DEA official calls "cheese," a blend of heroin and cold medicine, "an emerging problem." A new heroin-laced powder known as "cheese" is popping up in middle and high schools in Texas, where dozens of youths have been caught with the drug, federal and local officials say. So far the problem has been focused on schools in Dallas, where police first reported kids snorting the mixture of ground-up cold medicines and heroin at the start of this school year. However, the Drug Enforcement Administration, which calls the addictive concoction "starter heroin," is concerned enough about the drug's appearance in Dallas that it has alerted agents nationwide to watch for it. [continues 291 words]
Re "Decriminalizing Dope," Letters, April 13: The letter writer said they were a heavy and daily pot smoker, were married to a dealer and are against legalizing cannabis, but in favour of lowering the penalty. They say they want to break the law but not be punished for it. If I were a judge, here's what I would do to all persons 30 years of age or older who came before me on a drug charge: I would ask them to produce evidence showing that they have tried to change the drug laws. If they could produce such evidence, I would let them go free. If they could not, I would send them to jail. Not because drugs are so bad, but because they are so irresponsible. [continues 53 words]
I support Mayor Sam Sullivan's idea of supplying drugs to addicts. The police and the court system have been ineffective in reducing the number of addicts and the myriad problems they bring to our society. Treatment, especially if it is coerced, is generally ineffective in the long run. Why not give Sullivan's suggestion a try? Education probably is a better way to discourage people from going down the drug path. I also think Ian Mulgrew hit the nail right on the head in regards to Senator Larry Campbell's criticism of Sullivan's idea. Irene Sam Vancouver [end]
A judge has reserved his decision on a Nelson, B.C., man's attempts to keep the federal attorney general out of a private prosecution of British Columbia's so-called Prince of Pot. Paddy Roberts has charged Marc Emery and two others with conspiracy to distribute marijuana seeds, conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. They're the same charges the United States wants to prosecute Emery for, but if Emery is charged here, he can't be extradited to face the same crimes across the border. [continues 107 words]
REGINA -- The province's Children's Advocate issued a scathing report Tuesday on a new law that allows drugaddicted children to be involuntarily locked up for detoxification, saying "parental rights and children's rights are being violated." Marvin Bernstein, who as Children's Advocate serves as an independent offi - cer of the legislative assembly, said his concerns have been ignored throughout the process that led to the Youth Drug Detoxification and Stabilization Act coming into effect on April 1. Presented by the government as a "last resort," five of six applications have already been successful under the act since then. [continues 564 words]
Takes Toll On Health Care, Justice Systems MARC Pelletier carried his black bag out of a local drug rehab facility yesterday morning and lit a cigarette to celebrate his 21st, and final, day of treatment. Pelletier has been a relapsing crack addict for 13 years and has been clean for 30 days. Although he said he's finally kicked his habit, Pelletier already lost everything else to his addiction -- from his job of 18 years to his daughter to Child and Family Services. [continues 577 words]
Mayor Sam Sullivan kept himself busy on his flight to Ottawa Monday writing out a statement for the RCMP explaining why he gave money to two drug addicts to buy drugs several years ago. Ironically, Sullivan was on his way to visit Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who told reporters during the winter election campaign he would not fund public drug use. The RCMP are waiting for Sullivan's statement to conclude what investigators are calling "a review" surrounding the facts of Sullivan's admission of giving money to two drug addicts to buy drugs. [continues 577 words]
OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered assurance he won't move to shut down Vancouver's supervised injection site for drug users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said Wednesday. Harper criticized the Liberal-endorsed pilot project early in the campaign leading to the election in January, but Sullivan said earlier this week he received private assurance later in the campaign that Harper had no plans to withdraw federal approval of the initiative. "We discussed his commitment during the campaign -- that he did not want to facilitate drug use but he was interested in the local innovations that come forward, and he's open to them," Sullivan said Wednesday after meeting here with Harper. [continues 67 words]
Sullivan Says Harper's Open To Innovations Of Safe Injection Program OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has offered assurances that he won't move to shut down Vancouver's safe injection site for heroin users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said here Wednesday. Harper had criticized the Liberal-endorsed pilot project at an early campaign event during the 2006 election, but Sullivan said earlier this week he received private assurance later in the campaign that Harper had no plans to withdraw federal approval of the initiative. [continues 347 words]
Mayor Sam Sullivan Meets Harper But Receives No Clear Commitments Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said after a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper Wednesday that the Tory leader had given no clear indication of the future of Canada's first safe-injection site for heroin users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. "We only spoke for 15 minutes on a variety of topics," Sullivan said of his Ottawa meeting with Harper. "He made no commitment one way or another." The mayor said he got the impression that Harper knows where he stands on the issue, "and that he was not interested in getting in the way." [continues 336 words]
Ex-Professor Learns About Drugs The Hard Way There were times when Wayne Mellinger felt as if he were standing on the peaks of heaven, filled with a euphoria he'd never experienced. Drugs seemed to transport the former Ventura College instructor to a faraway place where the problems and the struggles of day-to-day existence weren't allowed in. But drugs also brought Mellinger plenty of hell, most recently on Tuesday, when he was sentenced to 240 days in County Jail. [continues 870 words]
