ST. PAUL -- Though originally touted as an "unsession" to focus on striking outdated laws from the books, the 2014 legislative session was anything but uneventful. Shortly before lawmakers completed their work Friday, state Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, described 2014 as one of the most intense sessions he's been a part of, with action on several bills. "It was a short session but I think we're going to come home and have a lot of good things to talk about," he said. [continues 1100 words]
ST. PAUL (AP) - A rift among Minnesota supporters of legalizing medical marijuana could make it harder to get legislation in front of Gov. Mark Dayton this year. Committees in both the House and Senate were debating competing legislation Friday. A Senate panel stripped the option of smoking marijuana as medication from its bill on Friday morning. But the House version is even more limited in how the drug may be accessed. If used in leaf form, for example, it could be done only through medically supervised delivery by vaporizer. [continues 657 words]
The latest Minnesota Poll conducted by the Star Tribune indicated that a bare majority -- 51 percent -- of Minnesotans favor the legalization of marijuana for medical uses. We've always wondered -- what exactly are the medical properties of marijuana? We have heard that it helps control pain and nausea for those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, that it does something for glaucoma sufferers and that it calms some people suffering from mental disorders. To listen to some proponents it is a golden elixir, a panacea that cures a number of ills. We never seem to hear about potential side effects. Most pharmaceutical ads include lengthy disclaimers about how the drug may cause this or that harmful condition. We would imagine smoking marijuana would have a large number of unhealthy side effects. [continues 69 words]
DULUTH - Police have arrested 30 people in an alleged crack cocaine trafficking ring in Duluth and Superior, Wis.threatened The arrests came this week after a nine-month investigation dubbed "Operation Crackdown." Investigators say suspects were trading crack cocaine for government food-assistance debit cards at about half the face value of the cards. Investigators say they used decoy cards to conduct controlled buys of crack cocaine. Lt. Steve Stracek, commander of the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, said alleged dealers would either go to the store with the buyer and buy groceries with the cards, or they would force the buyer to prove the card still had money, and then take the card. Authorities are seeking another 10 suspects. [end]
Truth is more effective than criminal law Re: Alice Englin's Dec. 18 piece: "Survey shows drug abuse among youth is down." I have digested the results of the 2009 Monitoring the Future study and found two important things not mentioned in the press release. First, no mention of daily pot smoking, found only by drilling down to Table 4. Seems to me such use by kids indicates problem use and should have been discussed. The good news is that it is very small. [continues 65 words]
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan released the 2009 Monitoring the Future survey on Monday. This survey, which has been distributed annually since 1975 to about 50,000 eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders across the nation, in 2009 showed that while there were slight decreases in the use of cocaine and methamphetamine among youth across the country, marijuana and prescription drug abuse showed no signs of slowing down. Overall, drug use remained steady, but several drugs showed signs of increasing with attitudes softening for drugs such as marijuana, Ecstasy, inhalants and LSD. For example, the percentage of eighth-graders who view occasional marijuana use as potentially harmful dropped to 44 percent, compared to 48 percent last year. [continues 590 words]
Sen. Norm Coleman was in town Friday for a listening session to discuss the impact of methamphetamine on Minnesota communities. "We're here today to talk about an issue of great importance to our community and to our state," Coleman said. "The nature of the drug is devastating, on the individuals who get addicted and on the communities that have to deal with it. It is overwhelming and we have to do something about it. "I want to listen twice as much as I speak today," he said. [continues 802 words]
Sen. Norm Coleman announced Wednesday he will hold a listening session Friday in Albert Lea to discuss the impact of methamphetamine on Minnesota communities. The session will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Albert Lea City Center, 221 E. Clark St. During the meetings, which are open to the public, Coleman will meet with panelists representing the areas of drug treatment, education, prevention, intervention and law enforcement. Coleman will also discuss his legislative efforts against meth, such as the Combat Meth Act of 2005 and the establishment of the Coleman Meth Task Force in Minnesota. [continues 246 words]
Beginning July 1, it became harder for meth manufacturers - and everyone else - to purchase cold and allergy medications in pill form that contains ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. Legislators agreed that one way to attack the meth problem is to limit access to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, key ingredients used to manufacture meth. The omnibus public safety law is one of five new laws that took effect July 1, along with provisions from about a dozen others. Products like Sudafed are now located behind the pharmacy counter and buyers will have to ask for them, be at least 18 years old, show identification and sign a logbook. Buyers are also limited to two packages per transaction, not to exceed six grams. [continues 1143 words]
In the third week of session, legislators in both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed their first bills and the state's methamphetamine problem remains in the forefront. At the state capitol: Methamphetamine legislation update: Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, and Rep. Jeff Johnson R-Plymouth, said they'll sponsor legislation to crack down on methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug that's infiltrated rural communities and is reaching into suburbs and cities. The proposal would classify over-the-counter cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine - a necessary ingredient to make meth - as controlled substances, require stores to store them behind the counter and make customers sign for purchases, capped at two packages. [continues 1323 words]
Any education about the effect of drugs or chemicals can make a difference with kids, at least that is what the Community Alcohol and Drug Education Team believes. "Our mission statement is to establish the community norm where youth drug and alcohol use is unacceptable," said team member Phil Bartusek, lieutenant for the Albert Lea Police Department. The CADET group, active for over a decade, involves members from many area agencies including all school districts, law enforcement, Public Health, Albert Lea Medical Center, Fountain Centers, Freeborn County Chemical Dependency Center, Human Services, Court Services, and other members of the community. The team was formed with grants from the tobacco settlement years ago and has been funded with other grants dealing with youth risk behaviors with alcohol and drugs. [continues 659 words]
Editor's note: This is the last in a series of the impact of meth in Albert Lea and Freeborn County. Methamphetimine use takes good people and makes them unscupulous, but officials insist it is the drug's hold that turns good people bad. "We're dealing with people making bad decisions," said Freeborn County Sheriff Mark Harig. "By the time we see them, we don't see the goodness anymore; we see the paranoia - the drug's hold on them." [continues 687 words]
Methamphetamine is everywhere. At your neighbor's house, at your job, in the pocket of the person walking down the street and in the schools. "We see a reflection of the county and community (in the schools). We'd be naive to believe that it didn't exist here," said Al Root, principal of Albert Lea High School. He said meth has become more available for students than even alcohol or marijuana. But according to the ALHS police liaison officer, Ted Herman, meth use is actually declining in the schools. Because meth education is now included in many health classes and drug education pieces, students have become more aware of its negative effects and choose not to use. "People are talking, kids are talking," said ALHS social worker Kim Danner. There are also brochures at the school outlining the dangers of meth and the community's response. "Kids are starting to understand," she said. [continues 737 words]
Even as her son lay in the hospital fighting for his life after smoking meth, Sandy denied that methamphetamine could grab her family - - she had done all a mother could do to protect her brood from its ugly clutches. "I put all the safety mechanisms in place," she said. "I worked nights so I could be home with the kids, I attended their school conferences, supervised their homework, talked with them, everything." Even the doctor's assessment couldn't shake her belief: "I thought the tests were wrong," she said. "This isn't possible, not my son." [continues 784 words]
When I moved to Albert Lea to take on the position of the staff photojournalist at the Tribune, I did so without knowing a single soul. While searching for jobs before landing the one in Albert Lea, I spent a considerable amount of time researching the biographies of the world's most prominent and honored "Jacks" of the photojournalist trade. An overwhelming number of their biographies stated that local pubs, bars and saloons, as well as churches, were good places to find out what's happening in a community. [continues 743 words]
The Tribune staff hopes you are finding the meth series informative. We've received only a few e-mails and calls on the series - mostly outraged that we printed the list of ingredients used to manufacture the highly-addictive drug - and only one comment about the photo used to launch the series last Tuesday. To be honest, I expected more calls of outrage on both. The lack of calls can indicate two things - people realize the value of printing such information, or they are too shocked for words. Personally, I like to think it's the former. [continues 706 words]
"She was on her way to having a great life," said Conrad Petersen, the father of "Michelle," a meth addict. Michelle was a high school teacher in Arizona, recently married and the mother of a young boy. "Basically everything was going great," said Petersen. Ironically enough, it was at a school function where she was offered methamphetamine for the first time, about two years ago. The straight-A student who only smoked and drank in moderation, was quickly pulled in to the lifestyle of an addict. "It was almost instantaneous. She started on this down-hill drive," Petersen said. Any time she and her husband, "Paul" would go out, she would look for meth. Eventually Paul asked for a divorce. He never approved of her use of drugs and her addiction had come to the point where he couldn't live with her anymore. [continues 1247 words]
1) There are no medical uses for meth: True False 2) Crystal meth is usually: Snorted Injected Smoked 3) Which is a short-term effect of meth: Increased respiratory Decreased appettite Hyperthermia All of the above 4) Which is a long-term effect of an meth: Addiction Confusion Violent behavior All of the above 5) Meth is a ... Schedule IV drug Stimulant Depressant Brown tar-like substance 6) Data from the 2000 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), which collects information on drug-related episodes from hospital emergency departments in 21 metropolitan areas, reported that meth-related episodes from 1999 to 2000 ... [continues 59 words]
People have a choice not to do drugs, but sometimes they need to be told they have that choice. Teens Involved in Drugs Education helps educate young minds about the negative effect drugs can have on their lives and the ways they may avoid or reject drugs. The program was established because of Target, an organization through the Minnesota State High School League which encourages athletes to stay away from tobacco and drugs. But, where Target focuses on student athletes, T.I.D.E. includes everyone. The program is made up of high school students who have committed themselves to stay free of drugs and it is produced through Community Education. [continues 513 words]
