Drug Watch International

DRUG WATCH WORLD NEWS

Vol. VIII; 2003

Number 1

 

 

Baby Boomers Beware

By William Bennett, MD

Medical Chairman, International Drug Strategy Institute

Sandra Bennett

Director, NW Center for Health & Safety

 

In the late 1960s, baby boomers rediscovered the drugs that had wreaked so much havoc on the world in the 1920s and 1930s.  Many have continued their involvement with drugs, particularly marijuana.  The carcinogens and toxins in marijuana are well documented; its addictiveness is well documented; and its involvement in many fatal accidents is well documented.

 

So one might ask why so many people from this era are less concerned about smoking pot than they are about smoking tobacco.  Perhaps they believe that because they smoke fewer joints that there is less risk.  It is likely that most are not aware that a carefully controlled 1994 study found that two marijuana cigarettes were as harmful as 28 tobacco cigarettes, and that after alcohol, marijuana is the psychoactive substance most frequently found in the blood of motorists involved in traffic accidents.

 

It has been known for decades that marijuana causes tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).  In fact, a letter to High Times magazine by an individual who signed himself “doper professor” tells of an ordeal in Amsterdam in 1986 where he and his wife ingested some marijuana-laced pastries and suffered a number of serious side effects, including rapid heart beat, and had to be treated medically by a local physician.  One would not expect a cannabis-induced rapid heartbeat to be particularly dangerous in a healthy young individual, but a report published in Forensic Science International told of six cases of cardiovascular death in young adults, where THC, and no other drug, was reported in the post-mortem blood samples.

 

A study done in 2000 found that the risk of heart attack for those over age 40 is five times higher than usual in the hour after smoking a joint.  The chief researcher, Dr. Murray Mittleman, stated, “We know that after smoking a single marijuana cigarette there is a dose-dependent increase in heart rate. … There are also complicated effects on blood pressure.”  It was noted that marijuana use is also linked to a rise in the heart’s demand for oxygen, while simultaneously lowering the supply of oxygen in the blood.  Dr. Lynn Smaha of Sayre, Penn., President of the Heart Association at the time the study was released, said, “My advice on marijuana is — don’t.  If they have heart disease, I’d tell patients they are playing a dangerous game if they smoke marijuana.”

 

But it isn’t just cardiovascular problems pot-smoking baby boomers need to worry about.  This generation has been plagued with sterility problems, which have led to a whole new growth industry—fertility clinics.  Numerous recent studies have shown that marijuana smoke, and THC in particular, impacts germ cells by causing premature cell death (i.e., sterility) as well as abnormally formed sperm.  A recent study reported on by Scientific American stated that marijuana use was firmly linked to some forms of infertility and quoted one of the researchers as stating, “The increased load of cannabinoids in people who abuse marijuana could flood natural endocannabinoid-signal systems in reproductive organs and adversely impact fertility. … This possibility may explain observations made over the past 30 to 40 years that marijuana smoke drastically reduces sperm production in males.”

 

As if this is not significant enough to cause marijuana smokers to give up the habit, numerous studies have linked marijuana use during pregnancy to sleep and behavioral disorders in small children, as well as lowered I.Q.  Marijuana is an insidiously dangerous drug that should remain off limits to everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

International News Briefs

References available on request.  Send self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Drug Watch World News * P.O. Box 318 * Carlinville, Illinois  62626

 

·        We didn’t learn our lesson with Needle Park and Letten Station in Switzerland.  Those experiments in needle giveaways proved disastrous to the surrounding area and dangerous to drug users.  Now, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) wants to change the name of drug injecting centers to “healthrooms,” and try the failed experiment all over again!  No country has ever decreased its drug problems by making it easier to use drugs.  Those who fail to learn from past mistakes are bound to repeat them.  (EMCDDA, page 3, July-August 2002)

 

·        Dutch researchers report that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients do not benefit from cannabis.  Researchers at the Hospital of the Free University in Amsterdam and the TNO, and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research in Delft, found that cannabis does not lead to reduced complaints, like reduced spasticity, for MS patients.  (The Dutch daily ‘De Volkskrant,’ December 28, 2000)

 

·        In a New York study, a team of scientists reported that marijuana does not improve the often-painful symptoms of MS.  “Compared to a placebo, neither THC nor plant-extract treatment reduced spasticity,” said Dr. Joep Killestein from the VU Medical in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  In the study, patients took an inactive pill (placebo), a marijuana plant-extract, or synthetic THC for four weeks.  (Neurology 2002;58:1404-1407)

 

·        In Lima, Peru, police destroyed at least 60 laboratories used to process illegal drugs in the Peruvian jungle.  They also burned 38 tons of coca leaf, the raw material for cocaine.  Peru is the world’s second-biggest cocaine producer, trailing only Columbia, its northern neighbor.  Officials in Lima warn that coca output is on the rise with some being handed over to the drug cartels, but some being processed by farmers into crude, less pure cocaine paste.  (Reuters News Service, August 22, 2002)

 

·        On March 1, 2002, Iceland issued its five-year project “Drug-Free Iceland” report that presented positive developments and statistics showing decreases regarding all drug issues.  Iceland showed that well-coordinated efforts from various segments of society can reverse a destructive trend.  (ECAD, Vol 5, No 51, June 2002)

 

·        The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public housing authorities can evict an entire family when someone in the household is caught with drugs, even if the others knew nothing about the wrongdoing.  (Positive Moves newsletter, Vol 15 (1) 2002)

 

·        Canada’s Health Minister, Anne McLellan, said that she is uncomfortable with the idea of people smoking pot to relieve pain and has all but snuffed out the government’s plans to supply marijuana as medicine.  The Canadian Medical Association led a powerful lobby against prescribing pot as medicine, saying that it has not been proven safe or effective.  (Canadian Glove and Mail OnLine, August 20, 2002)

 

 

 

·        In a three-year investigation into the long-term effects of smoking marijuana, researchers from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands found evidence proving that marijuana is dangerous and can cause serious psychotic disorders in people with no history of mental illness. The study found that smoking cannabis can treble the risk of developing a mental illness, and the risk increases with the amount smoked.  (Daily Telegraph, Sydney, Australia, August 26, 2002)

 

·        “Under the CSA [Controlled Substance Act], Congress has stated that any product that contains ‘any amount’ of THC is a prohibited Schedule I substance, unless the product is expressly exempted or listed in another schedule.  There are no exemptions for food products.  When it comes to THC in food products the United States has a zero-tolerance policy that the DEA and the U. S. Customs Service diligently enforce.” (Letter from Asa Hutchinson, Administrator, DEA, August 1, 2002)

 

·        About 0.1 percent of U.S. births involve newborns with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), characterized by a variety of physical, mental, and neurological defects that often lead to behavioral, learning, and mobility problems.  Ten times that many children, exposed to alcohol before birth, have behavioral and brain defects that are classified as alcohol-related developmental disorders.  Simply not drinking during pregnancy could prevent such damage, but a 1998 study found both increasing rates of drinking by pregnant mothers and FAS in the last 15 years.  Researcher Klintsova said that if a diagnosis is done early enough, and parents don’t hide the fact that the mother drank during the third trimester, it may be possible to rehabilitate these deficits – if caught early enough.  “The children may not become champions, but they may be able to stand on the same playing field as their peers.”  (Klintsove AY et al. Brain res 2002;937:83-93)

 

·        Underscoring the Drug Watch International fears of needle handouts, it has been reported that used hypodermic needles are littering North Shore parks and beaches in Vancouver, BC.  Dr. Brian O’Connor, medical health officer for the North Shore region of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, said that used needles are found throughout the North Shore.  “They have been found in playgrounds, parks, schoolyards, and beaches.”  (North Shore News - CN BC, July 29, 2002)

 

·        Meth labs are increasing at a dramatic rate in rural areas, where the strong odor of meth production is less noticeable and because of the ease of obtaining some of the ingredients.  In 1996 in Illinois, only one meth lab was discovered.  In 2001, there were 666 meth production facilities seized.  Tolerance and addiction to meth are strong, and the relapse rate for meth users undergoing treatment is extremely high.  Repeated use of meth can cause anxiety, paranoia, violent behavior, and hallucinations.  Use of meth can also cause an inflammation of the heart lining and can lead to a stroke or other cardiovascular problems.  (U.S. Illinois State Journal-Register, June 17, 2002)

 

·        Research done at Northeastern University in the United States suggests that steroid use by adolescents may permanently alter brain chemistry, causing irreversible brain changes in developing nervous systems.  Serotonin is a brain chemical that is linked to mood.  Lower levels of serotonin are associated with depression and aggression.  According to Professor Richard Melloni, who helped run the study, “The serotonin neural system is developing during adolescence, and the use of anabolic steroids during this critical period appears to have immediate neural and behavioral consequences.”  (GMT 23:59 BBC UK, August 2002)

 

 

·        Cannabis use can cause psychotic-like phenomena that are very similar to symptoms measured by many items of schizotyppy scales.  (Mass R. et al, Psychopathology 2001:35:209-214)

 

·        Over a 15-year period, Swedish conscripts who had used cannabis more than 50 times before conscription had a six times higher risk for development of schizophrenia than non-users.  (Taylor H: Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Assn. 1998; 38:220-227)

 

·        “Cannabis intoxication can precipitate severe psychiatric reactions including paranoia, mania, and schizophrenic-like states.” (Professor C.H. Ashton, Department of Psychiatry, University of Newcastle upon Tyne in evidence submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee, April 1998)

 

·        A study of 201 fifteen and sixteen-year-old students found that “In particular, cannabis use and dependence were highly associated with increased risks of other substance dependence.”  (Degenhardt L, et al., Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol 64, 319-327, May 2001)

 

·        A recent study found that the opportunity to use cocaine was associated with prior marijuana smoking, and given the opportunity, those who had used marijuana were more likely to use cocaine than were those with no history of marijuana use.  (Wagner and Anthony, American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 155, No. 10, 2002)

 

·        An Australian study found that cannabis abuse and dependence were highly associated with increased risks of other substance dependence.  Additionally, they found that “One in 10 persons who ever use cannabis will be come dependent upon it.”  (Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol 64, 2001)

 

 

 

 

 

Drug Users Should Be Held Accountable

By Sandra Bennett

 Director, Northwest Center for Health & Safety

Past President, Drug Watch International

Some people are seriously deficient in reality and simply reverberate the din of the pro-pot lobby, claiming that marijuana is harmless and should be legalized because they have never seen anyone overdose on it. They have probably never seen anyone overdose on tobacco either, but surely they would not claim that tobacco is harmless. Marijuana has far more carcinogens than tobacco, not to mention a host of hazardous consequences.

Some claim that they have never seen anyone commit violent acts under the influence of pot. Perhaps they are thinking of the "weed" of the 1960s and 1970s that, although low in THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — was nevertheless strong enough to get a smoker high. Today's marijuana is extremely potent, can be life-threatening if ingested, and is a leading cause of drug-related emergency room episodes throughout the United States.

Society found it abhorrent that the tobacco industry deliberately targeted children, yet today proponents of legalization actively promote drugs and a drug-using lifestyle to our children directly into their classrooms and into their homes via the Internet. Tobacco and alcohol have never been legal for children, but because these substances are legal for adults they are readily available and are easily accessed by children. Legalizing drugs for adults would simply move the illicit market to the purview of younger and younger children, and drug trafficking and dealing would continue to flourish.

There is not one affliction of society that is not created or worsened by the use of psychoactive and addictive substances. While it is only humane to provide treatment to addicts, one does not win a war by only treating the wounded. The scourge of drugs should be likened to the Bubonic Plague and treated accordingly. This plague was not eradicated by tending to the sick and dying. It was eradicated by removing the rats that carried the deadly fleas. What needs to be done globally to turn the tide on drug use does not take rocket science. It takes common sense.

Society must view drug use as offensive, destructive, and disgusting behavior. We must apply meaningful consequences to users, since most users try to intimidate others into joining this folly. We must apply significant consequences to those who promote the use of illicit psychoactive and addictive substances.

The UnitedStates will spend $17.5 billion this year trying to contain a scourge that is costing nearly $300 billion annually, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of lost and decimated lives. In the interest of the welfare of our country and good economic sense, it is time to quit letting legalizer propaganda undermine prevention efforts.

Taken from an article by Sandra Bennett, Past President, Drug Watch International
The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., Jan. 28, 2001               

 

 

 

Hemp Ban Promotes Food Safety

By Jeanette McDougal, MM, CCDP

Chair, Drug Watch International Hemp Committee

 

The DEA ban on hemp food products is often characterized as unreasonable and as a drug war issue.  It is, in fact, a food safety issue.

 

Even in small amounts, hemp's toxic, fat-soluble cannabinoids (chemicals found only in Cannabis hemp/marijuana plants) can be harmful. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the cannabinoid in Cannabis hemp that causes the "high" or "intoxication."

 

Hemp activists downplay the effects of small amounts of fat-soluble THC in Cannabis hemp, comparing it to the water-soluble opiate traces in poppy seeds.  However, THC accumulates in the body's cells, whereas opiates do not.  Frequent ingestion of numerous hemp foods could result in THC buildup, causing chronic, low-level intoxication.

 

Fortunately, the United States has the benefit of a risk assessment of hemp-based food, nutraceuticals (so-called nutritional supplements), and cosmetic products conducted by Canada's National Health Department, Health Canada (HC).  After reviewing extensive scientific data, HC concluded in their 11/99 draft that: "New food products and cosmetics made from Cannabis hemp (the same plant as the marijuana plant) pose an unacceptable risk to the health of consumers.  Those most at risk are children exposed in the womb or through breast milk, or teenagers whose reproductive systems are developing.”

 

On the basis of currently available data HC concluded, “ The present Canadian limit of 10ppm THC in raw materials and products made from industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa cultivars with less than 0.3 percent THC) would not likely protect the Canadian consumer using industrial hemp-based food, cosmetic, personal care, and nutraceutical products from potential risks of neurological (brain) impairment and neuroendocrine (hormone) disruption associated with low-level exposure to THC and other cannabinoids."

 

Health Canada, as required by law, is now updating their hemp food, cosmetics, and nutraceutical Risk Assessment and, when completed, it will make recommendations to the Canadian government.

 

European Union (EU) 1999 hemp regulations state, "The uses to which it (hemp) is put must not include human nutrition."

 

In the United States, even salad oils must be examined and certified by the U.S.-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "generally recognized as safe."  This has not been done for hemp products.

 

Allowing the introduction of toxic chemicals into our food and cosmetic systems through the use of THC-containing industrial hemp products is dangerous and unthinkable.  To do so would jeopardize public health and safety.  U.S. citizens, government agencies (including the Courts), and public officials should do everything possible to prevent this from happening, thus protecting future generations from both known and unknown health and genetic hazards.

 

The protective DEA hemp food ban deserves praise.

 

 

 

 

 

The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth

By John J. Coleman, Director, International Drug Strategy Institute

 

In 1993, scholar James Q. Wilson, writing about what he called our “universal human nature,” concluded that the essence of human sociability begins with the bond between the child and its parents. This bond, Wilson asserted, is universal and is found throughout all ages and all societies, primitive, aboriginal, or developed. While there are other theories of how human society evolved, Wilson’s suggestion is a reasonable one that we can easily relate to on a personal basis.

 

Given human cognition, we possess unique mental powers that include self-awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment. Our social communities enable us to pass along our experiences to others and, in return, benefit from sharing theirs. And, not unlike other life forms that may exhibit some of this power, we are able to use our knowledge to warn others of real or perceived danger. In this regard, we, the members of Drug Watch International, may be thought of as sentries for our species, sharing our wisdom and warning our fellow travelers of the danger of drug abuse.

 

To be sure, there are some who do not accept this paradigm. Instead, they view the formal structure of society – i.e., the state -- with disdain, and the people who consent to be ruled by its conventions -- that is, to preserve and protect their interests -- as naïve. The common good, they say, is neither common nor good. They assert that we should be free from government-imposed restraints, especially those that limit or influence in any way our personal behavior.

 

Using the hallowed vocabulary of democracy, they speak of freedoms and rights to use potentially dangerous substances whenever, however, and for whatever purpose they choose. Theirs is a clever and populist thesis, made even more so when aligned with the plight of the oppressed, the sick, or the dying. The hopes and fears of these people they exploit freely and solely for their own selfish interests. And backed by bizarre billionaires eager to bankroll stylish social ambitions, they advance their cause with cunning, extravagance, and imagination. But, make no mistake, theirs is a doomed philosophy that is built on falsehoods and destined for civilization’s dumpster of bad ideas.

 

Above all, let us not be lulled into complacency. Proponents of drug legalization have learned a great deal from the mistakes of the last century; they no longer are content to wear funny T-shirts or shout clever slogans at us. They have moved from the streets to the boardrooms, class rooms, and court rooms of America where, often close-cropped and business-attired, they methodically and covertly pursue their insidious plans. Indeed, the clandestine nature of their campaign, alone, should be a message to all that its premise would not likely survive an open and free debate. 

 

As director of Drug Watch International’s International Drug Strategy Institute, I believe that there is a need for us to study these new and improved adversaries, so that we do not fall victim to their sly ways. Yes, it will continue to be important that we deliver to all a fundamental message about the dangers of drug abuse. We have, as Wilson suggests, a primal duty to warn others of the impending danger. Our goal will be to expose these adversaries and the sinister nature of their foolish message at every turn. Our means? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

 

 

 

Drug Watch International’s International Center

 

 

Increasing Drug Watch Influence in the International Arena

By Ron Godbey, President, Drug Watch International

 

Throughout my career as a military officer, I was privileged to serve with officers from allied nations.  Never was it more diverse than the year I spent as a resident student at the U.S Air Force Air War College.  

 

There were 239 students in my Air War College class.  Thirty-four were International Officers from twenty-nine different allied nations.  I became close personal friends with most and friends with all. They came from Brazil, Venezuela, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.  There were officers from Israel studying and working alongside officers from Jordan, Egypt, Tunis, and Saudi Arabia.  There were Greeks and Turks working together. And there were officers from India working alongside officers from Pakistan.

 

You’ll recognize that ancient rivalries exist between some of these nations.  Yet those rivalries were put aside.  We had a common mission — to defend against a common threat from the Communist bloc. 

 

While serving with these international officers, I gained an insight into the global populace.  And I learned much.  One of the most striking observations was that people could overcome parochial rivalries when collectively threatened by an outside source.  I also came to realize that people are basically the same, but there are some profound cultural differences in terms of traditions, sustenance, religious beliefs, and what acts or deeds or speech may or may not be offensive. 

 

Additionally, when the international members were made full partners there was 100 percent participation from each team member regardless of the country of origin.  This seemingly obvious reality is often unrecognized when dealing with our international comrades, whatever the issue may be.

 

When I assumed the presidency and looked at the organizational structure of Drug Watch International, it seemed that a piece was missing.  That missing piece was a recognizable image that Drug Watch was truly an international organization. 

 

With these thoughts in mind, I recommended to the board of directors that we create a new arm of Drug Watch to be known as the International Center.  The board agreed.  The International Center is to be the focal point for Drug Watch activities outside the U.S.  This includes recruiting new delegates, distribution of material, conducting prevention and educational programs, and seminars.

 

Drug Watch Vice President Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky has been appointed head of the International Center under the title of Secretary General.  Mina is a Brazilian who resides in Rio de Janeiro and had been a long time Drug Watch member and drug prevention advocate on the international scene.  Mina has direct contact with our many delegates from other nations.  On a county-by-country basis, she may appoint under-secretaries, deputy-secretaries, and special secretaries to coordinate in-country prevention and education activities.

 

With John Coleman heading the International Drug Strategy Institute and Mina heading the International Center, Drug Watch International is organized to carry out its mission with its global partners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accurate Information Produces Tremendous Effects

By Professor Mina Seinfeld Carakushansky

Vice President, Drug Watch International

Secretary General, International Center

 

For those of us seeking drug demand reduction, it would seem as if the world has suddenly been inundated by countless initiatives, endless discussions, and media exposure by those who would like to see dangerous drugs legalized. Sometimes we may seem almost overwhelmed by so many significant people giving their views and promoting the liberalization of some, or even all, psychoactive drugs.

 

Nevertheless, over the eight years that I have been directly and actively involved in coordinating drug prevention in the city of Rio de Janeiro (11 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and in the many conferences and training activities in which I have participated in Latin America and Europe, the real picture that appears is quite different: What we see are teachers and parents, sport figures, religious, and community leaders all wanting the same thing: healthy youngsters who can achieve to the fullest all their potential and capacity, becoming responsible citizens capable of thinking for themselves, men and women able to be productive, to love and to enjoy life.

 

The tipping point for the rejection of the legalization movements will occur when a large majority of people in all countries perceive that drug use hurts not only the users and their families but also every citizen in terms of lost lives, lost productivity, and lost possible healthy happiness.  The greatest slavery is the one of a mind that is unable to see the marvelous gift of life and the beauty of interaction among human beings.

 

Now, more than ever, Drug Watch International (DWI), which promotes only sound scientific facts about issues relating to drugs, has to fulfill its mission with enthusiasm and strength, because serious and good people united will eventually win the battle against drugs.

 

Mega-cities must become prevention cities, with a large variety of comprehensive drug prevention and treatment activities, all intertwined among different segments of the community: government, businesses, NGOs, religious organizations, the military, the arts, sports, and the media. People involved in such endeavors need the support of DWI, as I well know by my experience in Rio de Janeiro. Through the materials and knowledge I could get almost daily from DWI, I knew that I could stand up strong by counteracting with accurate information, on radio or print media, and on TV, the opposition I encountered daily from those who would liberalize our drug laws. DWI has the means and the will to educate the vast majority of people who mean well but have not been exposed to the correct information.

 

Make no mistake: The continuous flow of sound information provided by DWI may appear as too little to make a difference, but in reality it can produce tremendous effects, even in wide and remote parts of  the world.

 

 

 

 

52,000 Americans Die in Drug-Related Deaths Each Year

The office of National Drug Control Policy under Barry McCaffrey produced the 52,000 figure in May 2000, based on a study of drug-related deaths in 1995.  If the number sounds exaggerated, consider that the methodology used to arrive at the estimate of 52,000 was reviewed and approved by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

If anything, the 52,000 figure is low, because it does not take into account child abuse deaths and other murder and manslaughter victims of drug criminals. Furthermore, since 1995, heroin, which is the most deadly of all illicit drugs, has gained in popularity, eclipsing cocaine as the drug of choice for people who have graduated from marijuana. In addition, two relatively new drugs, OxyContin and MDMA (Ecstasy), were not a big factor in 1995, but both have added significantly to the annual death toll in recent years.

Anyone who finds the 52,000 deaths horrific but has a hard time identifying with them should visit the Web site:  www.ourwall.net.  On the "ourwall" site, loving parents have posted pictures and biographies of theirs sons and daughters who have died as a result of drug use. The warm smiles on the faces of the kids pictured win you over, and their stories of academic and athletic success surprise you. It becomes clear as you scan the pictures that the "ourwall" kids were not taking drugs because they were born into a life without hope or prospect and cocaine or heroin as their only options. Many were in college when they died, some at institutions considered the best anywhere in the world.

The impression left after viewing this sight is that drugs do not discriminate. The appeal is as universal as the destruction. Anyone's child can get caught up in drug use at any time and — if he or she is one of the unlucky ones — die.

Drugs must never be legalized!

 

 

 

 

 

Drug Watch International^TM

...Moving Into the 21^st Century

By Ron Godbey, President,

Drug Watch Internationalä

 

 

 

So, just who is our new president and where is he taking Drug Watch?

 

As many of you know, I’m an elected member of the New Mexico House of Representatives.  I’m a trial lawyer.  I retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1992 with the rank of Colonel.  I, too, have seen the devastating effects of illicit drug use on family members, friends, and comrades.  More recently, I fought the legalization battle in my state — and won. Through Drug Watch International, I intend to bring that experience to bear on a global scale in the battle against the insanity of drug legalization. 

 

To do so, we’ve restructured Drug Watch to address the threat. The pro-drug advocates have amplified their effort to take their sordid message to our statehouses and into our public schools.  So, that’s where we’re also going.

 

 Soon after Drug Watch was founded, the International Drug Strategy Institute was commissioned under its umbrella. The Institute is important in our future efforts.  This by-partisan group of physicians, attorneys, educators, law enforcement officials and drug prevention specialists provide expertise on national and international drug research. 

 

John Coleman has agreed to chair the reorganized International Drug Strategy Institute.  John has long crusaded against illicit drug use and championed prevention and education.  Under his leadership, the Institute has the flexibility to add or delete or change sections as the threat changes.  As now configured, the Institute has five sections.  They include a medical division, (to address medical issues), a legal division, (to address matters of law), a public school division, (to provide information about the pitfalls of drug use to students), a state legislative division, (to contest drug legalization efforts in our statehouses), and finally, a hemp division, (to counter erroneous information that alleges agricultural benefits of this crop).            

 

Professor Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky has agreed to be the Secretary General of the newly formed “International Center” to address international drug issues.  The International Center’s organization and duties are covered in a companion article.

 

I long ago learned that an organization cannot function unless it is organized to function and is staffed with the right people.  Our new structure does that.  The International Drug Strategy Institute, the U.S. Center, and the International Center will work in concert to meet our mission and goals.  The Drug Watch International objective is, and always has been, a drug free society — globally.  Together we’ll work to get there, and together we’ll succeed!  Logic, common sense, and history are on our side.

 

 

 

 

Silence of Mass Media Regarding Marihuana

By Dr. Juan Alberto Yaría

Director, Instituto de Prevención de la Drogadependencia

Universidad del Salvador"

Buenos Aires- Argentina

 

 

There is social acceptance of marihuana at many levels in Argentina and all over the world.

Nowadays, everyone knows that this social tolerance stimulates consumption. This belief is based on the creation of a social representation, or social attitude, that marihuana causes no damage. Thus, consumption increases, and a perception arises in the community that marihuana, this so-called "innocent natural herb," is harmless to health. In this way a habit is established, mainly among young people.

 

Before the era of mass media, social representations were generated by experts and professionals whose opinions were based on scientific evidence. Nowadays, it is different.  Social engineering that builds up drug consumption is based on media misinformation that uses sophisms and half-truths, hiding or minimizing damages.

 

When there is increased drug consumption, or when personal tragedies directly or indirectly related to drug consumption rise, there are usually campaigns of public opinion that promote liberalization of marihuana or the benefits of recreational use of cocaine or Ecstasy.  This is just the opposite of the goal of public health and life quality: to help people not to consume toxic substances that are harmful to their nervous system (the basis of behaviour) and all organic systems, as well as for a civilized coexistence.

 

At the same time, scientific research showing damage from drug use and the actions of citizens rejecting social acceptance of drugs is silenced by the media.

 

Social Rejection in Nevada and Arizona

In Nevada and Arizona (two states of the United States) there was a plebiscite, or referendum, that aimed at the legalization of consumption of marihuana. Great amounts of out-of-state money were used to change the community point of view about this drug.  However, in Nevada and Arizona almost 70 percent of the voters rejected the proposal. This fact was hardly known in the Argentinian media. What would have happened if it had been just the opposite? No doubt this news would have been on the front page of the newspapers, and different movements would have encouraged an alliance with the First World for this "epic of human progress."

 

Great world money investors financially supported this plebiscite in the two states, and foundations from Washington D.C. permanently manipulate public opinion through the so-called “Marihuana Policy Project (MPP).” In the 1980´s, when I studied in the United States, businessmen supported prevention and rehabilitation programs. Nowadays, in some cases, it is the opposite way. Why? Is it to protect an alleged right of free will? (Or slavery?) I believe that at present there is a close connection between drugs and the social control of populations, especially regarding youth.

 

Scientific Research and Marihuana

Schizophrenia is the most serious of psychiatric diseases and leads to a permanent and progressive isolation of a person from his environment.  Regardless of race or social statue, one percent of the worldwide population is schizophrenic.  Dr. Ricardo Negrete, an Argentine psychiatrist living in Canada, studied the development of schizophrenic psychosis in marihuana consumers and non-consumers. He studied groups of youngsters in Canada, Germany, and France. In non-consumers of marihuana, the schizophrenic pathology remained at one percent. In marihuana consumers, it rose from four percent to seven percent, according to the country. From the scientific point of view, marihuana consumption reinforces schizophrenic psychosis. Why is it then that many people promote the liberalization of such a harmful drug?

 

The examples of Nevada and Arizona show us that there is a perceptive social representation in communities by those persons who were taught in schools, in the community, and in cultural movements that "innocent marihuana” actually damages public health.

 

Community education is the antidote to media operations that are carried out by means of great financial support in order to control populations. Thus, the best antidote to social acceptance of consumption is community organization. At the same time, these organizations need to generate public opinion through the media in order to protect the most valuable asset: public health.

 

 

 

 

It Is Folly

 

Now that those anxious to look cool can puff cannabis freely in the street without fear of arrest, perhaps those of us who have argued that relaxing the laws on cannabis is irresponsible and dangerous should retreat gracefully behind our chintz curtains. Yet the downgrading of the classification of cannabis perpetuates the same tired old myths and the same serious problems.

 

Although drinking in excess can lead to terrible consequences, there are guidelines for the amount of alcohol that constitutes a “safe” intake. I challenge any advocate of cannabis to state what a “safe” dose is.  The drug accumulates in your body for days, if not weeks, so you never know how much is already working away inside you.

 

Cannabis smoke contains many of the same constituents as that of tobacco; however, it is now thought that three to four cannabis cigarettes are equivalent to 20 or more tobacco cigarettes, regarding damage to the lining of the bronchus, while the concentration of carcinogens in cannabis smoke is actually higher than in cigarettes.

 

If cannabis were “just the same” as legal pain killers, why are people not taking the already legal drugs for their pain-relief effects?

There is a world of difference between medication prescribed in a hospital and one endangering the brain and body needlessly.  Even the most loony of liberals has not suggested allowing abuse of morphine or heroin.  Think about it — if cannabis brings effective relief from pain, it clearly does so by a large-scale action on the central nervous system.

 

Further wishful thinking is tha, because cannabis doesn't actually kill you, it is OK to liberalise drug laws, even though the Home Secretary admits that the drug is dangerous.

Although cannabis-impaired behavior can well kill, there is more to life than death. It is widely accepted that there is a link between cannabis and schizophrenia: As many as 50 pe cent of young people attending psychiatric clinics may be regular or occasional cannabis users. The drug can also precipitate psychotic attacks, even in those with no previous psychiatric history.  Moreover, there appears to be severe impairment in attention span and cognitive performance in regular cannabis users, even after the habit has been relinquished.

 

Some scientific research suggests that cannabis damages neurons, working as an impostor to a naturally occurring transmitter, thus modifying the configuration of the networks of brain cell connections.  These configurations of connections are what make you the unique person you are.  Although some urge caution in interpreting laboratory data, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.  It is hard for me, as a neuroscientist, to accept that a drug that has biochemical actions, hangs around in the brain and body, has dramatic effects on brain function and dysfunction, yet does not leave its mark, literally, on how our neurons are wired up and work together.

 

It is argued that we will never stamp out cannabis use, and therefore we should give up trying. But we will not stamp out murder or house break-ins or mugging, yet I've never heard an argument for freeing up police time by liberalising the law on these acts.

 

It is folly to legalise a drug that leaves users with permanent damage to their ability to reason.  We have failed our young people by giving them an easy route into a chilled-out oblivion.  We have turned our backs on the far more challenging prospect of initiating policies to help them realise their potential and live better and more fulfilling lives. 

* * * * * * * * * *

The Observer,London, England,  Sunday, August 18, 2002.  The unedited article can be found at www.drugwatch.org

 

 

 

 

Voices of the Victims

We Must All Bear Guilt for Scott Saunders' Death
By Maxie Richards, Glasgow, Scotland
Director, Maxie Richards Foundation
www.maxirichards.org

Scott Saunders is dead. This two-and-a-half-year-old, weakened by starvation, cold, deprivation, and physical abuse, paid the scapegoat price for this careless society and gave up the fight to live. Scott was a victim of malignant neglect, not just by his drug-crazed parents, but by the society into which he was born, where neglect, in various forms, has become commonplace. A parent's' right to choose, at any cost, a pleasure-seeking lifestyle, rules, while laws change to allow drug taking on an unprecedented scale. The silent sufferers are the children. The long-term effect becomes all too clear, as children, unable to cope with the chaos in their lives, become aggressive and disruptive, serving an apprenticeship for addiction.

This government's answer is so-called "harm reduction." This evil drug policy has been in place for 30 years or so. Its cornerstone is free choice for individuals to take drugs, and it promotes "safe use" - whatever that means.  This “harm reduction” policy focuses on the individual, never the family, the dependants, or the community. This policy promotes the lie that drugs are here to stay, and there is nothing we can do about it except "reduce harm" to the user/addict.  Addicts are enabled to take drugs and are given, at the taxpayers' expense, all necessary means. "Harm reduction" adherents are fanatical about protecting this system, even though it has resulted in the drug crisis in society. We have built a gigantic business on the backs of drug addicts (called 'clients'), and people grow fat on the proceeds.

The tax-paying public remains in denial. Perhaps people believe this couldn't be happening. It is. Parents of addicted children, exploited by the system, live the nightmare daily. The society we are creating through malignant neglect is not one we will want to live in. Scott Saunders is not the first to endure a living hell and prolonged death. Unless we act, the rot won't stop.

Forty years ago, the Scandinavian countries looked at "harm reduction." Their findings led them to scrap any notion of adopting such a policy. Every government agency had to adopt a drug-free stance and promote drug prevention. It was made abundantly clear that drug addiction was not an acceptable way of living. Sweden set up European Cities Against Drugs, developing strategies for a safe, drug-free society, and proving that it can be done.

In Rutherglen, an outwardly respectable neighbourhood of Glasgow, Scott Saunders was subjected to appalling abuse and neglect. One hundred and fifty wounds were found on his body; he had been systematically deprived of food, and his eventual death from starvation came after he had been left alone in the house for three days.

We must be brave enough to face up to our failures and to the treason - yes, treason - which is undermining our way of life, canceling our workforce, and damaging, often terminally, our young people, while imperceptibly luring us into accepting the unacceptable. Don't believe the lies, the platitudes, the excuses, the cover-up of so-called "harm reduction" drug policies. We are all responsible for the death of Scott through negligence.