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Medical Pot Politically Hot (Eugene, Oregon 'Register-Guard' Columnist
Don Bishoff Suggests He's Shocked, Shocked That A Lot Of People
At The WHEE2! Hemp Festival Near Eugene Consider Medical Marijuana Reform
To Be The First Step Toward Broader Reform Of Marijuana Laws,
Even Though Polls Show The Public At Large Supports One And Not The Other)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 18:03:41 -0700
To: dpfor@drugsense.org
From: Arthur Livermore (alive@pacifier.com)
Subject: DPFOR: The Register-Guard: Don Bishoff: Medical pot politically hot
Sender: owner-dpfor@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfor@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/

July 20, 1998

Don Bishoff: Medical pot politically hot

By DON BISHOFF
Columnist, The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon


HERE'S A REVELATION, man: Some people pushing the medical
marijuana initiative really do want it to be the pot camel's nose
under the Establishment tent.

Several told me that Sunday, as I strolled the grounds of Whee2!, the
world hemp expo, around Bill Conde's lumber yard at the Harrisburg
exit on I-5: They want outright legalization to follow medical
legalization.

"I have here an initiative petition to allow adults to manufacture,
possess and consume cannabis," said Claude Tower of November
Coalition. "It'll be on the ballot in 2000."

The coalition is one of many groups pushing - this year - Ballot
Measure 67, the medical pot initiative, and against Measure 57, the
recriminalization of pot possession.

Conde, who's been a sort of pied piper of pot for years, said: "If I
had my way, you know, it would have been legalized a long time
ago." He was rolling his own cigarette as we talked - and swore that
it contained only Bugler tobacco. I sniffed it, and it didn't smell
like pot - not that I would know.

But what Tower, Conde and the others freely admitted sort of
supports the claims of anti-drug people from federal anti-drug czar
Barry McCaffrey on down: Legalize medical marijuana today and,
next thing you know, anything goes.

So is the revelation politically dumb, just honesty, or a reverse
tactic? Hard to say, man.

"The truth is, there is a whole movement that wants to legalize
marijuana, and they obviously support medical marijuana because it's
a step in the right direction," said John Sajo of Douglas County.
He's director of Voter Power, another political action committee.

Sajo held up a box full of filled-out voter registration forms: "What
you find at an event like this is a lot of young people who have been
completely apolitical. I would say 99 percent of them wouldn't have
voted if they hadn't been here. These are marijuana voters."

May not be the kind of get-out-the-vote effort Secretary of State

Phil Keisling has in mind.

Oregon is among a half-dozen states and the District of Columbia that
will vote in November on legalizing medicinal pot. Oregon's measure,
unlike those passed in California and Arizona, would legalize patient
pot possession, with a doctor's OK, but not distribution by others.

"If we do allow medical patients to possess and use marijuana, it
starts to remove the stigmas," Sajo said.

"We're not voting on (full) legalization this year. I think when most
people go to the polls, they're going to vote on whether a sick or
dying person should be thrown in jail."

Allow for campaign-style hyperbole there.

THERE'S NO evidence that people now illegally smoking pot for
medical reasons - to relieve glaucoma, chemotherapy-caused nausea,
multiple sclerosis muscle spasms, or epileptic seizures - have
collectively spent a lot of time in jail. Fear of legal problems,
however, keeps them uneasy, and others from even trying it to relieve
illness.

If they are allowed to possess it, would that lead to wider
distribution among others?

Stephen Gaskin, white-bearded 71-year-old founder of The Farm, a
big 1970s hippie commune in Tennessee, laughed. "Were you here
last night?" he asked.

"Ken Kesey led this song-chant, with thousands of people here,
which was: 'I swear I'll never smoke anybody's medical marijuana.'
He had the whole crowd chanting that."

Gaskin said The Farm hopes to do for pot what it did for tofu: Make
it mainstream.

"We're all a bunch of hippies and we know first-hand that the real
trip about marijuana is that it ain't even that big a deal. ... Drug
companies are rushing to try to find things that do some of the things
marijuana does.

"I think it works better than Viagra."

John English of Eugene disagreed with everybody else I talked to. He
was standing by the road leading to the expo grounds, holding signs
that said: "Criminals one and all," and "Ask the DA to confiscate
Conde's land."

English is with a Eugene-based group, FOCC (For Our Children's
Children), opposed to legalization of any illegal drug. Motioning to
a couple of tie-dyed young people hitch-hiking across the road, he said
he was there for them:

"I lived that lifestyle for 14 years. I care about not only children
who see these people using dope, but I care about these people."

English dismissed pot's claimed medical properties and said that
marijuana smoke contains more carcinogens and tar than tobacco
smoke, with the same resulting death possibilities. Conde said
earlier:

"There's been not one reported death in a 12,000-year history of
smoking pot" - which seems a bit sweeping.

Me, I'm still convinced that medical pot use is worth trying, for
humanitarian reasons. Full legalization is a separate issue, to be
voted on separately - and later.

Even if medical pot is a nose under the tent, it doesn't mean that
voters will necessarily let the rest of the cannabis camel in.

To contact Don Bishoff, call GuardLine, 485-2000 and enter
category 3828. His e-mail address is dbishoff@guardnet.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

They Huff And Puff In California Fight Over Medical Marijuana
('The Boston Globe' Notes The Oakland City Council's Recent Vote
In Support Of Patients And Interviews A Variety Of Players,
Including Jeff Jones At The Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative,
Scott Imler At The Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center,
And Matt Ross Of Attorney General Dan Lungren's Office)

Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 18:46:23 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: They Huff And Puff
In California Fight Over Medical Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Mike Gogulski (syadasti@cat.net)
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Pubdate: 2O Jul 1998
Contact: letters@globe.com
Website: http://www.boston.com/globe/
Author: Lynda Gorov, Globe Staff OAKLAND, Calif.

THEY HUFF AND PUFF IN CALIF. FIGHT OVER MEDICAL MARIJUANA

In the back room of an otherwise bland downtown building here, a dozen or
so men and women lined up the other day to buy baked goods laced with
marijuana.

The selection included ''Rice Crispy treats'' and chocolate chip
cookies. The sweets came in peanut butter flavor, too.

For those who prefer to smoke their supply, an even wider assortment
was available in plastic bags with labels like ''Indoor Special'' and
''Fruit Loops.'' Cannabis in pill form was also on sale.

The transactions were perfectly legal, according to the people who run
the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative and the people with cancer,
AIDS, and chronic pain who shop there. They say Californians gave them
that right in November 1996 when they voted to become the only state
in the nation to allow medical patients to use marijuana with a
doctor's approval. But both buyers and sellers are edgy these days,
worried that the federal or state government will keep patients from
the one drug that they say prevents muscle spasms, eases their agony,
and helps them keep down food - and does so without negative side effects.

In test cases that are being monitored by marijuana advocates from
Maine to Alaska, the Oakland cooperative and a handful of others are
operating in violation of a federal court injunction. Their defiance
can be detected in the air: Although smoking is forbidden in the back
room known as the Bud Bar, the sticky-sweet smell of marijuana was so
strong it clung to clothing and hair. ''It is my medicine and it
allowed me to kick every other pharmaceutical unless I'm in serious,
serious pain,'' said Ken Estes, 40, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle
accident 22 years ago. He now grows marijuana for the Oakland
cooperative and teaches customers how to cultivate it in their
closets. ''I've sat in my wheelchair behind bars because of it. Well,
they can put me in jail again. I'm not going to quit.'' The outcome of
the California drug war could set a precedent, and advocates fear a
decision against them would discourage other states from pursuing
similar policies. The issue is on Oregon's November ballot, and is
likely to be voted on in Colorado and Washington state. Signature
drives in Maine, Alaska, and Nevada have yet to succeed, but the
effort to legalize medical marijuana there continues.

''Government opposition to medical marijuana, especially at the
federal level, is voracious,'' said Dave Fratello, a spokesman for the
Santa Monica-based Americans for Medical Rights, which pushed the
voter referendum formally known as Proposition 215.

The federal government says the sale or distribution of marijuana is
illegal under any circumstance. The Justice Department wants US
District Judge Charles Breyer to allow US marshals to padlock six
northern California clubs, which were caught selling marijuana to
patients without the requisite doctor's approval, and hold them in
contempt.

The state also opposes the clubs, which serve thousands of people,
saying that Proposition 215 permits only patients or their primary
caregivers to possess or cultivate marijuana.

So far, state Attorney General Dan Lungren has succeeded in putting
the largest club - the Cannabis Healing Center in San Francisco, with
about 8,000 members - out of business, at least temporarily. Police in
other cities have closed clubs too, after accusing them of selling
marijuana to nonpatients.

''It's not something we're against,'' said John Carrillo, an officer
with the San Jose Police Department, which shuttered a club and
arrested its operator. ''We're just making sure everyone is in
compliance with the law.'' Just the fear of arrest, however, is
forcing clubs underground as in the days before Proposition 215,
making an accurate count of their number difficult. Advocates
estimate, however, that the number of larger cannabis clubs has
plummeted in the past year, from a peak of 28 to fewer than a dozen.
Stephen Shefler, a first assistant US attorney in San Francisco, said
his agency is considering what action, if any, to take against the
clubs not named in the federal lawsuit.

''Originally we opposed Prop. 215; now we're calling for a rational
approach,'' said Matt Ross, Lungren's spokesman. ''A doctor can
recommend it, a patient can use and grow it based on that
recommendation, and should the patient not be able to do so, a primary
caregiver can provide it - the key word being primary caregiver.'' The
clubs counter that, by being part of cooperatives, members are pooling
resources to acquire marijuana as inexpensively and efficiently as
possible. Jeff W. Jones, the Oakland cooperative's executive director,
said a quarter-ounce of marijuana can cost patients $40 to $110,
depending on quality. That cost includes just enough to cover the
cooperative's overhead and the cost of the plants. That's slightly
below street value for 10 joints. ''Public opinion is way ahead of the
politicians,'' Jones said. ''It started as a movement with the people
and now it's accepted by some local governments. The next step is the
state and then we'll get the feds.'' In the meantime, club operators
say they want their day in court. Saying that voters already approved
medical marijuana once, they believe a jury is certain to see the need
for their distribution networks. But the federal case will be heard
only by Breyer, who has indicated in previous rulings that he is
likely to side with the government.

At the state level, Senator John Vasconcellos, whose May summit on
medical marijuana brought together advocates and opponents, is pushing
a bill that would authorize local governments to create their own
medical marijuana distribution systems. That bill recently failed in
committee but may come up again. Lungren and other elected officials
have endorsed a project at the University of California to research
the efficacy of medical marijuana, whose palliative effects are
promoted by many patients and doctors. Even the federal government
supplies marijuana to some patients under the so-called Compassionate
Investigative New Drug program. But the Bush administration closed
that program to newcomers in 1992 - advocates say it was because too
many AIDS patients were applying - and today it serves only eight
people, most of whom have glaucoma.

''People with AIDS and cancer need it now; we can't wait until the
research is concluded to fix this awful distribution system that has
grown up on an ad hoc basis,'' said Rand Martin, Vasconcellos' chief
of staff. ''The irony is that while President Clinton and his people
are pushing to close our clubs down, the movement is spreading
nationally. People want this.'' Yet even some cannabis club operators
say that their operations are no panacea. They want medical marijuana
to be reclassified as a prescription drug that can be grown legally
and sold in pharmacies. As Scott Imler, who heads the as yet
untargeted Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center in West Hollywood, put
it: ''The minute the clubs aren't necessary anymore, I'll be the first
one to close. Who needs this stress?... I worry every day that we'll
be shut down.'' The same threat hangs over the Oakland cooperative,
open since July 1996 and serving 1,350 patients, ages 18 to 85. Now a
guard checks membership cards, and doctors' recommendations must be
updated yearly. To be extra cautious, the club will not provide
referrals to doctors known to support marijuana use; members must find
their own physicians. The precautions, Jones says, helped the club
spot an undercover officer who was attempting to buy drugs - an
unmasking captured on videotape.

The Bud Bar where marijuana is stored and cuttings are sold is
off-limits to minors and monitored by another guard. On a recent day,
in the course of an hour a dozen or more patients came and went, many
shockingly thin, none giddy from a drug high. Marijuana, they said,
offers relief rather than euphoria. ''My legs used to jump all over
the place,'' said Yvonne Westbrook, 45, who has multiple sclerosis.
''The doctor prescribed valium, but I couldn't function. With a few
puffs of marijuana, I'm just fine. My doctor understands this.'' The
city council in Oakland, where Jerry Brown is the mayor-elect, has
indicated it understands, too. Recently it voted to allow patients to
store 1.5 pounds of marijuana - a three-month supply far larger than
the state allows. The new policy also instructs Oakland officers to
treat medical-marijuana growers as a low priority for enforcement and
gives individuals two days to provide proof that their marijuana is
for medical use. ''We want to conserve cop time and, at the same time,
we don't want to harass cancer and AIDS patients,'' said Mike
Nisperos, public safety liaison for the Oakland city manager. ''If
this makes you stop retching, if it makes you feel less sick, we're
saying go ahead. You're not hurting anybody.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitt Buzzed About Pot Project ('Reuters' Says A Story In 'Variety'
Claims Actor Brad Pitt Is Showing More Than Token Interest
In A New Line Studios Project, 'Smuggler's Moon,' The Life Story
Of Marijuana Smugglers Kris And Bill Shaffer)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:21:21 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Wire: Pitt Buzzed About Pot Project
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: Reuters
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

PITT BUZZED ABOUT POT PROJECT

NEW YORK (Variety)- Brad Pitt is showing more than token interest in a film
project about marijuana smuggling brothers.

New Line on Friday snapped up the rights to ``Smuggler's Moon,'' the life
story of Kris and Bill Shaffer, in a seven-figure deal. Pitt is intrigued
with the story, but will wait to see a script before he decides whether to
star as one of the brothers.

What New Line bought is a modern day ``Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid''
story about the Shaffers, two brothers who spent 20 years operating a
documentary film company specializing in diving for deep sea treasures. But
unlike the majority of documentarians who make no money, these guys were
wealthy beyond imagination. That's because the company was a front for the
tons of marijuana they smuggled into the United States. Eventually, they
were caught and served six years in Lompoc Federal Penitentiary. Paroled
last December, the brothers, are now part of the legitimate movie business
with this deal.

The deal marks the continuing efforts of New Line to get back in business
with Pitt, the actor who with Morgan Freeman turned the gritty David
Fincher-directed ``Seven'' into one of the studio's top grossing films.
Pitt has a preexisting attachment to one New Line project, the screen
adaptation to the General Custer book ``Marching to Valhalla'' by ``Dances
With Wolves'' screenwriter Michael Blake. It's unclear whether Pitt will
actually star in that film.

Despite recent box office misfires in ``Seven Years in Tibet'' and ``The
Devil's Own,'' Pitt's stock is as high as ever because of advance word on
his upcoming ``Meet Joe Black,'' directed by Martin Brest. Pitt is
currently starring with Edward Norton in the
Fincher-directed ``The Fight Club.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Scoring Against Drugs (A Traditionally Simplistic 'Dallas Morning News'
Article About Ex-Football Star Isiah Robertson's Rehab Program
For 'Young Addicts' In Mabank, Texas)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 02:29:02 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US TX: Scoring Against Drugs
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Source: Dallas Morning News
Contact: letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com
Author: Elena Vasquez, The Dallas Morning News

SCORING AGAINST DRUGS

Ex-football star Isiah Robertson uses faith, discipline to help young
addicts in his rehab program

MABANK, Texas - Everett is looking for a second chance.

He broke curfew and may be kicked out of the drug rehab program that he
enrolled in seeking help for his four-year cocaine addiction.

Five friends and fellow residents (like Everett, identified in this story by
first name only) gather to determine his fate with the director of the
program. Should he get heavy chores or expulsion from the program, where he
was sent in lieu of going through the justice system.

"He's got a good heart," says Stormy, 20, of Canton. "I'd let him stay."

"Definitely woodpile," says Reuben, 20, of Plano. "He should be put on a
short leash and grill his butt."

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound arbiter is Isiah Robertson, the ex-linebacker for
the then-Los Angeles Rams and director of the House of Isaiah. As Mr.
Robertson listens to the arguments, his thick black eyebrows rise. His
tapping feet peek out the front of the desk.

"Any more suggestions? No?" he asks.

Mr. Robertson, pen almost disappearing in his hand, hunches over a notepad
to write the final terms of Everett's punishment. He then buzzes the
intercom and bellows for his assistant to send the man into his office.
Everett comes in to receive his ultimatum.

Mr. Robertson peers over his bifocals and encourages Everett to stick to the
conditions of his punishment and continue with the program.

"You're going to do what it takes and God will help you," Mr. Robertson says.

The ex-football star who was knocked down by a drug addiction in the
mid-'80s knows what it's like to be on the other end of recovery.

And Everett knows it. "If I left, you'd call the law on me?" he asks Mr.
Robertson.

"Yes, I've got two of Dallas County's finest who went to bat for you," Mr.
Robertson says.

The 18-year-old from Garland looks around the room, grins and asks: "How
about that woodpile?"

Christian doctrine and a strong work ethic - these are the paths outlined in
Mr. Robertson's recovery program, the tools toward rebuilding futures that
have been put on hold due to drug and alcohol addiction.

Many of his residents are from Plano, home of a heroin epidemic that has
claimed at least a dozen lives since 1996.

"Plano has awakened to this tragedy," says Phil Mercer, senior pastor of the
First United Methodist Church in Plano.

A parishioner of Mr. Mercer's had heard good things about Mr. Robertson's
program and taken his son there for treatment.

"I think Isiah Robertson is a unique person himself, and has a unique
capacity to blend authority with Christian love," says Mr. Mercer, who saw
Mr. Robertson and a few of the residents speak at a Rotary Club meeting in
Plano recently.

"He's a disciplinarian," Mr. Mercer says. "The young men know that he's
serious. I sensed that he has gone through the valley."

For nearly 10 years, the House of Isaiah in Mabank, 55 miles east of Dallas,
has been helping recovering drug users and alcoholics beat their addictions.
Mr. Robertson offers free treatment to those who can't afford it and accepts
payment on a sliding scale from those who can. Of the 30 residents at the
facility, 10 are from Plano and 15 are from elsewhere in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area. In all, Mr. Robertson says he has treated nearly 1,250 young men
from the area.

Some have come from as far away as Rio Grande City and from other states as
well, including Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Jersey.

Once residents make the pledge to take part in the six-month recovery
program, they are to attend daily Bible and recovery classes, as well as
nightly Alcoholics Anonymous classes. The residents are also expected to
attend church revivals off grounds and must keep up their weekly chores.

The House of Isaiah began in 1989 as a trailer on 50 acres with some
livestock. Now the facility consists of a house on a 120-acre lot with a
kitchen, recreation room, classroom and administrative offices. Most of Mr.
Robertson's residents are referred to him by judges, police, probation
officers, insurance companies, mental health facilities and churches.

Mr. Robertson, 49, based the name of the house on a passage from the Book of
Isaiah, 61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to release the prisoners
and to set the captives free."

His mission - to teach and save - was honed on the playing fields by a
lifetime of coaching and mentoring young men.

"The whole key to the recovery is bonding with these young men and
developing a relationship so they can trust you," Mr. Robertson says.

Mr. Robertson builds relationships with the House of Isaiah residents in a
number of ways, at home and on the road.

On a recent afternoon, he accompanied Terry on a visit with his probation
officer.

He used the hourlong drive to listen to tapes of Fort Worth preacher Dale
Jentry extolling the virtues of clean living. Mr. Robertson considers him
one of his "spiritual gurus," and wanted to share his enthusiasm. He turned
the volume up. No one spoke the whole ride.

Terry, 21, of Greenville, sat in the back seat, quiet yet pensive, using a
rest stop to smoke a cigarette. His sunglasses hid his blue eyes. At one
point, he lifted his shirt to show the thick scar that runs from the middle
of his chest to his belly button.

"I put a gun to my chest and pulled the trigger. My mother found me," says
Terry. "I used heroin to come down from the cocaine. I was tired of shooting
dope, tired of being alive. Heroin has a way of bringing down your
self-esteem and emotions."

Terry had been to two other rehabilitation centers before coming to the
House of Isaiah.

"He's a great guy," Terry says of Mr. Robertson. "He's got a big heart. He's
positive inside. No matter how mad you are going into his office, you always
come out laughing, even if you're in trouble.

"At other treatment centers, there's so many in the chain of command. One
person tells you one thing. Someone else tells you another. He's the boss.
He's been there."

Mr. Robertson has many admirers who know him as a tough man with a soft
heart. "When you played against him, he tried to take your head off," says
former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.

"I played against him all the time. If you played against him you said,
'This guy's a real jerk,' then when you meet him you realize that was him
being an entertainer on the field. He was a good character who, off the
field, was the kind of guy who was a lot of fun."

Mr. Staubach paraphrases a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. to describe his
friend and former nemesis: "You need to be aggressive like a serpent, tender
like a dove, you need a tough mind and a soft heart."

"Isiah, for all his toughness, has a real strong heart. He really cares,"
says Mr. Staubach, chairman and CEO of the Staubach Co. headquartered in Dallas.

"I think Isiah has always had this internal caring about him. Even through
the tough times. That's important. Some people never give back, when things
are going bad [instead] we're pointing fingers."

Mr. Robertson remembers the lure of drugs 13 years ago. After retiring from
a successful 12-year linebacking career in the NFL, Mr. Robertson went into
the cell phone business and became successful. He owned 14 homes and five
Mercedes.

"I didn't want to get involved in drugs," Mr. Robertson says. "I just
happened to get involved with successful people" who were involved with drugs.

After being introduced to crack cocaine, Mr. Robertson says, he spent
$20,000 on a 31-day binge. He entered rehabilitation programs but relapsed
to a $2,500-a-day habit. He sold his cars and homes to pay for his drug
habit and keep his business. Once the money ran out, he cut lawns and worked
at a car dealership to make a living.

One evening in 1986, two men drove a car through his L.A. home and beat him
severely. He says he would have been shot if the gun hadn't jammed. While
running away, Mr. Robertson was arrested by police and accused of possessing
cocaine. He wasn't charged, but spent a night in jail before he was
released. That's when he says he decided to come to terms with his addiction.

"My life was based on what people wanted me to be," Mr. Robertson says. "As
an athlete you're supposed to knock people's heads off on Sundays. Being a
linebacker off the field, you have to have a certain image, a certain
charisma. You become invincible and you develop these theories and values
that you can't get hurt."

He says that he liked "fast cars and pretty women." He said he got off track
with the things that were important to him, "like family, integrity." Mr.
Robertson has been married twice. He has one daughter from the first
marriage and three children by his second wife, Peggy.

Mr. Robertson was in rehab for three years, "two playing around . . . and
one in recovery."

He decided to move to Dallas after attending the Church on the Rock Bible
College in Rockwall. He says he dedicated his life to helping young men who
have made the same mistakes.

One of those young men is Joshua, a 23-year-old Carrollton man with purple
track marks scarring both arms.

"He's not like a father to me, but he is like a father to a lot of these
people," Joshua says. "When you start thinking stupid and straying off, you
go back into his office and he kicks your butt back in line and you start
thinking straight for another week until you start thinking stupid again."

Thinking straight is a big part of recovery, Mr. Robertson says. During
daily, Christian-based Bible and rehabilitation classes, Mr. Robertson
delivers the word of God to the residents, often to a chorus of cheers and
amens. Sometimes he takes his cues from his favorite preacher, Mr. Jentry,
and tells them that life is like a race and you have to run not only to win
but run with a purpose.

"You've got to protect your future," Mr. Robertson bellows.

"You've got to protect your potential. You've got to protect the gift that
God has given every one of you. Don't be afraid."

But Mr. Robertson knows he can't protect everyone. His charges often falter.

One of his former residents, Roy, 24, recently returned to the House of
Isaiah seeking refuge. He has fallen back into drugs and violated probation.
A warrant is out for his arrest; police could come at any time.

"You left here early and told me, 'Isiah, I am ready man. I know I can make
it. I mean God has spoke to me.' " He asks Roy to step up to the pulpit.

"So what is going through your mind now, Roy? What is going through your
mind now knowing that [any day now], every computer in the state of Texas is
going to have you in their system as a felon," Mr. Robertson barks.

"Roy is looking at 10 years. Just take 10 years and throw them in the
garbage can."

Roy is silent. He asks to be excused and quietly leaves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

New Smoking Vaccine Developed (Scripps Howard News Service
Says Immulogic Of Waltham, Massachusetts, Plans To Test A Vaccine Soon
On Human Volunteers That Blocks Nicotine From Reaching Receptors
In The Body - The Company Has Already Begun Testing A Cocaine Vaccine
On Volunteers, And Claims The Same Technique Would Work
For Marijuana Consumers, If Not Alcoholics)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:23:52 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Wire: New Smoking Vaccine Developed
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: Scripps Howard News Service
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Author: John Illman

NEW SMOKING VACCINE DEVELOPED

Smokers who have tried every way of quitting and still can't kick the habit
could find the answer in a revolutionary anti-smoking vaccine.

The vaccine has been developed by ImmuLogic of Waltham, Mass., which plans
to test it shortly on human volunteers. The company has already begun
testing a cocaine vaccine on volunteers.

This is the first anti-smoking treatment which has attempted to neutralize
the addictive effects of nicotine. The vaccine works by provoking an immune
response with antibodies which bind to and neutralize the nicotine,
preventing it from reaching the body's nicotine receptors and reinforcing
the craving which hooks smokers.

In other words, you could smoke if you wanted to, but since there would be
no ``nicotine hit'' there would be little point in persisting.

The new vaccines could be the forerunners of a new generation of treatments
which would transform the way we deal with drug abuse -- from marijuana to
nicotine.

The key to the new vaccines lies in their distinctive chemical molecules
which are easily identified in the brain by antibodies.

Researchers had hoped to develop an alcohol vaccine, but Barbara Fox of
ImmuLogic said: ``The alcohol molecule is too simple. For a vaccine to
work, you need the antibodies to be specific for that drug, and to be
easily identified. The cocaine molecule is very distinctive.''

The vaccine's development has been welcomed by one of Britain's leading
addiction specialists as ``a major advance which could save as many lives
as the early vaccines against infectious scourges like smallpox.''

Dr. Colin Brewer, director of the Stapleford Center, a British clinic which
treats patients with drug addictions, said: ``Smoking is just like an
infectious disease. It spreads from person to person. Nicotine is nearly
always the first drug people use, the first drug they get addicted to, and
the most addictive of all drugs.''

Brewer said there could be an ethical outcry if governments sought to
immunize children against tobacco since vaccines can have adverse effects.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

A Win For Due Process (A Staff Editorial In 'The Bergen Record'
Praises The New Jersey Supreme Court's Ruling Last Week That People
Have A Right To Take Forfeiture Cases To A Jury - In Their Decision,
The Justices Referred To Colonial Days When Ships Off New Jersey's Coast
Could Not Be Seized Without A Jury Trial - 'Automobile Owners Are Entitled
To The Same Protection Today,' Justice Stewart Pollock Wrote)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:50:18 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US NJ: Editorial: A Win For Due Process
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: MCCLOSL@towers.com
Source: Bergen Record
Contact: newsroom@bergen-record.com
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

A WIN FOR DUE PROCESS

THERE'S something unfair when the state confiscates a person's property
without a trial. In big cases involving money laundering or organized
crime, the tactic may be justified on grounds that the money or property
will disappear if authorities don't seize it. Nevertheless, the common
police tactic contradicts at least the spirit of due process and
presumption of innocence.

Even more questionable was New Jersey's practice of barring property owners
from appealing such seizures to juries. The state Supreme Court's decision
that people can take these cases to a jury is an important victory for
individual rights.

Prior to last week's ruling, people could appeal property seizures in civil
court -- but only to a judge. The case was brought by Lois McDermott, a
65-year-old widow whose son was using her car three years ago when he was
charged with selling heroin to a Monmouth County police officer. Ms.
McDermott says her son, who pleaded guilty, used the car without
permission.

In their decision, the justices referred to colonial days when ships off
New Jersey's coast could not be seized without a jury trial. "Automobile
owners are entitled to the same protection today," Justice Stewart Pollock
wrote. "The forfeiture of automobiles today, like that of sailing ships in
earlier times, should be subject to the general rule requiring trial by
jury."

State Attorney General Peter Verniero says the state Supreme Court's ruling
will logjam courts, divert law enforcement officials from investigations,
and hamper the war against drugs by removing the threat of swift
forfeiture.

That may be true. But convenience and efficient law enforcement cannot be
the driving factors in law. If they were, people merely suspected of crimes
could be sentenced without trials. Justice Pollock summed it up best when
writing: "Mere inconvenience cannot justify the denial of a constitutional
right."

Copyright 1998 Bergen Record Corp.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Union Head - NBA Players Would Bend, But Not Too Far, On Marijuana
(A CBS 'Sportsline' Update On The Campaign By National Basketball Association
Club Owners To Test Players For Cannabis Metabolites)

Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 12:55:55 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Wire: Union Head: NBA Players
Would Bend, But Not Too Far, On Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: CBS Sportsline
Contact: http://www.sportsline.com/u/feedback/feedback.htm
Website: http://www.sportsline.com
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Author: Mike Kahn

UNION HEAD: NBA PLAYERS WOULD BEND, BUT NOT TOO FAR, ON MARIJUANA

Not that he would ever be compared to Richard Nixon, but National
Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter wanted to
make his perspective on adding marijuana to the NBA's drug policy perfectly
clear:

"This will not," Hunter emphasized, "prevent us from reaching a compromise
on a new collective bargaining agreement. But I will not agree to sanctions
that are stronger than those put upon the general public, either.

"We are not of the impression marijuana is a problem with the players.
Remember, the players association took the lead, with the NBA, to outlaw
drugs in 1983. It just hasn't been looked at in 15 years."

WHEN THE DRUG POLICY WAS FIRST implemented, the NBA's problem substances
were different than today's -- cocaine, crack, heroin, amphetamines and
downers were far more prevalent. Since then, usage of that group has
slipped dramatically in the NBA, as it has in the general public, and
marijuana has been referred to as the "drug of choice" of the league's
players. One report quoted sources as saying as many as 70 percent use
marijuana.

Hunter says there are lots of wild numbers out there but won't deny concern
-- especially with the report of Atlanta Hawks free agent Greg "Cadillac"
Anderson admitting to his involvement in a "cocaine distribution ring."

"Let me just say the players association is against drug use and
involvement," Hunter said. "I was provided with reports from this year by
the NBA about 21 individuals who got into trouble, and it was reported more
than once. Only six or seven of those were accused of using marijuana. We
have 411 active members, so I don't call that a problem.

"What bothers me is I've been quoted of having demanded, if the drug policy
is modified, economic concessions. That isn't true. It was all out of
context in our overall negotiations. We are adamantly against the use of
drugs. What happened was I refused to negotiate in the abstract. I knew the
collective bargaining agreement would be terminated and I wouldn't agree to
a global settlement on the subject. Rest assured, if we settle on the other
(economic) issues, the drug policy modification won't hold up the deal. It
will get done."

In one breath, Hunter says the players are adamantly against drug usage. In
the other, he says there isn't a problem. Keep in mind, the negotiations
between the NBA and the players association have grown increasingly
acrimonious over the past month -- particularly with the lockout imposed by
the owners on July 1. Still, Hunter insists this is an entirely separate
issue that just happens to be coming to light at this time.

THE OTHER COINCIDENCE IS marijuana usage might be at an all-time high in
the NBA. The 70 percent figure might or might not be exaggerated, but to
talk about only six or seven players being involved with marijuana is far
more ridiculous.

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson has been dangling on the edge of drug
controversy, involving marijuana possession by friends, for two years now.
Former Washington Wizards star Chris Webber was arrested for a traffic
violation and accused of having a joint in the ashtray when he was pulled
over. And there have been more than a few players convicted of massive
possession in recent years.

Then again, there is a huge difference between having a problem with
marijuana as a way of life as opposed to occasional recreational usage --
even if it is illegal.

"When they attempted to negotiate that in globally around the agreement, we
agreed to go back later and revisit the modification to include marijuana,"
Hunter said. "We're just now getting around to it. But I think the
sanctions were oppressive -- from 10 games as a first offense and on from
there. I won't agree to something like that. I will agree to a compromise."

As for alcohol, Hunter said that has not been brought into the discussion,
but he wouldn't be surprised if it was not. As with every other sport,
alcohol is the most abused drug.

"They will probably raise that," Hunter conceded. "But that hasn't been
included yet."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Blowing Smoke - Marijuana Use NBA's Biggest Drug Concern These Days
(Another Piece On The Same Topic By The Same CBS 'Sportsline' Announcer)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:58:07 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Wire: Blowing Smoke: Marijuana Use
NBA's Biggest Drug Concern These Days
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: CBS SportsLine
Contact: http://www.sportsline.com/u/feedback/feedback.htm
Website: http://www.sportsline.com
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Author: Mike Kahn, CBS SportsLine Executive Editor

BLOWING SMOKE: MARIJUANA USE NBA'S BIGGEST DRUG CONCERN THESE DAYS

The stock line with regard to marijuana use in the NBA for years went
something like this
if commissioner David Stern walked in on a team at
halftime and they were getting high, he would have no other recourse than
to smile and just say no if a player asked him if he had a light.

Evidently, players rarely say no these days amid reports that as many as 70
percent smoke pot at least on a recreational basis.

Because it's not included with cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and opium in
the league's current drug policy. With the existing agreement with the
union being scrapped in the current lockout by owners, the marijuana issue
is one of the elements being carved into the negotiations over a new deal.

"In 1983 (when the first drug policy was implemented), 70 percent of the
NBA players used cocaine, and marijuana wasn't on the radar screen," Stern
said. "Marijuana is something society has struggled with and, in some
jurisdictions, decriminalized. For us, there was the more important issue
of the epidemic of crack and cocaine sweeping the country. If, in fact,
marijuana is a problem in society, sports has the opportunity to lead
rather than to hide."

BACK IN THOSE DAYS, AND EVEN more so a decade earlier, cocaine and crack
led the way in the NBA. Teams couldn't wait to play the Warriors in the Bay
Area; Oakland was known as "Cokeland," and the unsavory characters who hung
with the players around the airport hotels were alarming even for the
worldly NBA types.

Guys such as John Lucas, Orlando Woolridge and John Drew came out of
college highly regarded and ended up just, well, high. They fell into the
trap of alcohol and cocaine, among other drugs. They played to get high
instead of playing to win, according to Lucas, who now is in charge of the
NBA after-care program. Woolridge continues to tell stories of what was and
what he wishes had never been.

"The troubles athletes go through are for a lot of reasons," said
Woolridge, now an assistant coach with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.
"There's so much money and time and pressure and people coming at you all
the time from different directions, you have to really be together to keep
your head on straight. How many people in the early-to-mid 20s are ready to
handle all of that? There's no way to develop your potential if drugs are
in the way."

The problems of cocaine nearly killed the entire Phoenix Suns franchise in
the mid-1980s when almost half the team was indicted after a Maricopa
County investigation. Ultimately, one of the original members of the
organization, team president Jerry Colangelo, brought together a consortium
to buy the Suns and tear them apart from top to bottom.

Colangelo still feels it was a witch hunt, but nonetheless, something was
clearly wrong. Out of that trouble, Colangelo managed to create one of the
great professional franchises, leading to him landing major-league baseball
for Phoenix. It also earned him the reputation as one of the brightest
visionaries in sports.

"It was a horrible situation, and I cared too much about the Phoenix Suns
to just let it fall apart," Colangelo said at the time. "There were a lot
of people who made mistakes, and with the investigation as high profile as
it was, they were going to nail as many big names as they could. We were
lucky it wasn't worse."

THE COCAINE PROBLEM FOR THE NBA had reached a zenith in the 1986 draft,
preceding the Suns nightmare. The lottery was filled with nasal problems.
The second pick overall, Len Bias, died in the wee hours after the draft
from a cocaine overdose. The Suns suffered with William Bedford's coke
problems. Roy Tarpley's immense talent in Dallas was snowed under by
cocaine and alcohol abuse. Chris Washburn was the third pick overall by
Golden State and was a washout, recently reported as living on the streets
of Atlanta, then Dallas.

That's four of the top seven picks going down the tubes fast. They've been
out of sight and mind for years now.

"Even in the middle of all that, we were blinded to how bad it was," Lucas
said. "It was just like the game -- fast and filling you full of ego. What
happened to Lenny Bias could have happened to a lot of guys. We were all
lucky it wasn't worse."

They fed off each other, blowing their way to the next city. So when Stern
became commissioner and they put together the drug policy for the
collective bargaining agreement in 1983, marijuana just wasn't perceived as
a problem. They were adamant about exorcising cocaine. That wasn't
accomplished for years, until less-harmful marijuana became the drug of
choice.

"When we drafted Washburn, we looked right past his problems," said George
Karl, then the Warriors coach and fired by the Seattle SuperSonics last
month. "He had so much talent, we didn't see the other side. A 6-11 player
with power, floor skills and touch is all we saw. But once we got him, we
knew something was wrong. Wash had all those talents and that size and
couldn't play. Cocaine was ruining him.

If you think a particular player is smoking marijuana, he probably is. But
it's not as obvious as cocaine because there aren't the mood swings. I had
a rookie who got on the elevator with me and just reeked of marijuana. I
said to him, 'Rook, if you're going to get high before a game, the least
you can do is change your clothes or take a shower or something before you
walk out of your room.'

"He showed more quickness running out of that elevator back to his room
than he ever showed on the basketball court."

NOW THE SITUATION HAS COME TO A HEAD, so to speak. You look around the
league at teen-agers coming in and making millions of dollars and realize
there's little that can be done without regular testing.

Once again, Allen Iverson, the Philadelphia guard with superstar talent but
horrible influences around him, is in the middle of something he shouldn't
be near. A couple of his good buddies took his new car and were arrested
after they completed a deal for cocaine and marijuana, according to police,
last week in Norfolk, Va.

This is the third year in a row Iverson's friends have drawn him into the
media with drug-related problems. He was a passenger in his own car last
fall when a marijuana cigarette and a gun were found under his seat. The
year before, one of the two friends from this year's incident, Michael
Powell, was involved with Iverson's car, a shooting and drugs.

The sad part is, people around Iverson enough find him likable and
congenial. He has just exhibited bad taste in friends, and it's going to
get him into the same trouble he found when he was jailed during high
school.

The same goes for many other NBA players in danger of being dragged down by
the clinging fingers of the less-fortunate friends they had while growing
up. But the NBA can obviously do little more than keep the unpalatable
people out of the locker rooms.

Now it's just a matter of including marijuana, and probably excessive
alcohol, on the table of these negotiations. Despite consistent denials
from executive director Billy Hunter, Stern claims the only way those two
elements get on the bargaining table to stay is with some return on it for
the players.

"But it's not as easy as it sounds," Stern said. "Our stance has been,
'Let's discuss it,' and thus far, the players have said, 'a) we won't
discuss it, and b) if we do, you've got to pay us for it,' and that's a
fact."

For now, they're all paying for it. There is a lockout. There is a problem
with attitudes and extracurricular activities, and it has affected the game
itself as the aging megastars are on the verge of leaving.

"I don't have a problem with testing," San Antonio star David Robinson
said. "The only problem is the guys who take offense to getting tested
because they're in denial over what they're doing. This is a pivotal time
in the NBA. We can't let things get away from us, and the last thing we
should do is let drugs play a role."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Treat The Pain (A Staff Editorial In 'The Wall Street Journal' Says That,
In A Day When Viagra Is Flying Off The Shelves, The Unwillingness
To Put Serious Muscle Into Treating Pain Is A Puzzle, Noting 40 Percent
Of Cancer Patients In Nursing Homes May Receive Inadequate Medical Attention
And Report Daily Pain, And A Recent Report In 'The Journal Of The American
Medical Association' Suggests 90 Percent Of Those Suffering Severe Pain
From Cancer Or Other Diseases Could Be Helped)

Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 10:25:54 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: Treat The Pain
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
NewsHawk: Mark Greer
Source: Wall Street Journal
Contact: letter.editor@edit.wsj.com
Website: http://www.wsj.com/
Pubdate: 20, July 1998

TREAT THE PAIN

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that
90% of those suffering severe pain from cancer or other diseases could
be helped with drugs that have been available for at least a quarter
of a century.

This brings up a sore subject for the medical profession, because, as
researchers found, doctors are not on top of pain. A study of almost
14,000 elderly cancer patients in nursing homes found that as many as
40% received inadequate medical attention and reported daily pain.

In a day when Viagra is flying off the shelves, the unwillingness to
put serious muscle into treating pain is a puzzle. The JAMA editors
call the problem a "first-line indicator of poor quality of medical
care."

There is no magic bullet for this one, but state laws are part of the
problem. Many states impose restrictions on the amount of painkillers
a doctor can prescribe to a single patient. New York, Texas and others
require physicians to file elaborate forms with state agencies, making
it time-consuming and professionally risky to prescribe large
quantities of certain drugs.

The motive, of course, is to prevent doctors' offices from becoming a
channel for the illegal marketing of drugs, but given the volumes that
come over the border or are manufactured in homemade laboratories,
physicians are hardly the problem. The Supreme Court, in 1919,
essentially criminalized doctors who prescribe opiates to addicts, and
ever since the professional ethos has been to bend over backward not
to look like pushers serving up fixes to dependent, zombie-like patients.

This imagery remains fastened on the minds of many patients as well as
doctors, but when administered properly, painkillers can actually make
patients more alert. They rest easier at night and function better
during the day. Says Dr. Charles Cleeland of the Anderson Cancer
Center, author of the JAMA editorial, "People think it is highly risky
to give an elderly patient opiates when it really is the opposite.
Elderly patients can tolerate and need the medicine." Dr. Cleeland
points to a 1992 study of 550 patients on morphine, which found that
"addiction was negligible, with only one observed case."

The word is starting to get around. At some medical schools the
message now is, "If you can't treat the disease, you treat the pain,"
says Dr. Nirmala Shevde, a practitioner at the Hemotology/Oncology
Association of Long Island. We hope the change of heart will speed up
research into cheaper, more effective pain treatments. Currently a
nurse must administer intravenous doses of most heavy-duty pain
killers. Innovations like a new delivery system for inhalable morphine
would reduce costs and allow more patients to be treated at home.

But it would also help if patients started speaking up. According to
Dr. Cleeland, "Doctors continue to have a poor sense of how many
patients have pain." It can't hurt to let them know how you feel. When
the subject starts seeping into the medical journals, it's just
possible they may listen.

Copyright 1998 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

US Drug Chief Tries To Downplay Criticism Of Dutch System
('The Associated Press' Ignorantly Claims The Netherlands
Has A 'Laissez-Faire' Drug Policy And Glosses Over General McCaffrey's
Embarrassing Lies And Rudeness)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 12:27:16 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Wire: U.S. Drug Chief Tries To Downplay Criticism of Dutch System
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: (AP)
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Author: Janelle Carter

U.S. DRUG CHIEF TRIES TO DOWNPLAY CRITICISM OF DUTCH SYSTEM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drug policy chief Barry McCaffrey, returning from an
eight-day European tour where the Dutch criticized him for his condemnation
of their policies, sought to temper the outcry Monday. ``Friends are
allowed to disagree,'' he said.

McCaffrey's visit to Sweden, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, England and
the Netherlands was intended to provide a close view of their treatment and
prevention programs and overall drug-fighting programs.

But his declaration during a TV interview before the trip that Dutch policy
was an ``unmitigated disaster'' overshadowed the visit.

The Dutch have a laissez-faire drug policy. Marijuana and hashish are
technically illegal, but the sale and consumption of small amounts of these
drugs is ``coffee shops'' are tolerated by Dutch authorities. Hard drugs
like cocaine and heroin cannot be sold that way, but are also cheap and
easily available.

After days of harsh criticism from Dutch officials and legalization
supporters, McCaffrey downplayed the incident Monday.

``There are areas of agreement between the Netherlands and the United
States,'' McCaffrey told reporters back on his home turf. ``I listened very
carefully to their ideas,'' he said, but he believes U.S. treatment policy
should be based ``not on ideology but on science.''

He said he was most impressed by the availability of methadone treatments
for heroin addicts and said he wants to increase this country's capability
to offer them. But he warned that they must be monitored closely to prevent
diversion into the mainstream population.

``It can kill you deader than a doornail if you take the normal dosage rate
for a heroin addict,'' he said.

The United States has an estimated 455,000 heroin addicts, with about
115,000 in methadone treatment at 800 clinics.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Defending The Netherlands' Drug-Control Policy (A Letter To The Editor
Of 'The Washington Times' By Dutch Ambassador Joris Vos
Rebuts False Information From The US Drug Czar, General Barry McCaffrey)

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 03:02:05 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: PUB LTE: Defending
The Netherlands' Drug-Control Policy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Allison Bigelow (whc@cnw.com)
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Source: Washington Times
Contact: letter@twtmail.com
Postal: 3600 New York Ave. NE Washington, D.C. 20002
Website: http://www.washtimes.com/
Note: We welcome your opinions on any topic. Letters should be signed
originals. Every letter will be considered for publication, but we prefer
those of fewer than 250 words, typed double spaced. All letters may be
edited for clarity and length. Please include your name, address and daytime
telephone number.

DEFENDING THE NETHERLANDS' DRUG-CONTROL POLICY

In a July 15 article, "McCaffrey takes his charge to officials in
Netherlands," you repeat statements and information about the Netherlands'
drug policy made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I am
disturbed that you made no attempt to verify this material after being
confronted with concrete information to the contrary.

When your reporter called this embassy to investigate the story, he was
given detailed information countering the charges about Dutch drug policy.
He was told clearly and plainly that the homicide rate in the Netherlands
was 1.8 per 100,000 (273 homicides in 1996), which is one-fifth that of the
U.S. rate of 8.22 per 100,000.

He also was told that the incidence of cannabis use in the Netherlands was
4.6 percent of the total population vs. 6 percent in the United States and
that the incidence of youth drug use in the Netherlands was almost 50
percent less than in the United States in recent years. In fact, U.S.
government data show that in 1995, almost 50 percent of high school seniors
had tried an illegal substance, which is much higher than the 30.2 percent
attributed to the Netherlands.

We also explained our strong belief that most of the other claims made by
Gen. McCaffrey's office regarding Dutch drug policy were based on an
incorrect reading of the data, or simply incorrect data, and our belief that
a responsible examination of the facts would put this odd, puzzling
controversy to rest.

The Netherlands and the United States have, in some respects, different
approaches to domestic drug control policy. However, our goals in reducing
the harmful costs to society of illegal drug use are the same, and our two
countries have a close, constructive, cooperative relationship in this field.

Joris Vos
Ambassador
Royal Netherlands Embassy
Washington

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Judge Says EPA Overstated Cancer Link To Secondhand Smoke
('The Wall Street Journal' Says A Federal Judge In North Carolina Has Ruled
That A 1993 Environmental Protection Agency Study Overstated The Proven Link
Between Secondhand Smoke And Cancer - The 92-Page Decision
'Destroys The Basis For Those Agencies And State And Local Governments
That Have Banned Or Restricted Smoking Because Of The EPA's Classification,'
Said Charles A. Blixt, General Counsel For RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 23:10:54 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US: EPA Overstated Cancer Link To Secondhand Smoke
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
NewsHawk: Mark Greer
Source: Wall Street Journal
Contact: letter.editor@edit.wsj.com
Website: http://www.wsj.com/
Pubdate: 20, July 1998
Author: JACOB M. SCHLESINGER Staff Reporter
of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS EPA OVERSTATED CANCER LINK TO SECONDHAND SMOKE

WASHINGTON -- The tobacco industry won a victory in its battle against
public-smoking prohibitions as a federal judge in North Carolina
declared that a 1993 Environmental Protection Agency study overstated
the proven link between secondhand smoke and cancer.

The EPA findings have been a major factor spurring regulations and
ordinances enacted around the country curbing smoking in public
buildings, workplaces and restaurants. Though U.S. District Judge
William L. Osteen's decision apparently would have no direct legal
impact on those rules, tobacco executives made clear they would use
the opinion to lobby against new restrictions and ease existing ones.

The 92-page decision "destroys the basis for those agencies and state
and local governments that have banned or restricted smoking because
of the EPA's classification," Charles A. Blixt, general counsel for
RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp.'s R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., said in a
statement. "The court's ruling supports Reynolds Tobacco's long held
belief that the science does not justify public-smoking bans."

The ruling came in a case filed by the tobacco industry seeking to
overturn the study, and was issued late Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

Effect on Damage Suits

Industry lawyers also portrayed Judge Osteen's decision as a major
setback for nonsmokers seeking to win damages from cigarette makers.
The EPA's finding that "environmentally transmitted smoke" ranks among
the deadliest carcinogens has been invoked as crucial supporting
evidence in those cases. "This is going to have potentially profound
implications on litigation," said Michael York, a Washington attorney
for Philip Morris Cos. "This should erect a huge barrier to those who
would bring secondhand smoke cases."

EPA Administrator Carol Browner said that the agency was sticking by
its conclusions, and agency officials said an appeal was likely. Ms.
Browner said Judge Osteen's decision was "disturbing because it is
widely accepted that secondhand smoke poses very real health threats
to children and adults."

EPA spokeswoman Loretta Ucelli said the agency's attorneys were
optimistic about winning an appeal, though she added that a final
decision hadn't been made about taking the case to a higher court.

Cigarette Makers' Recent Victories

Judge Osteen's decision, first reported in Sunday's Washington Post,
is the latest in a series of courtroom and political victories for
cigarette makers in recent weeks. Last month, a Florida appeals court
threw out a two-year-old landmark verdict against B.A.T Industries
PLC's Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., in which a jury had awarded
$750,000 to an air-traffic controller with lung cancer. That came
shortly after the U.S. Senate quashed legislation that would have
increased cigarette prices and expanded regulatory oversight of the
industry. The tobacco industry has won a number of other lower-profile
court cases over the past few months.

In its 1993 study, the EPA rated secondhand smoke a "Class A
carcinogen," the most definitive link that the regulator can make
between a chemical and cancer. While tobacco companies didn't deny the
possibility of dangers from secondhand smoke, they argued that the
government overstated the connections demonstrated in its own studies.

Judge Osteen agreed. He declared that the EPA's finding was based on
insufficiently rigorous statistical tests and was therefore invalid.
The agency, he wrote, "disregarded information and made findings based
on selective information ...; deviated from its risk assessment
guidelines; failed to disclose important [opposing] findings and
reasoning; and left significant questions without answers."

Industry's Mixed Record

So far, the tobacco industry has had a mixed record in
secondhand-smoke court cases. Last year, the nation's four biggest
cigarette makers reached a $349 million settlement in a secondhand
smoke suit filed by a group of flight attendants. The companies didn't
pay the individuals any damages but agreed to set up a research
foundation to further study the matter. Earlier this year, a Muncie,
Ind., jury ruled that tobacco companies weren't responsible for a
nonsmoking nurse's death from cancer.

Two major secondhand-smoke cases are moving toward trial in
Mississippi and in New Hampshire, lawyers familiar with the issue said.

Plaintiffs' lawyers played down the legal impact of Judge Osteen's
decision, noting that other non-EPA studies have reached similar
conclusions about the dangers of secondhand smoke. "You can quibble
with the methodology, but in scientific and medical communities,
there's a consensus that the basic EPA conclusions are valid," said
Stanley M. Rosenblatt, the attorney for the flight attendants.

Mr. Rosenblatt asserted that, because the ruling hadn't been tested in
an appeals court, the North Carolina ruling would have little national
impact. But he acknowledged that "this case is helpful to the tobacco
industry."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Officials Say They'll Fight To Save Bans On Smoking (A 'Washington Post'
Article In 'The Seattle Times' Notes Politicians In Washington, DC,
Will Respond With Typical Denial To A Judge's Ruling That The Science
Doesn't Support Public Policy, This Time With Regard To Second-Hand
Tobacco Smoke)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 03:09:48 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US WA: Officials Say They'll Fight To Save Bans On Smoking
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Contact: opinion@seatimes.com
Website: http://www.seattletimes.com/
Author: Joan Biskupic, The Washington Post

OFFICIALS SAY THEY'LL FIGHT TO SAVE BANS ON SMOKING

WASHINGTON - Government officials say there is no turning back from today's
widespread bans on smoking at work, in restaurants and on airplanes, despite
a federal judge's decision that a government report declaring secondhand
smoke causes cancer was seriously flawed.

Ruling in a lawsuit brought by cigarette makers, U.S. District Judge William
Osteen Sr. of North Carolina said the influential 1993 Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) report stemmed from faulty methods and failed to
demonstrate the link between secondhand smoke and lung cancer.

The scathingly worded opinion issued Friday accused the agency of committing
to an anti-tobacco conclusion before the research began and ignoring
evidence that contradicted its premise. While the EPA was not the first
agency to target environmental smoke, its 1993 finding that smoke was as
dangerous as radon or benzene quickly made it a catalyst for tougher smoking
prohibitions. Many state and local governments, as well as private building
owners, instituted bans on smoking inside offices, stadiums and restaurants.

"No one wants to go back to smoking on airplanes, to smoking in restaurants.
No one wants to go back to pollution indoors," Secretary of Health and Human
Services Donna Shalala said yesterday on "Fox News Sunday."

She and other officials said they would review the judge's ruling.

"Anyone who's had a cold that's been in a room with a smoker, from a
common-sense point of view, knows that anything that pollutes the air makes
their breathing ability worse. So there is science there. What the
relationship is between that and the EPA rules, we'll have to look at
carefully," she said.

"This country has fundamentally become a nation of . . . people who believe
it is inappropriate to have to be in a place where they have to breathe
tobacco smoke," Matthew Myers, executive vice president and general counsel
of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said yesterday.

A lawyer for cigarette maker Philip Morris said the ruling could become an
obstacle to people who try to sue tobacco companies for lung cancer, heart
disease or other ailments that they claim were caused by secondhand smoke.

"They have to prove that their injuries were in fact caused by secondhand
smoke," said attorney Michael York, "and the EPA study has been a
cornerstone of lawsuits."

While private studies had found secondhand smoke to increase the risk of
cancer, the EPA's designation of environmental tobacco smoke as a carcinogen
immediately increased political pressure for localities and states to act
against secondhand smoke. The EPA estimated "passive smoking" was
responsible for about 3,000 lung cancer deaths a year.

State governments also were spurred by a 1994 Occupational Safety and Health
Administration proposal that smoking be banned in every workplace, as well
as states' own studies and those by nongovernmental groups such as the World
Health Organization that found secondhand smoke a serious danger.

About 63 percent of the more than 100 studies of the health consequences of
passive smoking found it harmful, although not all found that it led to
cancer, according to a review of the studies two months ago in the Journal
of the American Medical Association.

In the lawsuit brought in 1994, cigarette makers claimed the EPA action had
prompted numerous government and private efforts to restrict indoor smoking
in a way that financially harmed the industry. Filed by Philip Morris, R.J.
Reynolds and groups representing growers, distributors and marketers, the
lawsuit claimed the EPA manipulated scientific studies and ignored accepted
scientific and statistical practices.

In his ruling, Osteen agreed, saying the EPA failed to follow standard
scientific methods and procedures. He also said, "there is evidence in the
record supporting the accusation that EPA `cherry picked' its data" to reach
the desired conclusion.

EPA officials said yesterday they are likely to appeal. They earlier had
argued the judge lacked authority to review the agency's rule-making process
and that the procedures used in the study were valid.

"The decision is disturbing," EPA Administrator Carol Browner said
yesterday. "We believe the health threats to children and adults from
breathing secondhand smoke are very real."

Robert Kline, director of the Tobacco Control Legal Clinic at Northeastern
University law school, contended the ruling would not affect the ongoing
tobacco wars because other studies have confirmed the EPA findings.

"Enough people recognize that secondhand smoke is dangerous," he said. "It's
going to be hard to put the genie back in the bottle."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Canal Talks With US Falter ('The Chicago Tribune' Quotes A Political Analyst
In Panama City Who Says The United States And Panama Will Probably
Abandon Plans For An International Anti-Drug Center In The Canal Zone,
Ending More Than 90 Years Of A US Military Presence When The US Returns
The Canal In 1999)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:14:22 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Panama: Canal Talks With U.S. Falter
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young (theyoungfamily@worldnet.att.net)
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Pubdate: Tue, 20 July 1998

CANAL ZONE TALKS WITH U.S. FALTER

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA -- The U.S. and Panama probably will abandon plans for
an international anti-drug center in the Panama Canal Zone, ending more
than 90 years of a U.S. military presence here, political analysts said
Sunday.

Their observations came a day after U.S. and Panamanian officials said they
stalemated on the deal, which would extend a role for U.S. troops beyond
Dec. 31, 1999, when Panama assumes full control of the waterway.

"I believe they are just letting it down softly, trying to not make a major
issue of it," analyst Roberto Eisenmann said.

"I believe it is finished because . . . the MCC (Multilateral
Counter-narcotics Center) can easily be established in Florida or Georgia
and be as effective as it would be in another country," Eisenmann said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Brisk Trade Exposes Peru Anti-Drug Model (An Unsourced Wire Story
Says Peru's Globally Acclaimed 'Revolution' Against Drugs
Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:47:44 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Peru: Wire: Brisk Trade Exposes Peru Anti-Drug Model
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: isenberd@DynCorp.com (Isenberg, David)
Source: Wire
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

BRISK TRADE EXPOSES PERU ANTI-DRUG MODEL

Sitting in his bare office near the remote Colombian border, narcotics
agent Maj. Renato Solis is in the front line of Peru's globally acclaimed
"revolution" against drugs - and clueless about what to do. A frustrated
Solis is outnumbered by drug traffickers, Colombian paramilitaries and
suspicious villagers.

His efforts to patrol this no-man's land in the Amazon expose the fragility
of Peru's image as the world's model drug-fighting nation.

Solis, with two dozen poorly paid officers, one radio and a boat, polices
310 miles of Putumayo River. Experts say the region is a main route for
hundreds of tons of semi-processed coca leaves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Melbourne Is Not New York (A Staff Editorial In 'The Age'
Says That With Just 1.4 Murders A Year For Every 100,000 People,
Victoria Remains The Safest State In Australia, But With Armed Robbery
Having Increased More Than 40 Percent In The Last Year, Primarily Due
To Heroin Addicts, The Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, Deserves Credit
For Recognizing That The Prohibitionist Approach Has Not Worked,
And That There Needs To Be A Shift From Treating It As Criminal Problem
To Treating It As A Health Issue, And Adhering To His Policy
Of Allowing Police To Caution Rather Than Arrest People Possessing Heroin
And Other Illegal Drugs)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 01:08:50 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Australia: Editorial: Melbourne is Not New York
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ken Russell
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Contact: letters@theage.fairfax.com.au
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

MELBOURNE IS NOT NEW YORK

And a zero-tolerance approach to crime prevention is not the answer.

VICTORIA remains the safest state in Australia, with just 1.4 murders a
year for every 100,000 people.

Australia-wide, there are 1.7 homicides per 100,000, which is about the
same rate as a century ago. Moreover, by far the most common place for
murder or violent assault to occur is in the home. Our streets, on
international comparisons, are safe. Even so, the latest national crime
statistics do show a disturbing increase in property crimes accompanied by
violence.

Across Australia, armed robberies increased 44 per cent in a year. In New
South Wales, they increased by a particularly disturbing 65 per cent. In
law-abiding Victoria (with an overall crime rate about 20 per cent below
the national average), armed hold-ups rose 40 per cent.

There is one main reason for the dramatic increase in violent robberies:
drugs. The Victorian police chief commissioner, Mr Neil Comrie, estimates
that between 40 and 70 per cent of crime is drug-related, that is,
committed either by people who are under the influence of drugs or by
people desperate to get money to buy drugs.

This has important implications for law-and-order policy, and we applaud
the fact that Victoria is taking a national lead in responding to these
demands. Recently, after the success of a pilot program in which first-time
cannabis users were cautioned rather than charged, it was announced that
Broadmeadows police would also begin a trial of the scheme for other
illicit drugs, including heroin.

This is not an approval of drug-taking, but a recognition that the
prohibitionist approach to the growing problem of drug dependency has not
worked, and that there needs to be a shift from treating it as criminal
problem to treating it as a health issue.

The Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, has been in New York talking to senior police
about that city's ``zero-tolerance'' approach to crime prevention. However,
he has said he is more interested in the New York Police Department's
management systems than its emphasis on prosecuting people for minor
offences.

Mr Kennett deserves credit for adhering - against the wishes of some in his
party - to his policy of allowing greater police discretion in minor drug
cases.

The increases in armed robberies are serious, but Melbourne remains a safe
and secure place to live, and it is more important to try to remove the
cause of the problem than to rely on zero-tolerance measures.

As Mr Comrie says, there are no quick fixes to addressing crime.

And what is appropriate for New York may not be appropriate for Melbourne.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

$90 Million In Drugs Hidden In Ovens ('The Sydney Morning Herald'
Says Federal Prohibition Agents Arrested One British National Friday
And Made The Second-Largest Seizure Of Heroin In Australia's History
Near South Wentworthville - 'Enough Smack To Satisfy Every Junkie
In Sydney For A Couple Of Months')

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 09:36:54 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: AUSTRALIA: $90m Drugs Hidden In Ovens
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ken Russell
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Pubdate: Mon 20 July, 1998
Contact: letters@smh.com.au
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Author: Greg Bearup

$90M DRUGS HIDDEN IN OVENS

Just after midday last Friday afternoon, outside a town house in South
Wentworthville, a container truck stopped. It was packed with
commercial kitchen equipment: devon slicers, sugar cane pressers, bone
saws, ovens, mincers and meat slicers.

It could have been the makings of the most valuable deli that Sydney
had ever seen but Federal police and customs officers got to the ovens
first, and removed, according to police sources, "enough smack to
satisfy every junkie in Sydney for a couple of months".

In what was the second largest heroin seizure in Australia's history,
146 700-gram and 350-gram blocks of high-grade heroin were found
hidden in the three commercial ovens - enough heroin to break down
into 3 million caps, police said. They put a street value of $90
million on the haul.

Drug investigations co-ordinator Mr Steve Emes said the container had
come from the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen and arrived at Port
Botany on July 7.

"Through intelligence we had received and information that the
Australian Customs had gleaned independently we knew that there were
some drugs on the container."

The container was searched by customs officers and Federal police and
a painstaking exercise was mounted to remove the 146 packages from the
oven lining and replace them with a "substituted material".

The container sat on the wharf at Botany until customs clearance and
on Friday a container truck left the port at 10.50am. When it arrived
at Wentworthville at 12.15 that afternoon a forklift was waiting to
take the equipment into the town house garage.

A 33-year-old Lidcombe man, the holder of a British passport issued in
Hong Kong, was later arrested and charged with knowingly being
concerned with the importation of heroin. He was remanded in custody
on Saturday and will reappear in Central Local Court this morning.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Massive Rise In Cigarette Smuggling ('Scotland On Sunday' Notes,
Thanks To High Taxes Designed To Introduce Prohibition By Other Means,
Customs Officers Estimate That Two Thirds Of All Tobacco Now Sold In Britain
Is Contraband)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:46:18 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: Massive Rise in Cigarette Smuggling
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: shug@shug.co.uk
Source: Scotland On Sunday
Contact: letters_sos@scotsman.com
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

MASSIVE RISE IN CIGARETTE SMUGGLING

* Customs officers estimate that two thirds of all tobacco now sold in
Britain is contraband

By Mike Merritt

Every second packet of cigarettes and two thirds of all tobacco sold in the
UK has been smuggled into the country to avoid duty.

Customs and Excise has revealed that proportion of illicit stocks of
cigarettes and hand-rolled tobacco has risen by 20% over the last two
years, an explosion fuelled in part by rising taxes.

One of the main gateways for smuggled consignments is Glasgow airport,
which is being used increasingly by organised crime gangs from the
north-east of England.

Once the tobacco is in to the country the smugglers use a network of
unscrupulous traders to sell the tobacco on to the public.

Now the government is planning a crackdown on the trade, with details to he
announced in the next fortnight. It is concerned that the wave of smuggled
tobacco is not only robbing the Treasury of hundreds of millions of pounds
of income every year but also undermining efforts to reduce smoking among
teenagers.

Customs investigators believe under-age smokers are one of the main targets
of the smugglers because illicit supplies are both affordable and readily
available.

Adult smokers are also being tempted, however. A recent survey by the
pollsters NOP found that one in every five smokers had bought cheap
under-the-counter cigarettes. Small tobacconists and corner shops attracted
by huge profit margins, along with street markets, are the main source of
supplies.

The current price of a packet of 20 cigarettes is around £3.42 of which
up to 80% is tax. Two years ago under half of the tobacco sold in the
country was smuggled in, but the proportion has now soared to 67%.

The dramatic rise coincides with tax increases amounting to 4lp a packet in
the last two budgets. But it also comes at a time when organised criminals
are switching away from drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy and into
tobacco.

Not only can the trade be more profitable, but the penalties, if the
criminals are caught, are much less severe than for drug smuggling.

"We now believe that two-thirds of tobacco sold in the UK has been smuggled
into avoid duty - and that is 20% more than two years ago," said a Customs
and Excise spokesman.

Evidence of the increase in smuggling has emerged at Glasgow airport where
seizures doubled in the year ending last March. Customs officers admit
however; that the 2.3 million illegal cigarettes they found on passengers
at the airport - up from 1.2 million the year before -was only a fraction
of what they believe was smuggled through in suitcases.

The amount dwarfs the 600,000 cigarettes that were confiscated at other
Scottish airports.

There are fears that crime syndicates from the north-east of England using
Glasgow as a route to smuggle duty-free cigarettes from the Canary Islands
- one of the main centres for the trade.

The gangs are concentrating on regional airports because of the high number
of charter flights that use them.

Couriers from the crime gangs fly out of airports such as Newcastle and
return through Glasgow to try and avoid detection.

The rise in illicit cigarettes mirrors the increase in supplies of bootleg
alcohol reaching Britain after the relaxation of EU rules governing trade.

At the moment, passengers coming from EU countries, where some duty has
been paid on tobacco, are allowed 800 cigarettes. Passengers carrying
higher quantities have to prove they are for personal use.

Customs men believe Scotland is also being targeted because it has a higher
number of smokers than England. "In effect it is a ready and willing
market," said the spokesman.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cash Boost To Keep Addicts Out Of Prison ('The Scotsman'
Says Henry McLeish, The Scottish Home Affairs Minister, Will Announce Today
An £8 Million Cash Injection For Alternative Sentencing Programs
Intended To Reduce The Growing Number Of Suicides In Scottish Jails -
The Biggest Boost In A Generation, A 25 Per Cent Increase)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:44:53 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: Cash Boost to Keep Addicts Out of Prison
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: shug@shug.co.uk
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Contact: Letters_ts@scotsman.com
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

CASH BOOST TO KEEP ADDICTS OUT OF PRISON

McLeish announces £8m for alternatives to custody Jenny Booth Home
Affairs Correspondent

Efforts to cut crime and reduce the growing number of suicides in Scottish
jails will receive an £8 million cash injection today when the Government
announces the "biggest boost in a generation" for alternatives to prison
custody

Henry Mcleish, the Scottish home affairs minister, will announce that an
extra 25 per cent will be added to the £34 million spent this year on
probation, community service and supervised attendance orders.

Most of the new money, which has become available under the comprehensive
spending review, will be devoted to cutting crime related to drugs.

Much of the increase is expected to go to the proposed drug treatment and
testing orders and to electronic tagging, both aimed at rehabilitating and
stabilising repeat offender addicts who have chaotic lifestyles and commit
multiple crimes to feed their habit These crimes could he cut if drug
addiction levels were reduced.

It is also hoped that, by treating drug addicts instead of jailing them,
Scotland's unacceptably high level of prison suicides - more than double
the level of England and Wales, and mainly among heroin addicts in the west
of Scotland - will fall.

Prison reform campaigners warned that the money, while welcome, should be
carefully targeted. The Scottish National Patty said that, over three years
and taking inflation into account, the rise was not as significant as it
seemed.

Last night, Mr Mcleish said. "The focus is on providing the widest number
of alternatives to custody with an emphasis on tackling drugs. We want to
really set in motion more effective strategies in tackling the causes of
crime."

The Scottish Office has chosen to make today's announcement at a bail
hostel in Edinburgh, because part of the money will go towards providing
more bail beds for prisoners on remand.

Three weeks ago, Scotland suffered its worst spate of prison suicides, as
four men and one woman hanged themselves while in jail awaiting trial.

Mr Mcleish said that the crackdown on drugs would he two-pronged; trying to
divert addicts from prison to wean them off their habit, and clamping down
on drags inside prison through mandatory drug testing, rehabilitation and
drug-free areas.

"People in prison should receive the highest and most intensive form of
rehabilitation. But before they get to prison we should try to treat them
in the community," he said. "All this feeds into the agenda of reducing
deaths in prison. An the different areas of the criminal justice system
need to be working coherently in order to be more effective."

Roseanna Cunningham, the justice spokeswoman for the SNP said that Mr
McLeish was right to target money on options to custody but, spread over
three years and after inflation, the sum was not as generous as it sounded.
"I would be concerned to know where this money has been found from, in case
depriving one area of cash cancels out the good that's being done
elsewhere," Ms Cunningham said.

She said that the cut in funding to the Crown Office - of 4.4 per cent in
real terms over the next three years, on its =A349 million budget - would
have a seriously damaging effect on the efficiency of justice.

Tracey Thomson, the wife of a fifth man who attempted suicide in prison,
David Thomson, said: "The deaths are all down to drugs. that's the main
point.

"David is very bad with withdrawal from methadone [a GP- prescribed heroin
replacement] at the moment and he's getting worse instead of better. It is
a disgrace that Greenock prison doesn't prescribe methadone, unlike
Edinburgh and Cornton Vale.

"All they're giving him for the symptoms is two yellow Valium, which is not
very much when you have been on 75ml of methadone a day."

Mr Thomson was found hanging by staff in Greenock prison after he was
traumatised by the deaths of his friends and fellow addicts, Gavin Hester
28, in Greenock prison, and Mary Cowan, 27, in Cornton Vale women's prison,
the previous week.

Mrs Thomson was barred from visiting her husband yesterday on allegations
that she was smuggling drugs to him. She vigorously denies the accusation
and says that without her regular visits he may try to kill himself again.

A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said that officers had the right to
exclude people suspected of smuggling drugs and that Mrs Thomson should
raise the issue formally with the governor today.

Susan Matheson, the chief executive of the prison reform charity SACRO,
urged the Scottish Office to target the money carefully.

She said. "It would really make a difference if a proportion of the £8
million could be dedicated to ball supervision projects across Scotland
similar to the project we are running in Edinburgh and Midlothian, which
is estimated to have saved the taxpayer £3,400 per case."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Big Exhale In Amsterdam (MSNBC Presents A First-Person Travel Piece
On How To Enjoy The Netherlands As A Tourist)

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 12:21:26 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Netherlands: Wire: The Big Exhale in Amsterdam
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: MSNBC
Website: http://www.msnbc.com
Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 1998

THE BIG EXHALE IN AMSTERDAM

Netherlands capital proves a great place to decompress

July 20 - Marian Rivman begins her three-month, round-the-world voyage with
a stop in Amsterdam, where the commuters use bicycles, marijuana is legal,
and its easy to make friends with heavily pierced teen-agers.

SCUBA DIVERS KNOW that when they've overextended the time they can safely
stay at any given depth, they must decompress before they can surface.

Decompressing -"gassing off"- releases gases that have accumulated in the
bloodstream that could be dangerous on the surface. So its been in my life.
After Ive been submerged in the details and stress of both my personal and
professional responsibilities and commitments for an extended period of
time, I need to decompress - to gas off - to exhale.

Scuba divers hang on to a bar that's attached to their boat for their
decompression stop. I hang out in Amsterdam.

12-YEAR TRADITION

Amsterdam became my decompression stop in 1986. A good friend, Lianne
Sorkin Fisher, and I had our first contract with the United Nations. We
were consultants for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which
is based in Nairobi. We made four trips to Africa that year. Each time we
went, we stopped in Amsterdam on our way to and from Nairobi. I thought of
it as my "decompression stop" because I always arrived breathless having
spent the days before my departure from New York in a frenzy of activity
and Id return to Amsterdam from Nairobi reeling from sensory and
information overload. My limited time in Amsterdam always mellowed me out -
it was like one massive exhale. Amsterdam is the place where my dream of
being an international consultant was born
and came true.

Every time Lianne and I were in Amsterdam, we stayed at the Pulitzer Hotel
- and I stayed in the exact same room. "My room" was a garret bedroom with
a sitting area that had doors that opened onto the roof. I daydreamed the
big dreams in that room. I pondered my life much the way I plan to do on
this trip. I relished the time in Amsterdam and refused to fly to Nairobi
via any other route.

Amsterdam is the place where my dream of being an international consultant
was born and came true. Marian Rivman enjoys the view from the Pulitzer
Hotel, Amsterdam, in this 1986 photo. The city and the hotel continue to be
an important rest stop for the weary.

I'm in Amsterdam now - at the Pulitzer Hotel - at a make-shift desk in the
sitting area of my room. I cant believe its been only 48 hours since I
arrived. Amsterdam and the Pulitzer have worked their magic again. I was so
tense by the time I had left New York, I felt like I didnt have the
strength, stamina or desire to travel eight hours, let alone 80 days. Im
now in a completely different frame of mind. Ive had a terrific two days.
The cost of parking is so prohibitive that people leave their cars at home.

Amsterdam is a mellow city. No major traffic jams or the clamor of honking
horns - the cost of parking is so prohibitive that people leave their cars
at home. Instead they speed (and I do mean speed) around on bikes or use
the first-rate public transportation or walk. I chose the latter. I love to
walk. Ive spent endless hours the last two days cruising the streets of
Amsterdam. When I finally got tired, I took a canal ride.

Amsterdam hosts a lot of tourists from everywhere. The place is packed,
hotels are fully booked and the museums all have queues. In the area around
the Dam and Central Railroad Station, it seems like everyone on the street
is reading a map for directions.

One of the things I like best about traveling and particularly traveling
alone, is that it gives you license to talk to strangers something I rarely
ever do when Im in New York. I practiced exercising that license here in
Amsterdam; not all that much of a challenge since the atmosphere here makes
both natives and tourists open and friendly.

Yesterday, I decided I would plunge into the "talk to strangers"
phenomenon. My first encounter was definitely off the deep end. I overheard
an exchange in what was obviously American English between a young, heavily
pierced, backpacking couple who had just been asking directions to the
Heineken Brewery. I went up to them and asked where they were from.
Sacramento, Calif. We were headed in the same direction and started walking
and talking together. In Amsterdam, it's easy to make friends with
travelers of all ages, including Chad Conners, 19.

I invited my newfound companions, Chad Conner and Jessica Maldonado, for a
cup of coffee. We shared our stories. Chad is 19, Jessica 18. They are on
their first trip through Europe and plan to travel for six weeks. They both
had worked and saved their money so they could make this trip. Theyll camp
out and travel around on a Eurail Pass. They were both smart, enthusiastic
and earnest. I gave them tips on how to stretch their money and offered
them the use of my shower if they decided to stay in Amsterdam for the
night. Chad, Jessica and I hugged goodbye on the street after having walked
through the red light district.

Chad, Jessica and I hugged goodbye on the street after having walked
through the red light district (we all said it made us feel a little
creepy), stopped by a coffee house where we could have had legal marijuana
in addition to our cappuccinos and snapped photos of each other. They went
on to the Heineken Brewery and the promise of free beer; I went on a canal
ride.

On the tour boat I sat next to Lina Kits, a large, imposing Dutch woman
from the most northern region of the Netherlands who was in Amsterdam for
the weekend to shop and visit with friends. Lina visits Amsterdam about 10
times a year and always takes one of the canal rides. Her running
commentary was far more interesting than the canned presentation of the
tour company. By the time the boat docked, I was so relaxed I felt like I
had been on a three-day cruise. Lina and I bid each other farewell and I
was back on the streets.

CONVERSATION AT THE BAR

Over a club soda at the Pulitzer Bar last evening, I met Doug McDermet, 26,
and Maureen McDermet, 27, from Montpelier, Vt. Like Chad and Jessica, this
was also their first trip to Europe. Doug is a speech therapist; Maureen
teaches sixth grade. Theyll be traveling for a month. Each has a backpack
and a Eurailpass and Id venture to guess, a whole lot more money than Chad
and Jessica.

Ive spent the morning holed up in my room (for those who want to follow in
the wake of my rumpled sheets - its Room 375) at the Pulitzer. Its rainy
and windy and Im perfectly content to read travel books and write e-mails
(oh, the miracle of modern communications). Im a mellower Marian than the
one who arrived 48 hours ago, thanks to Amsterdam and the Pulitzer Hotel.
Ive had my decompression stop. Im ready to surface. I leave this evening
for Istanbul and the start of my adventure.

THE LOGISTICS
The Hotel Pulitzer has 24 renovated canal houses dating back to the 17th
century. Its conveniently located within walking distance of most major
attractions.

Hotel Pulitzer
Prinsengracht 315-331
1016 GZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 (0) 20-523 523 5
Fax: +31 (0) 20-627 675 3
Amsterdam Tourist Office
Postbus 3901
1001 AS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Telephone: 020 - 5 512512
Fax: 020-6 252 869
E-mail: vvvadam@pi.net

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