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1US LA: Laws Target Wayward Students, Tax CheatsMon, 29 Dec 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Maggi, Laura Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2003

And Booster Seats Required Up To Age 6

BATON ROUGE -- Misbehaving students will pay a higher price for bringing guns or drugs to school beginning Thursday, losing their driver's licenses for a year if they are suspended or expelled for certain offenses. Meanwhile, cheats who fail to pay state income tax could lose not only their driving privileges, but also the right to hunt and fish in Louisiana.

Under another of two dozen new laws that take effect on New Year's Day, parents taking young children out for a drive will need to make sure they are secured in a child restraint or booster seat, as the state has increased the mandatory age for car seats to apply to youngsters up to age 6.

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2US LA: Man Arrested After Taking Meth To HospitalThu, 18 Dec 2003
Source:Town Talk, The (Alexandria, LA) Author:, Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/23/2003

An Alexandria man is suspected of taking drugs and then seeking medical attention, police narcotics agents said.

The problem is that he brought the suspected meth to show hospital personnel. The employees contacted the Alexandria Police Department about the drugs.

In separate cases, seven other people were arrested in street corner enforcement efforts, said Sgt. Newmon Bobb, supervisor of the division. The arrests were made throughout Alexandria where agents had received complaints from Neighborhood Watch groups.

In the hospital incident, Thomas Peterson of 1102 Heyman Lane, Alexandria, was arrested on charges of possession of meth, possession of "ice," which is 90 percent pure methamphetamine and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, Bobb said.

Agents worked Tuesday night making arrests on Levin, Wise, Hope, Sunset, Applewhite and 16th streets.

Among those arrested was a 15-year-old juvenile. He is suspected of selling crack cocaine to an undercover officer.

[end]

3 US LA: PUB LTE: Reader Says Student's Punishment Was UnfairTue, 16 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Strickland, Sue H. Area:Louisiana Lines:32 Added:12/22/2003

Re: Bossier Parish School Board expulsion of a student having Advil at school.

Each and every member of the Bossier Parish School Board should be "sentenced" to frequent headaches. I am not endorsing infraction of rules; however, being a headache victim myself, I can totally empathize with Amanda Stiles. You go, girl!

Do whatever it takes to intercept something as debilitating as a headache. Quick intervention is important and does not allow for dawdling around in a school office for dispensing of a preventive medication.

I am appalled at the one-year expulsion. Hardened criminals can and do get by with less! Think about it, Bossier Parish School Board!

Sue H. Strickland

Bossier City

[end]

4US LA: Bossier School System to Modify Drug PolicySat, 20 Dec 2003
Source:Clarion-Ledger, The (MS)          Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/21/2003

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (AP) -- Following the expulsion of a student who had Advil in her purse, the Bossier Parish school system is modifying its policy dealing with over-the-counter medications.

Principals will be told that they are not required to expel students with such medications when school starts its next term on Jan. 5.

Until now, the district has had a zero-tolerance policy for all drugs, including those that are legal and purchased over the counter. But the expulsion of Parkway High School sophomore Amanda Stiles for having Advil in her purse stirred national attention.

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5US LA: Board OKs Discretion In PunishmentsFri, 19 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Brumble, Melody Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/21/2003

Bossier Parish school system officials will notify principals that they aren't required to expel students with over-the-counter medications when school system employees return to work Jan. 5.

The School Board on Thursday voted unanimously to uphold committee recommendations aimed at more flexibility in the punishment for students caught with non-prescription medications at school. The expulsion of Parkway High School sophomore Amanda Stiles for having Advil in her purse created a national outcry over the district's zero-tolerance policy and punishment.

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6US LA: On-Campus Drug Possession: Clerical Errors Could Misconstrue StatisticsWed, 17 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Brumble, Melody Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/20/2003

Clerical errors could be one of the reasons some Bossier Parish students appeared to receive a less harsh punishment for having illegal or prescription drugs on campus than possessing over-the-counter drugs last year.

Discipline statistics have taken on an immense importance as school systems across the nation try to quantify school safety. Federal No Child Left Behind education reform requires that states create a list of "persistently dangerous" schools based on crime and discipline data.

Louisiana officials earlier this year analyzed drug- and weapon-related expulsions, those for anti-social or violent behavior like vandalism or fighting and expulsions tied to serious crimes committed at school to determine whether schools could be considered unsafe.

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7US LA: Editorial: Board Right To Adjust PolicyThu, 18 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA)          Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/20/2003

Bossier schools'' zero tolerance sometimes conflicts with common sense

The Bossier Parish School Board today can remedy a simplistic approach to discipline and perhaps cure a public relations headache by revamping its drug policy regarding over-the-counter medicines.

A five-member committee Tuesday recommended putting more authority in the hands of principals when students are found to be in possession of such drugs. The full board meets today.

The district has been reeling since a Parkway High School student was expelled and reassigned to Bossier's alternative school for having Advil in her purse. State law requires any prescribed or over-the-counter medications be left with each school's administrative office along with a physician's note and parental authorization. The law, however, is silent on the penalty for violating that law, allowing each school district to set its own policy. Bossier had elected to follow an across-the-board one-year expulsion policy for all drugs whether they are over-the-counter, prescribed or illegal.

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8US LA: Dose Of Common SenseSat, 20 Dec 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA)          Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/20/2003

The Bossier Parish School Board has finally come to its senses and revamped an expulsion policy that treated students caught with over-the-counter medications as harshly as those caught with illegal narcotics.

The School Board voted to remove wording that required principals to expel students found with any type of drug. That policy went well beyond state law, which mandates expulsion only for students caught with illegal drugs or controlled substances.

The change, which will go into effect when school resumes on Jan. 5, means that administrators will be able to exercise some judgment in how to handle cases that involve legal, non-prescription medication.

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9US LA: State Law On Drugs In Schools Has 'Gray Area'Tue, 16 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Brumble, Melody Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/17/2003

Even state education officials aren't sure whether the punishment meted out by the Bossier Parish School Board for having over-the-counter medication at school is required by state law.

A five-member Bossier Parish School Board committee that hears student discipline appeals meets today to consider possible changes to the school system's policy, which requires a one-year expulsion for students caught with nonprescription drugs.

Board members will hear the system's attorney explain his interpretation of the law, something they didn't have when they voted Dec. 4 to uphold the expulsion of 15-year-old Amanda Stiles, even though school system officials including Superintendent Ken Kruithof cited state law when defending the board's decision.

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10 US LA: Perrilloux Anticipates Fighting Drugs With SheriffWed, 10 Dec 2003
Source:Daily Star, The (LA) Author:Schon, Sylvia Area:Louisiana Lines:93 Added:12/16/2003

AMITE - The new year will bring changes and challenges for his office, said 21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux. A new sheriff, a significant change in the drug enforcement laws, more jury trials and possibly a new multi-parish project to fight illegal drugs are part of the focus this year, he said. A local limited-scope crime lab, possibly connected to Southeastern Louisiana University, could be a significant help in combating illegal drugs and the misery they cause, Perrilloux said during a review of the year past and a look ahead to the next year.

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11 US LA: Wire: Advil Expulsion May Prompt Board To Revamp Zero-Tolerance Drug PoliMon, 15 Dec 2003
Source:Associated Press (Wire)          Area:Louisiana Lines:78 Added:12/16/2003

BENTON, La. (AP) - The furor since a high-school student was expelled for bringing Advil to class may prompt a change in the Bossier Parish School Board's zero-tolerance policy on drugs.

Some parents say a review is long overdue.

Bossier City resident Sandy McGee heard School Board members say nearly two years ago that they would consider changing the policy.

She and her husband, Wes McGee, appealed their daughter Kasey Battson's expulsion after the girl took an over-the-counter caffeine pill while a seventh-grader at Rusheon Middle School.

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12 US LA: PUB LTE: Student Carrying Advil Didn't DeserveTue, 09 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (Lafayette, LA) Author:Smith, John K. Area:Louisiana Lines:37 Added:12/15/2003

John K. Smith

Shreveport

My jaw dropped to the floor when I read that Bossier Parish expelled a Parkway student for bringing Advil to school.

That is the most ridiculous application of a so-called "zero tolerance" policy I have heard to date. Instead of acting like tin-horn dictators in a banana republic, Bossier officials should admit their mistake, repeal their stupid policy, and let that poor girl back into her high school.

The school system might not be experiencing the scorn and mockery they've brought on themselves just yet, but they soon will. Once again, Bossier and Louisiana will be a national butt of jokes. Let us hope the board doesn't entrench itself mindlessly in its wrong position. It can learn from this mistake and improve the schools for all students.

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13 US LA: PUB LTE: Zero Tolerance Policy Is Obviously Out OfWed, 10 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Granger, Mike Area:Louisiana Lines:25 Added:12/15/2003

Chalk up another victory for the zero-tolerance idiots. Amanda Stiles committed the terrible crime of taking some Advil to school, and now must pay for that mistake by having her life put in upheaval, getting booted from school. This is sheer and utter lunacy. The good citizens of Shreveport-Bossier City, and of the state, need to let their legislators know that this nonsense must come to an end and that situations like this need to be judged on the facts of the case, and not under a nonsensical standard of zero tolerance.

Mike Granger

Longmont, Colo.

[end]

14 US LA: PUB LTE: Zero Tolerance Doesn't Mean Zero JudgementSat, 13 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Meyer, John Area:Louisiana Lines:49 Added:12/15/2003

Carmel, Calif.

The Shreveport Times carried a story recently headlined: "Bossier School Board upholds Advil expulsion." The lead for the story states: "A student expelled from Parkway High for a year for having Advil, an over-the-counter pain reliever, will not be allowed to return to the school."

If this story is correct, the Bossier School Board should be aware that many of us in the rest of the country are laughing at their lack of basic common sense. "Zero tolerance" does not imply zero judgment, zero flexibility, zero accommodation, zero wisdom and a complete abdication of their responsibility to temper laws with reason.

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15 US LA: PUB LTE: School Should Allow Pain Reliever PossessionWed, 10 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA) Author:Blanton, Barbara Mathews Area:Louisiana Lines:36 Added:12/15/2003

McKinney, Texas

The folks in Bossier must be the laughing stock of the United States for expelling a girl because she had Advil for a headache in her purse. Zero tolerance is a joke. All it does is produce a one-size-fits-all solution for complex problems that need careful consideration. This child apparently has headaches. No one on this School Board must have headaches nor do they have a shred of critical thinking ability. Everything seems to have to fit into the black and white, good and bad standard. Actually reminds me of a president I know.

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16US LA: Parents Say Drug Policy Review OverdueSat, 13 Dec 2003
Source:Times, The (LA)          Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/15/2003

Bossier School Board committee plans to meet on Tuesday

Parents, who have complained for years about Bossier Parish School Board's zero-tolerance policy on drugs, may get relief Tuesday when a board committee considers possible changes to the way students caught with over-the-counter medications are disciplined.

The policy, which has not always been imposed to the full extent, attracted national attention recently when a Parkway High School sophomore was expelled for having Advil in her purse. Some parents say a policy review is long overdue.

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17US LA: Medical Board Revokes License Of N.O. DoctorSat, 13 Dec 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA)          Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:12/14/2003

'Little More Than A Drug Salesman'

A New Orleans doctor has been forbidden to practice by a state board that found her guilty of prescribing narcotics without medical justification, and sometimes without seeing her patients.

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners had already suspended the license of Dr. Jacqueline Rena Cleggett-Lucas, a pain-management specialist, in February 2002. According to the board's report, she agreed last month to the revocation of her license, the harshest penalty the board can impose.

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18 US LA: Edu: A Burning IssueSat, 13 Dec 2003
Source:LSU Reveille (LA Edu) Author:Malone, Nancy Area:Louisiana Lines:472 Added:12/13/2003

Meth Use Hits Home In South Louisiana

The first time Darren used the drug, he was terrified. Terrified he might overdose.

Terrified he might get all freaked out.

Terrified because he didn't know what crystal meth, or methamphetamine, might do to him.

After he watched a friend do it and nothing bad happened, Darren Brown, a Donaldsonville native, decided he would try it.

His reasoning was simple.

"I've tried other drugs, and this one didn't bother my friend," he said. Brown said he even liked how his friend acted: hyper, excited, like he wanted to do a lot of things.

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19US LA: DARE Program Gets New Covington OfficerThu, 27 Nov 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Calkins, Dennis Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/28/2003

His 5th-Grade Beat Covers Four Schools

After seven years as the Covington Police Department's fifth-grade DARE officer, Sgt. Phillip Beach recently asked to be transferred back to the patrol division, and officer Darren Powell gladly filled the open slot.

DARE stands for Drug Awareness Resistance Education, a program administered by law enforcement officials to teach children the dangers of drugs and violence.

"I was doing patrol duty in Covington for a year. I taught DARE for two years with the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office before I came to Covington just over a year ago," Powell said. "I wanted to get into DARE with the Covington department, but first I had to work the road for a year."

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20US LA: Doctor Charged in Drug SchemeTue, 25 Nov 2003
Source:Advocate, The (LA) Author:Roberts, Penny Brown Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/26/2003

Suspect Enters Treatment Program

A Baton Rouge family physician faces state and federal drug-trafficking charges after allegedly prescribing thousands of pain pills to a recovering drug addict in exchange for guns and giving cocaine to another patient. Dr. Mark M. Cotter, 38, 5806 Highland Road, agreed Monday to surrender his medical license and prescription license and enter a three-month substance abuse treatment program in Monroe.

Cotter, who ran the Rejuvenation and Wellness Clinic, 5215 Essen Lane, was arrested Sunday night after a six-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency and Baton Rouge area authorities that began in June.

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21US LA: Prof Suggests Solution to Drugs: LegalizationSun, 23 Nov 2003
Source:Town Talk, The (Alexandria, LA) Author:Sutherland, Eugene Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/24/2003

The war on drugs is a failure, so why not legalize them, asks a criminal-justice professor.

It is not the sentiment one might expect from a Louisiana College associate professor. However, that is just what Bill W. Shaw recently asked fellow Libertarian Party members.

There was no shock and awe over Shaw's verbal attack on the war launched during President Ronald Reagan's administration. After all, the party has long held an antiprohibition stance on drugs.

"Clinton said, 'I didn't inhale.' George W. won't really tell us the drugs he took, but says 'I can pass an FBI test because I haven't used after age 28'," Shaw said. "There's a whole bunch of people who use drugs and are functioning members of society.

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22 US LA: Grant Is For Inmates With Drug ProblemsFri, 21 Nov 2003
Source:Daily Iberian, The (LA) Author:Moore, Jeff Area:Louisiana Lines:69 Added:11/22/2003

Iberia Parish jail inmates with histories of drug problems will be better prepared to avoid relapses when they are released, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

District Judge Gerard Wattigny has received $299,192 to establish a drug court program specially designed for jailed inmates who have six months left on their sentences. The "Re-entry Section," as it is known, is comprised of offenders who have histories of substance abuse and are deemed likely to return to drugs upon their release from prison. "We have our regular outpatient drug court for when they get out of jail, but sometimes they have trouble with the transition," Wattigny said. "We're trying to get them a head-start before they actually get out."

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23US LA: Drug Court Provides 2nd ChanceThu, 20 Nov 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Stroup, Sheila Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/20/2003

Monday was Family Day for drug court clients, which meant bringing family members to their counseling session. It also meant eating crawfish etouffee, boudin and pasta for breakfast.

"This was their choice, not mine," Elois Teno said, laughing. "I've got some chefs in the group, and they didn't want Danish pastry and a fruit plate."

Elois is a counselor for Family Service of Greater New Orleans, a private nonprofit United Way organization that provides counseling for men and women who end up in the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court's Drug Treatment Court.

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24US LA: Gratna Toughens Drug PolicySat, 15 Nov 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Persica, Dennis Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/15/2003

Gretna employees who test positive for drugs will be fired under a new policy adopted by the Gretna City Council this week.

"I wanted to make sure we have the closest to a zero tolerance for employees," said City Councilman Ricky Templet, who spearheaded the adoption of the new policy. The council unanimously approved the ordinance at its regular meeting Monday night.

Templet also said he wanted to make sure all employees are treated the same way when it comes to drug issues.

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25 US LA: Edu: Weiland Receives Mere Slap On WristMon, 10 Nov 2003
Source:LSU Reveille (LA Edu) Author:Bonner, Mark Area:Louisiana Lines:81 Added:11/15/2003

Latest Arrest Not To Disturb Recording

Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is the creed most rock stars live by. But if you're Scott Weiland, former frontman of '90s alt-rock band Stone Temple Pilots, it is just the drugs. Lots of drugs.

For the umpteenth time, Weiland was arrested in relation to his drug use, being ordered on Oct. 30 to report to a live-in detox program followed by six months in a residential drug rehab center, according to Reuters.

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26US LA: Police Change Policy on HomelessSat, 08 Nov 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Perlstein, Michael Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/11/2003

Needy to Get Help Instead of Jail Time

The last time Jessie Pullins visited the former Howard Johnson's hotel on Loyola Avenue, he went for dinner. He wasn't invited, though, and he didn't go through the front door. At the time, he was scrounging for food in the trash and dodging cops, a homeless crackhead caught in the alligator grip of addiction.

On Wednesday, he arrived at the hotel, now a Holiday Inn, as an honored guest of the New Orleans Police Department. Immaculately groomed and sober for the past eight years, he told a group of more than 40 officers how he used to sleep on a piece of cardboard, gather up his entire life into a shopping cart, earn $60 in a day by collecting cans, then give $59 of it to his dope supplier.

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27US LA: High-Tech Drug Trade Hits CourtsSun, 09 Nov 2003
Source:Advocate, The (LA) Author:Roberts, Penny Brown Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/10/2003

The e-mail from JMichaels1213@hotmail.com in February posed a single question: Are the pain pills still for sale? The reply from Hydrocodone@anywhereUSA.com arrived the very next day, according to a federal indictment -- along with the latest price list, shipping fees, Western Union instructions and the minimum required order.

The customer requested 20 morphine, 60 oxycodone, 30 hydrocodone, 40 Skelaxin and 20 Percocet pills. He then drove to the Circle K on Old Hammond Highway in Baton Rouge and wired $222.75 via Western Union.

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28US LA: Police Awaken Couple For At Wrong House For Drug SweepSat, 01 Nov 2003
Source:Town Talk, The (Alexandria, LA) Author:Goodnight, Mandy M. Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:11/08/2003

In the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 24, Ethel and Joseph Welch were awakened by the sound of banging on their door.

"I heard a boom, boom, boom, boom at my door," Ethel Welch said.

The couple peeked out of their Wise Street home to see their yard full of armed police officers.

"We didn't know what to do or what they wanted," Ethel Welch said. "We were scared and confused."

The Welches say state, local and federal officers participating in "Alexandria Narcotics Winter Sweep" served an arrest warrant at their house, although the suspect being sought didn't live there. The Police Department issued a public apology Thursday to the Welch family for the mistake.

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29 US LA: Pot And PoliticsTue, 04 Nov 2003
Source:Gambit Weekly (LA) Author:Alford, Jeremy J. Area:Louisiana Lines:72 Added:11/05/2003

In a gubernatorial campaign defined by similar philosophies, medical marijuana could be one dividing line between Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal.

Although Bobby Jindal and Kathleen Blanco are both opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana for recreational use, their stances on its medical applications differ. Jindal firmly opposes medical marijuana; Blanco says she believes it has merit.

Federal law prohibits physicians from writing marijuana prescriptions, so some states are addressing the right of doctors to recommend marijuana. So-called recommendation laws are on the books in Hawaii, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Colorado and Maine. The governor of Maryland recently signed a bill establishing a mere $100 maximum fine for using marijuana out of "medical necessity." Nine states currently have laws legalizing medical marijuana and 35 have passed laws recognizing marijuana's medicinal value.

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30 US LA: Red Ribbon Week NotesThu, 30 Oct 2003
Source:Acadian - Tribune, The (LA) Author:Kedinger, Paul Area:Louisiana Lines:49 Added:11/04/2003

We watched Tuesday morning as Mayor Jim Petitjean exhorted the Head Start pre-schoolers spread out in front of him in City Hall.

We wish the message of No Drugs that he and others like Principal Verelda Girouard exclaimed to her pre-k and kindergarten students last Friday would really take hold.

It's a simple, straight forward message to stay away from illegal drugs. It's not complicated.

But the message, regrettably, faces an uphill battle. Some parents and family don't care enough to drive the message home to their children. Parents are the best teachers for their children. They should never relinquish their responsibility to the school or churches. Schools, churches and the community as a whole can re-enforce the message, but just like learning good manners and respect for your elders begin in the home, the message of right and wrong begins with the first loving words of discipline.

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31 US LA: PUB LTE: Stop Making Excuses For Hypocritical LimbaughSun, 26 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Thomas, Ernest Area:Louisiana Lines:52 Added:10/28/2003

Re: "No ordinary drug addict" and "Yes, wealth has its benefits," Your Opinions, Oct. 22.

Shame on both of these letter writers. Rush Limbaugh made a fortune selling himself as a pillar of virtue and morality. He is, in fact, a liar, a fraud and a criminal.

Geoff Hughes and Ron Rickerfor feel compassion for Limbaugh because he's addicted to prescription medication, as opposed to those poor junkies who are trying to "escape reality." Let's face it. Mr. Limbaugh started out on pain killers trying to escape the reality of his bad back.

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32 US LA: PUB LTE: Candy-Coating The PillsMon, 27 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Frederick, Karen Area:Louisiana Lines:22 Added:10/27/2003

Why for Rush Limbaugh is it "painkillers"? For everyone else it's just drugs.

Painkillers are drugs, and once you're hooked -- whether you buy them legally or illegally -- you are hooked on drugs. Rush is going to rehab. So what? Others who cannot afford plush rehab centers are in jail!

Karen Frederick

Bay St. Louis, Miss.

[end]

33US LA: Grant To Combat Substance AbuseSat, 25 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Pope, John Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:10/25/2003

Statisticians To Assess Researchers' Efforts

The Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse has received a $600,000 federal grant to devise ways to get more people into treatment and ensure they stay there and remain sober.

The grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is one of 12 awarded nationwide. It was announced this week during a news conference at Bridge House, a substance-abuse center in the Lower Garden District that will be the council's partner in the project.

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34 US LA: Column: The Pain Over Limbaugh's FallSun, 19 Oct 2003
Source:Livingston Parish News, The (LA) Author:Parker, Kathleen Area:Louisiana Lines:101 Added:10/24/2003

I'm not much of a "dittohead," but I do have a soft spot in my heart for Rush Limbaugh for reasons unrelated to politics.

When my father was lying nearly comatose in the intensive care unit the final two weeks of his life, he rallied only once - to request a radio "so I can listen to my buddy Rush."

Those were his last coherent words.

Say what you will about Limbaugh, he brought life to the party. His admission now to drug "addiction" caused me to say to a friend, "I feel sorry for him." Why? "Because I feel sorry for anyone who suffers addiction."

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35 US LA: LTE: Isn't Justice Blind?Fri, 24 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Murray, Steven Ludlow Mc Area:Louisiana Lines:41 Added:10/24/2003

Re: "Not an ordinary drug addict," and "Yes, wealth has its benefits," Your Opinions, Oct. 22.

Geoff Hughes and Ron Rickerfor attempt to justify Rush Limbaugh's use of drugs by making a distinction between him and the poor, black drug user. Geoff Hughes' argument is that since Limbaugh is addicted to prescription drugs and not hallucinatory drugs he is not a danger to society. Ron Rickerfor can see nothing wrong with preferred treatment due to color and influence; after all, opportunities exist for all.

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36 US LA: PUB LTE: Legal Drugs, Illegally UsedFri, 24 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Hall, Wendy P. Area:Louisiana Lines:28 Added:10/24/2003

What Geoff Hughes failed to justify in his commendation of Mr. Limbaugh's drug habit is that no matter what the drug, it was still abused. Alcohol is a legal drug that can be consumed to illegal limits or abused, much like prescription drugs.

Rush Limbaugh himself said that Darryl Strawberry should have been imprisoned for his drug use. Strawberry paid for his own drugs, paid income taxes and wasn't a danger to society.

My only question is whether Rush will have the character to stand by his words and set the example?

Wendy P. Hall

New Orleans

[end]

37 US LA: Norml Leaders Bring Pot Issues To CampusThu, 23 Oct 2003
Source:Maroon, The (LA Edu) Author:Wilson, Grace Area:Louisiana Lines:146 Added:10/24/2003

Organizers Say Club Seeks Political Agenda, Not Illegal Smoking

Marijuana, Mary Jane, pot, herb, bud, weed - whatever the name, there may be a new "green club" coming to campus.

Loyola students hoping to charter a chapter of the National Organization for Marijuana Reform Laws have already gained significant student support - more than 200 responses from e-mails and personal signatures. Phillip Dynia, chairman of the political science department, has agreed to be the adviser.

According to organizers of NORML, they have received little negative feedback.

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38 US LA: LSUPD Sergeant ArrestedThu, 23 Oct 2003
Source:LSU Reveille (LA Edu) Author:McEflresh, Amanda Area:Louisiana Lines:38 Added:10/23/2003

Investigation Pending In Drug Possession Case

Baton Rouge Police arrested an LSUPD officer last week on cocaine charges.

BRPD Cpl. Don Kelly said officers arrested Jeremy Strickland on Oct. 17 in the 4600 block of Bennington Avenue.

Kelly said BRPD narcotics detectives allegedly saw Strickland go to a truck, retrieve something from inside and appear to snort the material.

Kelly said BRPD officers found one gram of cocaine when they searched the vehicle. Strickland was charged with possession of cocaine.

Strickland is listed as an LSUPD sergeant in the PAWS directory. LSUPD Capt. Mark Shaw confirmed to local media that Strickland is an LSUPD employee.

LSUPD Capt. Mark Shaw could not be reached for comment by press time. However, he told local media that Strickland is on "administrative leave pending an investigation."

Strickland is off-duty with pay until an internal investigation is complete.

[end]

39 US LA: LTE: Yes, Wealth Has Its BenefitsWed, 22 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Rickerfor, Ron Area:Louisiana Lines:42 Added:10/23/2003

Cynthia Tucker implies she recently experienced a flash of insight: Wealth has its benefits.

Ms. Tucker attempts to juxtapose "a young black man with little money" addicted to cocaine and marijuana, with "Rush Limbaugh, a wealthy, middle-aged white man" addicted to pharmaceuticals. She insinuates that these cases are analogous, but that Limbaugh has received and will receive preferred treatment because of his color and affluence.

Ms. Tucker, it would seem, would have Limbaugh apologize for his wealth -- albeit earned through effort and sacrifice. And she resists the distinction that Limbaugh's addiction was via pharmaceuticals, originally prescribed following surgery, while the addiction of the "young black man" was via cocaine and marijuana apparently following his search for a high.

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40 US LA: PUB LTE: Drug Report CriticizedSat, 18 Oct 2003
Source:Town Talk, The (Alexandria, LA) Author:Pierce, Chris Area:Louisiana Lines:55 Added:10/22/2003

The portrayal in last Saturday's article, "Drug busts target clubs," about an event that took place at GG's Club the previous Thursday describing a "planned rave" is an indirect attack on my character as well as G.G. Shinn's. I was the promoter of the event and he was the host. The word rave has been stigmatized by our society, and the negative connotations we have come to associate with it were in no short supply within the article. Dateline NBC has certainly taught us of the rampant drug use one would expect from a rave, and while I won't deny the fact that drug use remains prevalent throughout clubs in our country, I vehemently deny any such associations with my event.

[continues 291 words]

41 US LA: PUB LTE: No Ordinary Drug AddictWed, 22 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Hughes, Geoff Area:Louisiana Lines:38 Added:10/22/2003

Re: "Rich junkie, poor junkie," Other Opinions, Oct. 18.

In Cynthia Tucker's column comparing Rush Limbaugh and a poor black male, I believe Tucker has missed the point: Drugs, economics and society.

Rush Limbaugh preached to thousands on the radio not to use drugs -- I think Quentin S. never could have. Sad but true.

Limbaugh is addicted to prescription drugs rather than a hallucinatory addictive substance. This is a slightly different situation -- I doubt he ever thought his medication would be addictive when he first took the prescription for a medical problem. Quentin S. took a banned addictive substance, possibly to escape reality.

[continues 80 words]

42 US LA: PUB LTE: Drug Rehab, The American WayWed, 15 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:DeLuca, Charlie Area:Louisiana Lines:29 Added:10/18/2003

Re: "Limbaugh admits addiction," Page A-16, Oct. 11.

With the news that drug addict Rush Limbaugh is going into rehab, it's nice to know he's sticking to his conservative principles.

Rush isn't going into one of the many taxpayer-funded prisons to dry out, a course of treatment he advocated so vociferously over the years for his fellow drug abusers.

At least he's paying his own way.

Charlie DeLuca

Mandeville

[end]

43US LA: Pain Doctor's License Suspended By La BoardFri, 10 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Pope, John Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:10/10/2003

Action Taken After Probe Into 2 Deaths

Based on its investigation into the deaths of two patients, the state medical licensing board has suspended for three years the license of a New Orleans-area doctor who treated chronic pain.

In suspending the license of Dr. David Michael Jarrott, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners said, "The outcomes for two of his patients might have been different" had he followed standard rules for treating and monitoring them.

One of the two, whom the report describes as an addict, died of an overdose. The other patient died of a combination of factors, including respiratory failure and chemical abuse, according to the report.

[continues 324 words]

44US LA: FBI Links Cop To Drug RingThu, 09 Oct 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Perlstein, Michael Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:10/09/2003

Group Allegedly Relied On Cell Phone ID Theft

A New Orleans police officer was among 13 defendants accused Wednesday of participating in a local narcotics ring that tried to cover its tracks by using cell phones registered in the names of innocent citizens.

Darrick Thompson, a six-year police veteran, was immediately suspended from the police force after federal authorities revealed the drug charges Wednesday in a 15-count indictment. Thompson had been a patrol officer in the 6th Police District, police said.

[continues 495 words]

45 US LA: Anti-Drug Program Hopes to Expand to West HoumaWed, 01 Oct 2003
Source:Courier, The (LA) Author:George, Mike Area:Louisiana Lines:52 Added:10/02/2003

HOUMA -- Terrebonne Parish officials hope to expand a crime-prevention program to west Houma, but they'll need federal approval first. The Parish Council passed a resolution last week that gives Parish President Bobby Bergeron the go-ahead to ask the U.S. Justice Department for permission to expand the Weed and Seed Program, which now operates in the Mechanicville neighborhood of east Houma.

If approved, the program would be expanded into an area from Goode Street to St. Charles Street and from McKinley Street to Morrison Avenue. "Weed and Seed is a comprehensive strategy for making these communities safer places to live," said Houma Police Chief Pat Boudreaux. The first stage -- "weeding" -- aims to run off violent criminals and drug traffickers from the area. The second phase -- the "seeding" -- includes job training, job opportunities and neighborhood-restoration initiatives as well as substance-abuse prevention programs. In 2001, the program was brought to Mechanicville. Councilman Wayne Thibodeaux, who first learned about the program while working as a public-housing official in 1993, said the parish planned to bring the program to his district for years but decided to see how the program would work in Mechanicville first.

[continues 175 words]

46US LA: New Plea Policy Not An Issue In N.O.Mon, 29 Sep 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Filosa, Gwen Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:09/29/2003

Ashcroft Rule Change Draws Fire Elsewhere

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has riled a host of defense lawyers and law professors across the nation with his recent memo instructing federal prosecutors to tighten the reins on plea bargaining.

The policy could set off a crisis, they said, from clogging up court dockets to handcuffing prosecutors seeking to entice defendants to cooperate with the government.

But in the Eastern District of Louisiana, life at the federal courthouse is not about to change, said several officials and lawyers on both sides of the bar.

[continues 752 words]

47 US LA: Edu: Column: Pot Normalization Appalling TrendFri, 26 Sep 2003
Source:Maroon, The (LA Edu) Author:Zarin, Brad Area:Louisiana Lines:71 Added:09/26/2003

Originally, I was going to write my column on the controversy surrounding Mel Gibson's new movie,"Passion."

However, this week I became aware of an organization called NORML, or National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws. Many of you may have received an e-mail asking for support of this group, as I did.

Personally, I was appalled at the prospect of this so-called activist group becoming part of the Loyola community.

If Loyola prides itself on excellence, as it claims, NORML should not be invited as a campus organization. After receiving the e-mail from the NORML organizers, who did not give their names, I researched what they were all about.

[continues 332 words]

48US LA: Proposition 12 Would Spell Out Seizure RulesWed, 24 Sep 2003
Source:Advocate, The (LA) Author:Shuler, Marsha Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:09/25/2003

When is the seizure of personal property permitted under the Louisiana Constitution? A proposed constitutional amendment going before state voters Oct. 4 would spell out that it's legal when the property is declared "contraband."

But critics say that's the law now, and the proposal is unnecessary.

The 1974 Louisiana Constitution protected personal property other than contraband from government seizure. A 1989 constitutional amendment specified that contraband connected to drug crimes could be seized or forfeited, but omitted the "other than contraband" phrase.

[continues 565 words]

49US LA: Major Candidates Try To Stand OutMon, 22 Sep 2003
Source:Advocate, The (LA) Author:Frink, Chris Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:09/23/2003

Many Agree On Jobs, Marriage, Drugs

NEW ORLEANS -- Each of seven major candidates in the race for governor said Sunday night that Louisiana needs more jobs and an improved education system, that drugs should stay illegal and the state won't recognize same-sex marriages under their administrations. Each also tried to separate themselves from the other candidates in the 90-minute forum televised live in the New Orleans area on WDSU TV, Channel 6.

Some candidates are pulling the state apart, said former Senate President Randy Ewing, a Democrat, running as a moderate.

[continues 679 words]

50US LA: Cop Booked With Pill FraudFri, 19 Sep 2003
Source:Times-Picayune, The (LA) Author:Scallan, Matt Area:Louisiana Lines:Excerpt Added:09/22/2003

Defense lawyer cites 'error in judgment'

Federal agents have arrested a Harahan police officer, alleging that he illegally obtained nearly 2,200 pain pills over a 15-month period from four pharmacists, using prescriptions from seven doctors, authorities said.

Wiley M. Wood IV was booked last week with prescription fraud.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said Wood has not been charged with distributing the 2,196 hydrocodone pills, but the investigation is continuing.

"We wanted to act quickly on this because of the public-safety aspect having a police officer obtaining this quantity of drugs," Letten said.

[continues 288 words]


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