The obvious reasonable alternative that has not been attempted in this case is a simple one: North American drug legalization and regulation. Dry up the source of cash for the rebels and for the drug producers and they are likely to be much easier to deal with. Of course, because of the drug-war rhetoric, such a proposition is rarely considered seriously. Ken Sailor (The Colombian rebels are financing themselves through kidnappings and extortion.) [end]
Fifteen years ago in Vancouver, the 40-something librarian at my local library confided to me that she regularly bought marijuana. It seems her husband whom I had mistaken for her father, so old did he look, was suffering from inoperable cancer. He was as his halting steps and frail body announced, dying. Indeed, he was soon bed ridden and six months later, he was dead. In the meantime, she bought pot for him. It was, I remember her saying, the only thing that gave him a real respite from the pain. The prescription drugs, she continued, gave some relief but not what he needed. If he got the amount of drugs he actually needed the dosage would kill him. [continues 579 words]
Teenagers are very open and, in some cases, very gullible. Their emotions are flowing in every direction and they face crisis after crisis in their lives. So, when they get exposed to smoking and alcohol, they see apparent relief. Lately, the technique for teaching teens to be drug-free is to smother them with horrid examples and the aftermath of drug abuse. Being a teen myself, I don't think this is working. The government should calm down on smothering teens with advice and directions on how to run their life, put more money into getting rid of smoking and alcohol advertising, put more pressure on the tobacco and alcohol industry to put even more strict warnings on the label and put more money into helping families. Parents hold the most power in showing teens the best path and direction to lead their life. The love of a parent is everlasting and no child would ever dream of giving that up. Jared Baldwin (Never underestimate the power of love.) [end]
DID YOU know that all the ski resorts in B.C. are now non-smoking? It includes the condo you pay $500 a night to sleep in as well as the on-hill lounges where you go after a day of skiing to enjoy some drinks. Who in B.C. voted for this? Can I get both their names so I can rap them on the forehead and say: "What are you thinking?" And from B.C. yet, land of the bud! Is it just cigarettes that are banned or can you smoke a little doobie? And I thought those morons out in Ottawa were out of touch with reality. The B.C. politicians must have been inhaling too deeply when the wind was out of the west! Arlene Dika (Things are going to pot.) [end]
I APPRECIATE your concern about what is happening in Toronto's rave scene, with the three "rave-related" deaths there. As a member of the Calgary rave scene, I share that concern. But a reactionary article such as the one written Nov. 21 is no way to help. If anything, it has made things worse in the scene. I have seen more and more people drawn to raves due to the reputation the Sun has given them. Mainly, they are coming for drugs, to get high, to look for trouble. As well, many of the good party kids I know haven't been around. They are the ones there for the music and to have fun with their friends; looking for the good vibe, not for drugs. Trust me, if drugs were truly a problem, we ourselves would do something about it. Colin Morrison (If there are no drugs, what's the problem?) [end]
Organizers of Toronto rave parties make it a point to reserve the services of paramedics, who regularly haul away up to 20 designer-drugged revellers a night. It's a frenzied scenario of high-intensity partying, drug overdoses and potential tragedy that could be headed to Calgary, say Toronto paramedic and police officials. "(Calgary) should beware -- it's going to get bigger across the country the way it's grown in Toronto," said Rick Boustead, spokesman for Toronto Ambulance. "For the amount of money to be made, there are a lot of people trying to get into the business." [continues 271 words]
Agony And Ecstasy Of What Your Kids Get Up To When They Party It's 1 a.m. Saturday, and another rave party is just starting to build momentum in Calgary. Inside a small youth centre tucked in the city's northwest, a sea of kids - -- some looking no older than 12 years old -- are dancing a frenzied stomp to a lively, chest-rattling beat. On the dance floor, a young girl moves trance-like to the beat, the letter E spelled out on her stomach in small, glowing-red stickers, and a soother clenched between her teeth. [continues 914 words]
Rise Here Mirrors Ontario Marijuana use among adolescents has mushroomed dramatically in Alberta, says an official with the Alberta Alcohol an Drug Abuse Commission. The results of an Ontario study showing the use of marijuana among teens has skyrocketed in that province to late-1970s levels mirrors Alberta, said ADAAC's Nancy Snowball. "It's in line with a trend that's already happening, which is an increase in cannabis and tobacco use," said Snowball. The study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shows the number of teens who have smoked marijuana has gone from 13% in 1993 to more than 30% in the past year. [continues 264 words]
Judge Says Suspected Courier Stopped On Hunch Police who acted on a hunch to nab a courier with $16,600 in drug money have to give the cash back, a judge has ruled. Justice Peter McIntyre, in a written ruling obtained by the Sun yesterday, said investigators did not have reasonable grounds to seize the money from Ian Maurice Daley. Officers questioned Daley at Calgary International Airport on March 24, 1998, the day after he bought a standby ticket to Montreal with $460 in $20 bills. [continues 343 words]
