISCATED DRUGS STOLEN FROM UNDER NOSE OF CUSTOMS

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- U.S. Customs agents under investigation for delivering 7
tons of confiscated drugs to an incinerator then allegedly leaving the drugs
unattended and susceptible to theft may have done so on many as five other
occasions, the Union Tribune of San Diego reported Saturday.

Authorities have confirmed that thieves made off with at least 500 pounds of
unburned confiscated marijuana from a Nov. 17 delivery to the Tucson, Ariz.,
incinerator.

Nine customs agents brought the drugs from El Paso, Texas, because the large
shipment was too bulky to destroy locally.

After the customs team left the Tucson incinerator, thieves apparently
pulled about 500 pounds of marijuana from the incinerator before the drugs
burned, customs' officials said.

The theft was discovered after a plant worker found several bundles of
partially burned marijuana on a loading dock, customs' spokesman Dennis
Murphy said. The nine agents were under investigation.

``I guess you could call it a weak link if people are able to go into an
incinerator and take marijuana out,'' Murphy said. ``That's obviously not
acceptable.''

The Tribune cited anonymous customs sources as saying that the same team may
have dropped off loads of confiscated drugs and left the haul unattended on
as many as five other occasions. The sources estimated that thieves could
have recovered between 6 and 60 tons of various drugs.

The customs service has gone through six leaders in the past decade. The
most recent commissioner Ray Kelly has set up a task force to review the
agency's system for destroying drugs, Murphy said.

Agents seized more than 1 million pounds of drugs nationwide last year,
including some 950,000 pounds of marijuana and 157,000 pounds of cocaine.
Most was recovered at Mexico border entry points.

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

War On Drugs Is Self-Serving Politcal Policy (A letter to the editor
of The Anchorage Daily News cites several little-known aspects
of the dubious war on some drugs.)

Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 16:02:24 -0900
To: ammo@levellers.org
From: chuck@mosquitonet.com (Charles Rollins Jr)
From: "CRRH mailing list" (restore@crrh.org)
Subject: The silencing of an editorial

Hello!!

The following editorial was submitted to the Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner on
the 2 of December 1998. The NewsMiner rejected this editorial. Being
bullheaded I then submitted it to the Anchorage Daily news a paper with a
vastly larger readership. Instead of rejecting it, they ran it today 12-19-98

Finally, and most sadly this is so far has been the only thing in the media
in Alaska that mentions of the squashing of the vote in DC

See ya
Chuck

***

WAR ON DRUGS IS SELF-SERVING POLITCAL POLICY
By Charles Rollins Jr

Decades into the policy called "War On Drugs", no real headway has been made.

The only progress that has been made is in the careers of politicians and
Bureaucrats who claim they want to end substance abuse. As a compassionate
people we must ask, if within this war on drugs, we are doing what is most
effective and most compassionate?

In 'Inside Congress', by Ronald Kessler, Robert Gellman, counsel and
staff director of a House Subcommittee declared about their setting up the
drug Czar "We set it up so it wouldn't work". Thus they provided a scape
goat for failure. Kessler also documented charges by Joseph Califano, of
the House Ethics Committee, that the capitol police fail to follow leads of
sales of marijuana, cocaine, and PCP by congressional employees and
capitol police.

Ignoring drug trafficking appears to be common. On November 4th, 1998, the
San Francisco Chronicle detailed a report declaring the CIA did little to
nothing about Contra drug smuggling. On November 3rd, the Washington Post
also ran a story reporting stating, that the CIA requested the holding back
of drug charges involving alleged Contra drug dealers

Dr Donald Abrams, a leader in the AIDS research, exposed the absurdity of
the War On. Drugs. After putting up with bureaucratic delays for his
study of the effect cannabis might have on AIDS wasting syndrome, NIDA
Director Alan Leshner, refused to give him access to legal cannabis for the
research. (MAPS, news letter vol 5 number 4). These same people, who have
delayed and/or denied research who now say, " we need more studies". As
expected this is also an area of inaccuracy and government interference.

Throughout the nation the debate over medicinal cannabis continues. In some
cases, in strong contrast to the will of the people our government is
supposed to serve. In Washington DC, the federal government has ruled that
the votes of Ballot Measure 59 (Medical Marijuana) will not be counted. No
matter how one feels about Medical Marijuana does Congress have the right
to intentionally subvert the electoral process?

Adverse health effects are always a concern, such as carcinogens in
marijuana, as there are over 200 carcinogenic factors in many 'natural'
substances. Many of these same substances also have anti-carcinogens.
Carrots contain Caffeic acid, Broccoli spears contain allyl isothiocyanate,
apples contains Acetaldehyde. All carcinogenic.

The claim that there are 10,000 studies exposing cannabis as harmful both
physically and mentally has no basis in actual fact. Beverly Uranek,
research librarian, at the University of Mississippi, (the only legal
cannabis plantation) said "We are totally in the dark as to where the
statement that there are 10,000 studies showing the negative impact of
marijuana originated"(medical marijuana Handbook).

What should be done about drug abuse? Seventy-five percent of drug abuse
funds are spent on enforcement according to a Washington Post Article.
Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy, after reviewing 600 studies
found treatment is effective in reducing drug abuse. In USA Today on March
18 1998, Thomas McLellan, noted that the cost of incarceration was greater
than the price of effectiveness of treatment.

On October 29 1991, a harm reduction coalition observed more than three
dozen human case studies of Ibogaine's effectiveness in treating addiction.
Forty percent were treated successfully. A few of the 40% retried drugs but
quickly lost interest. Another 35% were kept substantially drug free with
treatments every six months (The Ibogaine story). Acupuncture is another
alternative treatment that has shown some success with both drugs and
alcohol. (Lancet, June 24, 1998).

Prevention is the ultimate goal. Parents play a key role in preventing
drug abuse in their children. As noted in "Don't Panic! A Parents Guide to
Understanding and Preventing Alcohol and Drug Abuse", A Parents must:

*Teach by example, practicing moderation in substances like food and alcohol
* Talk openly and honestly to their children about drugs
* Encourage the development of positive interest
* Showing their children that their decisions matter.

Investigating factual documents and studies, and understanding and treating
those addicted are first steps to controlling and lessening the drug
problem. Our elected representatives must also begin to do what is right
for citizens, and not merely 'feel good' actions to assist in reelection.

Charles H Rollins Jr Lives in North Pole

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

Judge Hears Pleas, Says Little on Pot Vote (The Washington Post
says U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts asked plenty of questions
yesterday but gave no signals about how he might rule in the lawsuit
filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of backers
of Initiative 59, the District of Columbia measure that would permit
seriously ill people to use marijuana for medical reasons.)

Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 10:27:57 -0600
From: "Frank S. World" (compassion23@geocities.com)
Organization: Rx Cannabis Now!
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7417/
To: DRCNet Medical Marijuana Forum (medmj@drcnet.org)
Subject: US DC MMJ: Judge Hears Pleas, Says Little on Pot Vote
Sender: owner-medmj@drcnet.org
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Pubdate: Saturday, December 19, 1998

[Excerpted From] METRO In Brief

Compiled from reports by staff writers Bill Miller, Valerie Strauss, Amy
Argetsinger and Leef Smith and the Associated Press. Saturday, December 19,
1998; Page B03

THE DISTRICT

JUDGE HEARS PLEAS, SAYS LITTLE ON POT VOTE

A federal judge heard arguments yesterday in the dispute over last month's
vote on a medical marijuana initiative in the District but set no timetable
for a decision on whether the results will take effect or be made public.

U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts asked plenty of questions but gave no
signals about how he might rule in the lawsuit filed by the American Civil
Liberties Union on behalf of backers of Initiative 59, a measure that would
permit seriously ill people to use marijuana for medical reasons.

Federal legislation enacted less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 election
prohibits the District from spending money on any initiative that would
"legalize or otherwise reduce" penalties for users of marijuana. Although
D.C. residents voted on the matter, officials have not tabulated the results
or released them because of the congressional action.

The D.C. government and ACLU joined forces yesterday to argue that the
congressional action infringed upon voters' First Amendment rights. The
Justice Department, representing Congress, contended that Congress has
ultimate authority concerning legislation in the District and acted legally.
Lawyers said they hope for a ruling within the next two weeks.

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

Judge keeps D.C. marijuana vote under wraps
(The Baltimore Sun version)

Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 10:04:04 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US DC: MMJ: Judge Keeps D.C. Marijuana Vote Under Wraps
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Robert Ryan
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Pubdate: 19 Dec 1998
Contact: letters@baltsun.com
Website: http://www.sunspot.net/
Forum: http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/ultbb/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro
Copyright: 1998 by The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper.

Judge keeps D.C. marijuana vote under wraps

A federal judge kept the results of the District of Columbia's Nov. 3
medical marijuana initiative under wraps yesterday, at least for the time
being.

U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts declined to order the D.C. Board of
Elections and Ethics to release the results of the initiative. Instead, he
said he would issue a written ruling.

Congress attached an amendment to the D.C. budget in October barring the
district government from spending any money to conduct the initiative. The
ballots had already been printed, but the board of elections interpreted
the spending prohibition to include everything from tallying the votes to
certifying them.

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

Needle Exchange Returns to D.C. (The Washington Post
says a private firm now carries out the program, funded previously
by the District of Columbia. In October, Congress forced the city
to stop trying to prevent intravenous drug users from spreading AIDS.)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 17:25:46 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US DC: Needle Exchange Returns to D.C
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Kendra Wright http://www.familywatch.org/
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1998 The Washington Post Company
Page: B01
Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: David Montgomery, Washington Post Staff Writer

NEEDLE EXCHANGE RETURNS TO D.C.

Private Firm Adopts Program

The news spread among the city's heroin addicts yesterday: The needle
exchange truck was back in business.

Until the program was suspended in October by an act of Congress, the
unmarked white van, actually a converted television news satellite truck,
had distributed 17,000 clean hypodermic needles a month in exchange for
used needles.

"Where have you been?" said Junior Romanic, 37, climbing aboard at Georgia
and New Hampshire avenues NW. "I've been looking for the truck all over."

Romanic, who said that he has been homeless for about eight years and that
he is an occasional heroin user, exchanged 100 needles, many of which he
said he had found in alleys near Park View Elementary School. He said he
planned to give many of the new needles away, though he also could sell
them on the street for $1 or $2 apiece.

Michael Pryor, 44, program manager, was glad to be making his rounds again.
Along with free clean needles, he also dispenses information about AIDS and
drug treatment programs. After numerous studies, there is little debate in
the medical community that needle exchange programs can slow the spread of
AIDS without increasing drug use.

"Even if they do the wrong thing with the needle, which we cannot control,
they've done a good thing, which is not to share," Pryor said.

In October, a provision in the D.C. budget appropriation barred government
funding for needle exchange programs and prevented groups that receive
federal funding from supporting such programs.

The city's two-year-old effort had been operated by the Whitman-Walker
Clinic. The directors of the clinic transferred the program to a new
private corporation called Prevention Works Inc. with no legal ties to
Whitman-Walker.

Traffic was a little slow at the van on its first day back in operation. It
has a regular schedule of 10 stops throughout the city and visits each
location twice a week. Pryor said the number of clients would pick up as
word got around that the truck was running again. There are about 3,200
addicts enrolled in the program.

"This is the best thing happening for us," said a 44-year-old addict named
Tony, who exchanged 23 needles. "If you have the truck, you don't have to
worry about getting infected."

Tony said he is unemployed and on waiting lists for two treatment programs.

Pryor and his colleague, Vera Lindsey, 32, signed up several new clients at
Fourth Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE. Two said they were HIV-positive.

Newcomers must prove they are current drug users by showing fresh needle
tracks, because hustlers who don't use drugs sometimes try to enroll in
order to get the needles and then sell them on the street. New clients
receive an identification card, two needles, a metal cap or "cooker" for
mixing and heating powdered heroin with water, a small water bottle and
cotton filters to screen solid debris from the needle. Sharing any of those
items can spread AIDS.

Regular clients get new needles only in a one-for-one exchange for used
needles.

Pryor and Lindsey have earned the trust of many addicts while gaining
enough street savvy not to be conned. Romanic brought a friend who said she
wanted to enroll. But she declined to show any needle tracks, and Pryor
could tell the woman wasn't a heroin addict, so he turned her away.

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

Teen Drug Use Down Slightly, Study Says (A Knight Ridder news service article
in The Orange County Register summarizes the latest results from the annual
Monitoring the Future survey, conducted by the University of Michigan for the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Used to track teen-age drug
use since 1975, the survey conducted by Professor Lloyd Johnston this year
found that 10th-graders' use of marijuana dropped from 34.8 percent to 31.1
percent. Thirty-five percent of 10th-graders said they had used some kind of
drug, including tobacco, in the past school year, down from 38.5 percent the
year earlier. However, Professor Johnston and the federal government
apparently do not consider alcohol to be a drug, or illegal for kids - about
seven in 10 sophomores said they had consumed alcohol, and one-third of
seniors reported being drunk in the past month. Overall "drug" use among
eighth-graders dropped from 23.6 percent to 21 percent. But marijuana use
held steady at 9.7 percent for that grade and remained at 22.8 percent among
12th-graders. Some 22.4 percent of high school seniors smoked cigarettes
daily in the latest survey, compared with 1992's all-time low of 17.2
percent. Black teenagers continue to have the lowest smoking rates, with just
less than 15 percent of black seniors saying they smoked in the past month.)

Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 16:34:49 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Teen Drug Use Down Slightly, Study Says
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: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Author: James A.Duffy-Knight Ridder Newspapers

TEEN DRUG USE DOWN SLIGHTLY, STUDY SAYS

Health: But officials say it's still to high,considering the increased
spending on prevention.

Washington-The number of teen-agers who use illicit drugs, alcohol and
tobacco declined slightly in the past school year but remain alarmingly high
in the face of billion-dollar increases in drug-war spending, an government
study released Friday shows.

Among 10th-graders, use of marijuana dropped to 31.1 percent in the 1997-98
school years, from 34.8 percent in 1996-97 year, the study found.
Thirty-five percent of 10th-graders said they had used some kind of drug,
including tobacco, in the past school year, down from 38.5 percent the year
earlier.

Overall drug use among eighth-graders dropped from 23.6 percent, to 21
percent, in the latest school year, the study shows. But marijuana use held
steady at 9.7 percent for that grade and remained at 22.8 percent among
12th-graders.

There were small drops in use of inhalants and LSD by teenagers, but the
relatively small number of heroin users did not decline.

Over the past three years, the federal government's financial commitment to
fighting drug use has grown from $13 billion a year to $18 billion. But drug
use among teens has remained high despite that increased effort.

"These figures are still very high-way to high," said Ahron Leightman,
executive director of Citizens for a Tobacco-Free Society. "Maybe these
figures have gotten so high that they can't rise much more."

Donna Shalala, secretary of Health and Human Services, said the government
is not overly confident.

"The bottom line is that we have not achieved victory - and I am not
declaring it," she said.

Federal officials said Friday that they hope to see a significant drop
within the next two years.

"We ought to be skeptical and cautious about our assertions today," said
Barry McCaffrey, director of the office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Our commitment must be to continuing to make progress through a 10-year
generational effort to lock in and build on today's gains. If at any point
during this long-term process we let down our guard or squander our
momentum, we risk repeating with today's youth the wasted mistakes of past
generations."

Drug use among teens declined steadily from the early 1980s until 1992, when
it began to rise, according to University of Michigan Professor Lloyd
Johnston, who conducts the annual study.

The 1996 study found that the number of eighth-graders using marijuana had
nearly doubled from the year earlier. That survey also found significant
increases in the number of students in grades eight and 10 who use alcohol
and smoke cigarettes.

Last year's report found drug use stabilizing for the first time after years
on the rise. It also found a rise in adolescents' perception that drug use
was a bad thing, a key element in stopping actual use, said McCaffrey.

"This consistent progress gives reason for optimism," he said. "It
demonstrated that our balanced approach - focusing on preventing children
from turning to drugs, treating drug addicts and breaking trafficking
organizations -works."

Leightman, of the anti-tobacco group, said the government should place more
emphasis on curbing legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol, which are readily
available to teens. Some 22.4 percent of high school seniors smoked
cigarettes daily in the latest survey, compared with 1992's all-time low of
17.2 percent.

"The ramifications will only be felt in future decades when these people
become debilitated," said Leightman.

As part of the effort, Shalala said, every public and private middle school
is to receive scientific information to show students how drugs affect the
brain.

Shalala also called for parents to take more responsibility for preventing
teen drug use.

"They need to help their children understand that drugs attack the body,
deaden the mind and build a wall between them and their dreams," she said,
"because the only things drugs have ever done for childhood is bring it to
an early end."

The Monitoring the Future survey, conducted by the University of Michigan
for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has tracked teen-age
drug use since 1975. Almost 50,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders across
the United States were surveyed anonymously with questionnaires distributed
at 422 schools during the 1997-98 school year.

HIGHLIGHTS OF TEEN DRUG-USE SURVEY

The annual Monitoring the Future study has examined teen drug use and
attitudes since 1975. Some highlights from the 1998 report:

Any drug: Almost 30 percent of eighth-graders have tried an illegal drug at
least once. It was 45 percent for 10th-graders and 54 percent for high
school seniors. It was the first year this figure has dropped for the older
two groups and the second year for a drop among eighth-graders.

Marijuana: The most widely used drug had been tried by 22 percent of
eighth-graders, 40 percent of 10th-graders and almost half of all
12th-graders. Use among eighth-graders dropped for a second year in a row;
use among other teens dropped after several years on the rise.

Stimulants: Use has declined for two years among eighth-granders, for one
year among 10th-graders and is level among 12th-graders. About 7 percent of
eighth-graders used amphetamines in the past year. It was 11 percent of
10th-graders and 10 percent of 12th-graders.

Hallucinogens: Downward movement in all grades, though not staistically
significant.

Inhalants: Most popular among younger teens, use began to gradually decline
three years ago.

Heroin: Stable use across all grades and increasingly viewed as risky.

Cocaine: Small increases in use of crack cocaine in younger grades.

Tranquilizers: Steady among eighth-graders but continuing to gradually
increase among 10th-and 12th-graders.

Alcohol: Continued stable use among eighth-and 10th-grades. After increasing
among 12th-graders last year, it was stable among them, too. About seven in
10 sophomores said they have consumed alcohol, and one-third of senior
reported being drunk in the past month.

Cigarettes: A drop from last year's all-time high among high school seniors,
with 22.4 percent smoking daily. That still was higher than the low point of
17.2 percent in 1992. Black teenagers continue to have the lowest smoking
rates, with just less than 15 percent of black seniors saying they smoked in
the past month.

The anonymous survey was administered early this year to almost 50,000
teenagers in 422 randomly chosen classrooms by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research.

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

Teens' drug use dips slightly but remains high, survey finds
(The Miami Herald version notes, according to the survey, 41.4 percent
of high school seniors reported using "drugs" in the last year,
down from 42.4 percent.)

From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Teens' drug use dips slightly but remains high, survey finds
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 15:59:57 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

Published Saturday, December 19, 1998, in the Miami Herald

Teens' drug use dips slightly but remains high, survey finds

JAMES A. DUFFY
Herald Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The number of teenagers who use illicit drugs, alcohol and
tobacco declined slightly in the last school year but remains alarmingly
high in the face of billion-dollar increases in drug war spending, a
government study released Friday shows.

Overall, 41.4 percent of high school seniors reported using drugs in the
last year, down from 42.4 percent.

Over the past three years, the federal government's financial commitment to
fighting drug use has grown from $13 billion a year to $18 billion. But drug
use among teens has remained high despite that increased effort.

``These figures are still very high -- way too high,'' said Ahron Leightman,
executive director of Citizens for a Tobacco-Free Society. ``Maybe these
figures have gotten so high that they can't rise much more.''

Among 10th-graders, use of marijuana in the last school year dropped to 31.1
percent in 1997-1998 from 34.8 percent in 1996-1997 year, the study found.
Thirty-five percent of 10th-graders said they had used any kind of drug,
including tobacco, in the last school year, down from 38.5 percent from the
year earlier.

Overall drug use among eighth-graders dropped from 23.6 percent to 21
percent in the latest school year, the study shows. But marijuana use was
steady at 9.7 percent for that grade and remained at 22.8 percent among
12th-graders.

There were small drops in use of inhalants and LSD by teenagers but the
relatively small number of heroin users did not decline.

Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department Donna Shalala said the
government is not yet getting overly confident.

``The bottom line is that we have not achieved victory -- and I am not
declaring it,'' she said.

Federal officials said Friday that they hope to see a significant drop in
usage within the next two years.

``We ought to be skeptical and cautious about our assertions today,'' said
Barry McCaffrey, director of the office of National Drug Control Policy.

``Our commitment must be to continuing to make progress through a 10-year
generational effort to lock in and build on today's gains. If at any point
during this long-term process we let down our guard or squander our
momentum, we risk repeating with today's youth the wasted mistakes of past
generations.''

Drug use among teens declined steadily from the early 1980s until 1992, when
it began to rise, according to University of Michigan Professor Lloyd
Johnston, who conducts the annual study.

The 1996 study found that the number of eighth-graders using marijuana had
nearly doubled from the year earlier. That survey also found significant
increases in the number of students in grades eight and 10 who use alcohol
and smoke cigarettes.

Last year's report found drug use stabilizing for the first time after years
on the rise. It also found a rise in adolescents' perception that drug use
was a bad thing, a key element in stopping actual use, McCaffrey said.

The Monitoring the Future survey, conducted by the University of Michigan
for the Department of Health and Human Services, has tracked teenage drug
use since 1975. Almost 50,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders across America
were surveyed anonymously with questionnaires distributed at 422 schools
during the 1997-98 school year.

***

When away, you can STOP and RESTART W.H.E.N.'s news clippings by sending an
e-mail to majordomo@hemp.net. Ignore the Subject: line. In the body put
"unsubscribe when" to STOP. To RESTART, put "subscribe when" in the e-mail
instead (No quotation marks.)

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

Study Finds Decline In Teen Substance Use (The Washington Post version)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 17:40:40 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WP: Study Finds Decline In Teen Substance Use
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Kendra Wright http://www.familywatch.org/
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1998 The Washington Post Company
Page: A01
Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Roberto Suro, Washington Post Staff Writer

STUDY FINDS DECLINE IN TEEN SUBSTANCE USE

Mild Changes Suggest Reversal of '90s Trend

Teenage use of marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes dropped slightly across
all age groups and most adolescents reported a greater awareness of the
risks associated with those activities, according to an annual federal
survey of high school students released yesterday.

Through most of the 1990s, the survey, known as Monitoring the Future
Study, showed steady increases in cigarette smoking and alcohol and drug
abuse among teenagers. Last year, the survey showed those trends leveling
off, and this year for the first time there are indications that they might
be reversing direction.

"We are still at this tilt point where things are moving in the right
direction but not necessarily by great magnitude," said Lloyd D. Johnston,
who heads the survey team at the University of Michigan's Institute for
Social Research.

The survey results were greeted by administration officials as a modest
cause for hope. "Not a lot," said Secretary of Health and Human Services
Donna E. Shalala. "And not nearly as much as we want. But enough to say
we're making a little bit of a dent in a very big problem."

The study has been tracking teenage drug use since 1975. For this year's
survey, a nationally representative sample of nearly 50,000 students in
eighth, 10th and 12th grades in public and private schools completed a
self-administered questionnaire.

For the first time in the 1990s, the survey recorded declines in cigarette
smoking by respondents at all three grade levels. Johnston said he believes
that publicity about lawsuits against tobacco companies and the
administration's efforts to enact national tobacco legislation cast greater
attention on the adverse consequences of cigarette smoking and helped
change attitudes among young people.

The survey results on marijuana were especially important, Shalala said,
because it is the most widely used drug among teenagers and it accounted
for most of the increase in overall illicit drug use by adolescents this
decade. This year's survey found slight decreases in marijuana use in all
three of the grades, with a reported decline among eighth-graders for the
second year in a row.

Barry R. McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy, said, "The 1998 study shows that we have turned the tide of
youth drug use."

Most of the declines in overall illicit drug use were less than 1
percentage point, barely enough to be statistically significant. The survey
also showed that nearly a quarter of eighth-graders and about half of all
high school seniors said they had tried marijuana -- figures that are much
higher than a few years ago.

Taking a more cautious approach than McCaffrey, Shalala said, "The bottom
line is that we have not achieved victory -- and I am not declaring it."

The mixed picture was evident among the students who reported regular
recent marijuana use. Among eighth-graders, 9.7 percent said they had used
marijuana in the month proceeding the 1998 survey. Although that was a drop
from last year's 10.2 percent, the figure was 3.2 percent in 1992.

As marijuana use increased in the mid-1990s, the number of adolescents
reporting that they perceived risks in the drug decreased. In the past two
years, this perception seems to have changed toward a greater appreciation
of the risks, most clearly among the youngest teenagers.

With the exception of crack and powder cocaine, which are used by
relatively few teenagers but nonetheless showed slight increases, the use
of other drugs such as LSD and heroin showed signs of leveling off or
declining.

The survey had showed increased use of alcoholic beverages in recent years,
but in 1998 it registered slight declines at all age levels, although
one-third of all high school seniors reported being drunk at least once in
the month before the survey.

"These behaviors sometimes change very slowly, and often only after there
has been some reassessment by young people of how dangerous these various
drugs are," Johnston said. "Such a reassessment now appears to be occurring
for many drugs, very gradually."

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

Teen Drug Use Stabilizes But Overall Rate Still High, Study Finds
(The Sacramento Bee version)

Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 20:07:22 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Teen Drug Use Stabilizes But Overall Rate Still High,
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 19 Dec 1998
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Contact: http://www.sacbee.com/about_us/sacbeemail.html
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Forum: http://www.sacbee.com/voices/voices_forum.html
Copyright: 1998 The Sacramento Bee

TEEN DRUG USE STABILIZES BUT OVERALL RATE STILL HIGH, STUDY FINDS

Teen drug use has stabilized after years on the rise, the government
reported Friday, though it's still much higher than in the early 1990s.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the '80s were relaxed, researchers say. But now schools, parents
and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers say teens are
again getting the message.

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady -- and in
some cases, dropping -- drug and alcohol use, suggesting that the rising
trend truly has been stemmed.

"Last year we said there was a 'glimmer of hope,' " said Donna Shalala,
secretary of health and human services. "Today, that glimmer of hope is not
only still with us, it has actually grown."

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also found more adolescents
disapprove of drug use. And, in a particularly bright spot, younger
teenagers are even less likely to use drugs than last year.

"It's the best news we've had to give the country for some years now," said
veteran lead researcher Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in 1979.
It then fell through the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992 before
beginning to climb again.

Johnston suggested a cyclical pattern: When use was lower, teens saw fewer
peers suffering from the effect of drugs.

"They weren't seeing the consequences," he said.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the news
media, parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention efforts, he
said. Federal spending on prevention remained stagnant through the early
and mid- 1990s.

"All the institutions that might be influencing young people were tiring of
the issue," he said.

Now, he and others suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug
messages and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

"America's team effort is starting to pay off," said Barry McCaffrey,
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He promised the
nation would not let down its efforts again.

Still, nine in 10 high school seniors say it's easy to get marijuana, and
the number using is still high, said Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy
Project, which supports relaxation of drug laws.

About 22 percent of eighth-graders and almost half of high school seniors
reported smoking pot at least once, the study said.

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

Report: Drug Use Stabilizing Among Teens (A slightly different version
in The Omaha World-Herald)

Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 20:07:31 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Report: Drug Use Stabilizing Among Teens
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 19 Dec 1998
Source: Omaha World-Herald (NE)
Contact: pulse@owh.com
Website: http://www.omaha.com/
Forum: http://chat.omaha.com/
Copyright: 1998 Omaha World-Herald Company.

Report: Drug Use Stabilizing Among Teens

Teen drug use has stabilized after increasing for years, the government
reported Friday, though it is still much higher than in the early 1990s.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the 1980s were relaxed, researchers said. But now schools,
parents and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers said teens
are again getting the message.

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady and, in some
cases, decreasing drug and alcohol use, suggesting that the trend of
increases has been halted.

"Last year, we said there was a glimmer of hope," said Health and Human
Services Secretary Donna Shalala. "Today, that glimmer of hope is not only
still with us, it has actually grown."

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also indicated more
adolescents disapprove of drug use. And, in a particularly bright spot,
younger teen-agers are even less likely to use drugs than last year.

"It's the best news we've had to give the country for some years now," said
veteran lead researcher Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in 1979.
It then fell through the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992, before
beginning to climb again.

Johnston suggested a cyclical pattern: When use was lower, teens saw fewer
peers suffering from the effect of drugs.

"They weren't seeing the consequences," he said.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the news
media, parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention efforts, he
said. Federal spending on prevention remained stagnant through the early
and mid- 1990s.

"All the institutions that might be influencing young people were tiring of
the issue," he said.

Now, he and others suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug
messages and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

"America's team effort is starting to pay off," said Barry McCaffrey,
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

He promised the nation would not let down its efforts again. "We learn by
seeing others make mistakes," he said.

Still, nine in 10 high school seniors said it is easy to get marijuana, and
the number of them using it remains high, said Chuck Thomas of the
Marijuana Policy Project, which supports relaxation of drug laws.

Nearly one in four eighth-graders and almost half of high school seniors
reported smoking marijuana at least once. "What they're doing is not
working," Thomas said.

This year's survey indicated a decrease in the use of any drug among all
grades, with eighth-graders seeing their second drop in a row.

Overall, 41.4 percent of high school seniors reported using drugs in the
last year, down from 42.4 percent. Among 10th-graders, it was 35 percent,
down from 38.5 percent in 1997. In two years, use among eighth-graders
dropped to 21 percent from 23.6 percent.

Marijuana use accounted for most of the increase in overall drug use in the
1990s, and it also is accounting for much of the drop. Use declined among
eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders this year - the second decline in a row for
eighth-graders.

There were also hopeful trends in teen attitudes toward drugs. A rise in
teen disapproval of drugs is usually followed by a decline in actual use.

More young teen-agers said there was a "great risk" in trying marijuana
once or twice, up to 28.1 percent from 25.3 percent. And 45 percent said
there was great risk in occasional pot smoking, also up from last year.

But the news was not all good among eighth-graders. There was an increase
in the number who had tried crack or cocaine, though the number was still
small. Crack use among older teen-agers was steady.

The Monitoring the Future survey, which has tracked teen-age drug use since
1975, relied on nearly 50,000 teen-agers, who remained anonymous, at 422
schools across the country early this year.

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

Drug Use Among Teen-Agers Leveling Out, Report Says
(The Los Angeles Daily News version)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 21:31:53 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Drug Use Among Teen-Agers Leveling Out, Report Says
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Los Angeles Daily News (CA)
Contact: DNLAForum@aol.com
Copyright: 1998 Daily News Los Angeles

DRUG USE AMONG TEEN-AGERS LEVELING OUT, REPORT SAYS

Teen drug use has stabilized after years on the rise, the government
reported Friday, though it's still much higher than in the early 1990s.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the '80s were relaxed, researchers say. But now schools, parents
and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers say teens are again
getting the message.

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady - and in some
cases, dropping - drug and alcohol use, suggesting that the rising trend
truly has been stemmed.

"Last year we said there was a `glimmer of hope,' " said Donna Shalala,
secretary of Health and Human Services. "Today, that glimmer of hope is not
only still with us, it has actually grown."

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also found more adolescents
disapprove of drug use. And, in a particularly bright spot, younger teen-
agers are even less likely to use drugs than last year.

"It's the best news we've had to give the country for some years now," said
veteran lead researcher Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in 1979.
It then fell through the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992 before
beginning to climb again.

Johnston suggested a pattern: When use was lower, teens saw fewer peers
suffering from the effect of drugs.

"They weren't seeing the consequences," he said.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the news media,
parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention efforts, he said.
Federal spending on prevention remained stagnant through the early and mid-
1990s.

"All the institutions that might be influencing young people were tiring of
the issue," he said.

Now, he and others suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug
messages and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

"America's team effort is starting to pay off," said Barry McCaffrey,
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

He promised the nation would not let down its efforts again. "We learn by
seeing others make mistakes," he said.

Still, nine in 10 high school seniors say it's easy to get marijuana, and
the number using is still unacceptable, said Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana
Policy Project, which supports relaxation of drug laws.

Nearly one in four eighth-graders and almost half of high school seniors
reported smoking marijuana at least once.

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

Drug Use Slows As Teens Heed Dangers (A lengthier version
in The Peoria Journal Star)

Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 07:30:15 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Drug Use Slows As Teens Heed Dangers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Peoria Journal Star
Contact: comment@pjstar.com
Website: http://pjstar.com/
Copyright: 1998, Peoria Journal Star

DRUG USE SLOWS AS TEENS HEED DANGERS

Government reports use of drugs, alcohol stable for second year

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Teen drug use has stabilized after years on the
rise, the government reported Friday, though it's still much higher
than in the early 1990s.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the `80s were relaxed, researchers say. But now schools,
parents and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers say
teens are again getting the message.

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady -- and
in some cases, dropping -- drug and alcohol use, suggesting that the
rising trend truly has been stemmed.

"Last year we said there was a `glimmer of hope,'" said Donna Shalala,
secretary of Health and Human Services. "Today, that glimmer of hope
is not only still with us, it has actually grown."

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also found more
adolescents disapprove of drug use. And, in a particularly bright
spot, younger teen-agers are even less likely to use drugs than last
year.

"It's the best news we've had to give the country for some years now,"
said veteran lead researcher Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in
1979. It then fell through the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992
before beginning to climb again.

Johnston suggested a cyclical pattern: When use was lower, teens saw
fewer peers suffering from the effect of drugs.

"They weren't seeing the consequences," he said.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the news
media, parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention
efforts, he said. Federal spending on prevention remained stagnant
through the early and mid- 1990s.

"All the institutions that might be influencing young people were
tiring of the issue," he said.

Now, he and others suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug
messages and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

"America's team effort is starting to pay off," said Barry McCaffrey,
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

He promised the nation would not let down its efforts again. "We learn
by seeing others make mistakes," he said.

Still, nine in 10 high school seniors say it's easy to get marijuana,
and the number using is still high, said Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana
Policy Project, which supports relaxation of drug laws.

Nearly one in four eighth-graders and almost half of high school
seniors reported smoking marijuana at least once. "What they're doing
is not working," Thomas said.

This year's survey found a decrease in the use of any drug among all
grades, with eighth-graders seeing their second drop in a row.

Overall, 41.4 percent of high school seniors reported using drugs in
the last year, down from 42.4 percent. Among 10th-graders, it was 35
percent, down from 38.5 percent in 1997. Over two years, use among
eighth-graders dropped to 21 percent from 23.6 percent.

Marijuana use accounted for most of the increase in overall drug use
in the 1990s, and it also is accounting for much of the drop. Use
declined among eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders this year -- the second
decline in a row for eighth-graders.

There were also hopeful trends in teen attitudes toward drugs. A rise
in teen disapproval of drugs is usually followed by a decline in actual use.

More young teen-agers said there was a "great risk" in trying
marijuana once or twice, up to 28.1 percent from 25.3 percent. And 45
percent said there was great risk in occasional pot smoking, also up
from last year.

But the news was not all good among eighth-graders. There was an
increase in the number who had tried crack or cocaine, though the
number was still small. Crack use among older teen-agers was steady.

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

Teen Drug Use Has Stabilized, Even Dipped, Study Says
(The Arizona Republic version)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 21:31:53 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Teen Drug Use Has Stabilized, Even Dipped, Study Says
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Contact: Opinions@pni.com
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/news/
Forum: http://www.azcentral.com/pni-bin/WebX?azc
Copyright: 1998, The Arizona Republic.

TEEN DRUG USE HAS STABILIZED, EVEN DIPPED, STUDY SAYS

Teen drug use has stabilized after years on the rise, the government
reported Friday, although it's still much higher than in the early 1990s.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the '80s were relaxed, researchers say. But now schools, parents
and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers say teens are again
getting the message.

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady - and in some
cases, dropping - drug and alcohol use, suggesting that the rising trend
truly has been stemmed.

"Last year we said there was a 'glimmer of hope,' " said Donna Shalala,
secretary of Health and Human Services. "Today, that glimmer of hope is not
only still with us, it has actually grown."

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also found an increase in
adolescents who disapprove of drug use. And, in a particularly bright spot,
younger teens are even less likely to use drugs than last year.

"It's the best news we've had to give the country for some years now," said
veteran lead researcher Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in 1979.
It then fell during the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992 before
beginning to climb again.

Johnston suggested a cyclical pattern: When use was lower, teens saw fewer
peers suffering from the effect of drugs.

"They weren't seeing the consequences," he said.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the news media,
parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention efforts, he said.
Federal spending on prevention remained stagnant through the early and mid-
1990s.

"All the institutions that might be influencing young people were tiring of
the issue," he said.

Now, he and others suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug
messages and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

"America's team effort is starting to pay off," said Barry McCaffrey,
director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Still, nine in 10 high school seniors say it's easy to get marijuana, and
the number using is still high, said Chuck Thomas of the Marijuana Policy
Project, which supports relaxation of drug laws.

Nearly one in four eighth-graders and almost half of high school seniors
reported smoking marijuana at least once.

This year's survey found a decrease in the use of any drug among all grades,
with eighth-graders seeing their second drop in a row.

Overall, 41.4 percent of high school seniors reported using drugs in the
past year, down from 42.4 percent. Among 10th-graders, it was 35 percent,
down from 38.5 percent in 1997. Over two years, use among eighth-graders
dropped to 21 percent from 23.6 percent.

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

Dip In Teen Drug Use Called Inadequate (The Philadelphia Inquirer version)

Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 21:31:51 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US DC: Dip In Teen Drug Use Called Inadequate
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Sat, 19 Dec 1998
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
Contact: Inquirer.Opinion@phillynews.com
Website: http://www.phillynews.com/
Forum: http://interactive.phillynews.com/talk-show/
Copyright: 1998 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
Author: James A. Duffy, Inquirer Washington Bureau

DIP IN TEEN DRUG USE CALLED INADEQUATE

WASHINGTON -- The number of teenagers who use illicit drugs, alcohol and
tobacco declined slightly in the last school year but remain alarmingly high
in the face of billion-dollar increases in drug-war spending, a government
study released yesterday shows.

Among 10th graders, use of marijuana within the last school year dropped to
31.1 percent in 1997-98 from 34.8 percent in 1996-97, the study found.
Thirty-five percent of 10th graders said they had used any kind of drug,
including tobacco, in the last school year, down from 38.5 percent the
previous year.

Overall drug use among eighth graders dropped from 23.6 percent to 21
percent in the latest school year, the study shows. But marijuana use was
steady at 9.7 percent for that grade and remained at 22.8 percent among 12th
graders.

The study by Monitoring the Future found small declines in the use of
inhalants and LSD by teenagers, but the relatively small number of heroin
users did not decline.

Over the last three years, the federal government's financial commitment to
fighting drug use has grown from $13 billion a year to $18 billion. But drug
use among teens has remained stubbornly high despite that increased effort.

"These figures are still very high -- way too high," Ahron Leightman,
executive director of Citizens for a Tobacco-Free Society, said. "Maybe
these figures have gotten so high that they can't rise much more."

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala, commenting on the
report, said the government was not yet getting overly confident. "The
bottom line is that we have not achieved victory -- and I am not declaring
it," she said.

Federal officials said yesterday that they hoped to see a significant drop
in usage within the next two years.

"We ought to be skeptical and cautious about our assertions today," said
Barry McCaffrey, director of the office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Our commitment must be to continuing to make progress through a 10-year
generational effort to lock in and build on today's gains," he said. "If at
any point during this long-term process we let down our guard or squander
our momentum, we risk repeating with today's youth the wasted mistakes of
past generations."

Drug use among teens declined steadily from the early 1980s until 1992, when
it began to rise, according to Lloyd Johnston, a University of Michigan
professor who conducts the annual study.

The 1996 study found that the number of eighth graders using marijuana
nearly doubled from the year earlier. That survey also found significant
increases in the number of students in grades eight and 10 who used alcohol
and cigarettes.

Last year's report found drug use stabilizing for the first time after years
on the rise. It also found a rise in adolescents' perception that drug use
was bad -- a key element in stopping actual use, McCaffrey said.

"This consistent progress gives reason for optimism," he said. "It
demonstrated that our balanced approach -- focusing on preventing children
from turning to drugs, treating drug addicts and breaking trafficking
organizations -- works."

Leightman, of the antitobacco group, said more government emphasis should be
placed on curbing legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, which are readily
available to teens. Some 22.4 percent of high school seniors smoked
cigarettes daily in the latest survey, compared with 1992's record low of
17.2 percent.

"The ramifications will only be felt in future decades when these people
become debilitated," Leightman said.

As part of the effort, Shalala said, every public and private middle school
is to receive a science-based box of information for teachers to show
students how drugs affect the brain.

Shalala also called for parents to take more responsibility for preventing
teen drug use.

"They need to help their children understand that drugs attack the body,
deaden the mind, and build a wall between them and their dreams," she said,
"because the only things drugs have ever done for childhood is bring it to
an early end."

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

Drug Use Slows As Teens See, Hear More About Dangers
(The version in The Commercial Appeal, in Tennessee)

Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 20:07:53 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Drug Use Slows As Teens See, Hear More About Dangers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 19 Dec 1998
Source: Commercial Appeal (TN)
Contact: letters@gomemphis.com
Website: http://www.gomemphis.com/

DRUG USE SLOWS AS TEENS SEE, HEAR MORE ABOUT DANGERS

Drug use among teenagers has stabilized after years on the rise, although
it's still much higher than in the early 1990s, the government reported
Friday.

Drug use rose through most of this decade after the intense prevention
efforts of the 1980s were relaxed, researchers say. But now schools,
parents and TV are again focused on the dangers, and researchers say teens
are again getting the message.

"Last year we said there was a `glimmer of hope,"' said Donna Shalala,
secretary of Health and Human Services. "Today, that glimmer of hope is not
only still with us, it has actually grown."

The annual report has now marked two straight years of steady - and in some
cases, dropping - drug and alcohol use.

The survey of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders also found more adolescents
disapprove of drug use.

Teen drug use became a serious problem in the late 1960s, peaking in 1979.
It then fell through the 1980s, hitting a low in 1991 and 1992 before
beginning to climb again.

Researchers suggested a cyclical pattern: When use was lower, teens saw
fewer peers suffering from the effect of drugs.

At the same time, reduced drug use in the late 1980s allowed the press,
parents and schools to relax and cut back on prevention efforts. Federal
spending on prevention remained stagnant through the early and mid-1990s.

Now, researchers suggested, teens are again hearing more anti-drug messages
and seeing the effects of drug use on others.

Nearly one in four eighth-graders and almost half of high school seniors
reported smoking marijuana at least once.

Overall, 41.4 percent of high school seniors reported using drugs in the
last year, down from 42.4 percent. Among 10th-graders, it was 35 percent,
down from 38.5 percent in 1997. Over two years, use among eighth-graders
dropped to 21 percent from 23.6 percent.

Marijuana use accounted for most of the increase in overall drug use in the
1990s, and it also is accounting for much of the drop.

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

1998 Monitoring The Future Study: Tide Of Youth Drug Use Turns
(A press release from the office of the White House drug czar,
General Barry McCaffrey, says this year's survey of teen drug use
demonstrates that "our balanced approach - focusing on preventing children
from turning to drugs, treating drug addicts, and breaking trafficking
organizations - works.")

Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 18:31:35 -0800
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
From: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Subject: McC: "We have turned the tide" on kids/drugs
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bob Weiner/Steve Panton (202) 395-6618

December 18, 1998

1998 MONITORING THE FUTURE STUDY: TIDE OF YOUTH DRUG USE TURNS

YOUTH ATTITUDES AGAINST DRUGS SHARPEN

SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR OF NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES, MANY
CATEGORIES OF YOUTH DRUG USE FALL SIGNIFICANTLY

Today, the results of the 1998 Monitoring the Future Study on youth drug
use trends were released by Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna
Shalala, White House Drug Czar Barry R. McCaffrey, and Professor Lloyd
Johnston of the University of Michigan, who conducts the study.

Commenting on the results Director McCaffrey said:

"The 1998 Study shows that we have turned the tide of youth drug use. It
will take us two years to confirm the end of past upward drug use trends,
however we are optimistic that in the year 2000, as we enter the new
millennium, we will look back on this as the bellwether year."

McCaffrey added: "This is the second straight year without any significant
increases in youth drug use. This consistent progress not only gives reason
for optimism, but also demonstrates that our balanced approach -- focusing
on preventing children from turning to drugs, treating drug addicts, and
breaking trafficking organizations -- works." Results of the 1998 MTF
include:

** All youth drug use categories were either statistically unchanged or
decreased significantly (sole exception of minor changes in 12th grade
barbituate and tranquillizer use).

** 8th graders reject drugs -- increasingly say marijuana and alcohol are
risky.

* 28.1% of 8th graders said trying marijuana once or twice was "great
risk" (up from 25.3%);

* 45% of 8th graders said occasional marijuana use was "great risk" (up
from 43.1%).

* 12.1% of 8th graders said trying one or two alcoholic drinks was
"great risk" (up from 10.4%).

** 8th graders' drug use drops: past month inhalant use by 8th graders fell
from 5.6% to 4.8%; past month LSD fell from 1.5% to 1.1%.

** 10th graders' drug use falls: overall past year drug use by 10th graders
fell from 38.5% to 35%; past year marijuana use dropped from 34.8% to
31.1%; past month marijuana use fell to 18.7% down from 20.5%; 10th
grade past year stimulant use dropped from 12.1% to 10.7%.

** 12th graders' drug use and smoking drops, their attitudes against drugs
sharpen: daily LSD use by 12th graders fell from .2% to .1%; daily smoking
fell from 24.6% to 22.4%. The number of 12th graders smoking a half-pack
or more of cigarettes a day fell from 14.3% to 12.6%. The number of 12th
graders perceiving "great risk" in trying amphetamines once or twice increased
to 35.3% (up from 31%).

** Progress notwithstanding, overall youth drug use remains far too high
and attitudes against drugs are still too soft:

* 3-out-of-4 8th graders do not see marijuana use as a risky behavior.

* 1-in-4 12th graders, 1-in-5 10th, 1-in-8 8th graders have used an
illicit drug in the last month.

McCaffrey asserted: "The future of America's young people looks a lot
brighter - and drug-free - today. Now, our commitment must be to continuing
to make progress through a ten-year generational effort to lock in and build
on today's gains. If at any point during this long-term process we let down
our guard or squander our momentum we risk repeating with today's youth the
wasted mistakes of past generations."

			- END -

***

Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 20:05:14 -0800
From: Rose Ann Fuhrman (rose@sonic.net)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Re: McC: "We have turned the tide" on kids/drugs
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Gee, McCaffrey, Lungren, et al, seem to be awfully quiet about those medical
marijuana initiatives and how they were going to cause kids' use to skyrocket.

Rose Ann