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

Killer fence for Walla Walla in Locke's budget (A staff editorial
in the Columbian, in Vancouver, Washington, comments on a request
for $1.5 million in the budget submitted by Gov. Gary Locke to this year's
Legislature as it convenes next Monday. The money would pay for
a lethally electrified fence at the Washington State Penitentiary
at Walla Walla. The punitive compulsion of state legislators faces greater
difficulty in stretching the available cash.)

The Columbian
701 W. Eighth St.
Vancouver WA 98666
Tel. (360) 694-2312
Or (360) 699-6000, Ext. 1560, to leave a recorded opinion
>From Portland: (503) 224-0654
Fax: (360) 699-6033
E-mail: editors@columbian.com
Web site: http://www.columbian.com/
Forum: http://www.webforums.com/forums/trace/host/msa70.html

In Our View: Monday, Jan. 4, 1999

Killer fence for Walla Walla in Locke's budget

As legislators invent more reasons to lock up more people for longer terms
in tougher conditions, the state Department of Corrections faces greater
difficulty in stretching the available cash to cover the punitive compulsion.

The trick in the budget Gov. Gary Locke is submitting to this year's
Legislature as it convenes next Monday is a lethally electrified fence
around the Intensive Management Unit at the Washington State Penitentiary at
Walla Walla.

While the $1.5 million tab for the fence is just a sliver of Locke's
two-year, $20.6 billion spending plan, it could become an important symbol
for what state government is about as the millennium turns.

In a sense, the fence is no more than an effort to make state government's
hottest growth sector more economical. After the fence is installed,
corrections officials observe, it will save $500,000 a year that would
otherwise have to be spent keeping armed guards in watch towers prepared to
blast away at any hard case attempting escape.

As with a lot of other notions, this one made its way north from California.
Caging miscreants is much bigger business down there, and the pressure has
been on longer to keep incarceration as cheap as possible. California began
swapping lethal fences for guard towers five years ago. By now the switch
has been made at 23 prisons, and the state claims to have saved just a
little short of $40 million on the deal.

The prisoners believe in the fences. Since California started upping the
fence current, no prisoner has been fried because none has attempted escape.
Said Allen Randall, a California engineer who designs the fences and is now
advising the Washington Department of Corrections, "Every once in a while
you'll get a stray cat that will jump the fence and die. The inmates see
that. It's not something that the inmates want to reckon with."

Which raises the question of how far such moves to efficiency and economy in
incarceration might go. Why not just take over some town large enough to
accommodate the worst several thousand in the state, build a high hot fence
around it and leave the hard-timers to their own devices? Of course it would
not be humane or rehabilitative, but no present prison claims to be either.

-- D. Michael Heywood, for the editorial board

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

Munro: State shouldn't hire smokers (The Associated Press
says Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro wants to persuade
lawmakers to let state agencies reject job applicants who use tobacco.)

From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: WA Sec of State says Don't hire smokers
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 17:41:28 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

Munro: State shouldn't hire smokers

By HUNTER T. GEORGE
The Associated Press
01/04/99 7:43 PM Eastern

OLYMPIA (AP) -- For years, Secretary of State Ralph Munro has offered
financial incentives for his employees to quit smoking. Now he wants to take
the next step and persuade lawmakers to let state agencies reject job
applicants who use tobacco.

Munro said Monday he has had preliminary talks with the state Department of
Personnel and the attorney general's office about his proposal, which he
acknowledged would prompt constitutional questions if it's submitted as
legislation.

"The thought is trying to send a message to young people that this is more
than a health issue. This is more than an issue that relates to the cost of
a pack of cigarettes. This also could mean you won't get a job," Munro said
in an interview.

"There's no question we can back it up with health statistics. The question
is, can we take it to the next step?" he added.

Spokesmen for the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and the
Washington Federation of State Employees said they respect Munro for his
humanitarian efforts, but expressed concerns about his latest proposal.

"We don't encourage smoking. We don't defend the tobacco industry," said Tim
Welch, spokesman for the federation that represents 19,000 state workers.
"But until tobacco use is made illegal, we have a real problem about
determining a person's job status on the basis of those products."

Added ACLU lobbyist Jerry Sheehan: "The government should not be
discriminating against people for private legal conduct."

A spokesman for The Tobacco Institute, the industry's lobbying arm in
Washington, D.C., did not immediately return a call Monday.

Munro said he'll also lobby lawmakers to boost restrictions on teen drivers,
saying too many youth are involved in accidents right after getting their
driver's licenses.

"Every other kid in the neighborhood has a wreck in the first three months,"
Munro said. "I think young people have to realize this is a serious problem.
We hand them the keys and they get through the driver's license test and off
they go."

Munro said he'll join lawmakers who are encouraging their colleagues to
consider "graduated licensing" of teen drivers.

Such proposals could include boosting the legal driving age to 17, requiring
new drivers to be accompanied by their parents for six months and
prohibiting young drivers from carrying young passengers, he said.

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

Lockyer Hopes to Enforce State Medical Pot Law (The San Francisco Chronicle
says when Bill Lockyer becomes California's new attorney general later this
week, overseeing 924 lawyers and a budget of nearly half a billion dollars,
one of his top priorities - and biggest challenges - will be enforcing
Proposition 215, the voter-approved medical marijuana initiative. Lockyer
wants to negotiate with the federal government to allow professionally run
medical marijuana dispenaries to open - "We need to operate clinics,
not cults," he said.)

Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 10:12:49 -0600
From: "Frank S. World" (compassion23@geocities.com)
Reply-To: compassion23@geocities.com
Organization: Rx Cannabis Now!
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7417/
To: DRCNet Medical Marijuana Forum (medmj@drcnet.org)
Subject: US CA SF CHRON: Lockyer Hopes to Enforce State Medical Pot Law
Sender: owner-medmj@drcnet.org
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Pubdate: Monday, January 4, 1999
(c)1998 San Francisco Chronicle

LOCKYER HOPES TO ENFORCE STATE MEDICAL POT LAW
Prop. 215 on new attorney general's agenda

Harriet Chiang, Chronicle Legal Affairs Writer

When Bill Lockyer takes on his new job as state attorney general this week,
one of his top priorities -- and biggest challenges -- will be enforcing the
voter-approved medical marijuana initiative.

Lockyer's support of the marijuana initiative is part of an agenda he plans
to pursue that would dramatically change one of the state's most powerful
offices.

His predecessor, Dan Lungren, made crime, prisons and victims' rights the
centerpiece of his administration. But Lockyer said his mission includes not
only combatting crime, but reviving environmental and civil rights
protections, areas that he said were badly neglected by Lungren.

One of his toughest tasks will be enforcing Proposition 215, the 1996
initiative that legalized the possession and use of marijuana for medical
purposes.

Fulfilling that goal may also require a minor political miracle, because the
Clinton administration has not budged from its stand that marijuana is an
outlawed substance under federal law.

The initiative passed by a margin of nearly 1 million votes. But no sooner
did pot clubs open for business than Lungren, joined by federal and local
law enforcement agencies, moved to shut them down. Eventually, federal
judges ordered the shutdown of a number of pot clubs, including those in San
Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz.

Facing formidable opposition from the federal government, Lockyer
acknowledges that making marijuana available for medical purposes will
involve working with the Justice Department to resolve conflicts with
federal law.

He also said there must be tighter regulation of the clubs. ``We need to
operate clinics, not cults,'' he said.

But he said Lungren, in his quest to close down the clubs, was unwilling to
reach any compromise. The departing attorney general seemed driven by a
``zealous determination to not even allow this medical experiment,'' Lockyer
said.

Although California pot clubs have been under siege, the use of marijuana
for medical purposes is gaining momentum outside the state. In the November
election, voters in five states -- Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington -- passed laws authorizing the use of medical marijuana for
people with cancer and AIDS.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said federal officials had not been
contacted by Lockyer about the medical marijuana issue, but that they are
more than willing to talk to him about it.

But Nicholas Gess, director of intergovernmental affairs for the U.S.
attorney general's office, stressed that the Justice Department remains
opposed to the medical use of marijuana. ``Our policy has not changed one
iota,'' Gess said. Under federal law, he said, ``one cannot cultivate,
possess or distribute marijuana in the United States.''

If he can resolve the differences with the federal government, Lockyer
envisions the attorney general playing a supporting role by helping local
law enforcement enforce their own policies on pot clubs.

He said he voted for the initiative because of his own personal losses. His
mother died of leukemia at age 50. ``My little sister died of leukemia at
age 39,'' he said.

After seeing them suffer through terminal illnesses, he said, ``I concluded
that if we can give them morphine, why can't we give them marijuana?''

The medical marijuana issue is just one on a list of changes Lockyer plans
to make when he takes over as attorney general, which is widely viewed as
the second-most powerful office in the state.

The attorney general oversees 924 lawyers and a budget of nearly half a
billion dollars. In addition to defending death penalties, the state's chief
lawyer also is a prime mover in shaping state policies on issues as varied
as environmental standards and state gambling laws.

The office served as a springboard for three governors: Earl Warren, Edmund
G. ``Pat'' Brown and George Deukmejian.

Lockyer, 57, brings to the job 26 years as a state lawmaker, experience that
is expected to help him push through legislation. Representing the East Bay,
Lockyer was instrumental in bringing about changes to the legal system
during his 10 years as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He became
Senate President Pro Tem four years ago. Forced out by term limits, he
defeated Republican Dave Stirling in November after a hard-fought race for
attorney general.

Former Attorney General John Van de Kamp said Lockyer's legislative
experience ``should be a tremendous advantage to his department.''

``As long as he deals with lawmakers as colleagues, he'll be fine,'' Van de
Kamp said.

Former Assemblyman Phil Isenberg, who is working on the budget for
Governor-elect Gray Davis, said Lockyer has invaluable knowledge of the
inner workings of government. ``There is no learning curve for Bill
Lockyer,'' Isenberg said. ``He knows it now.''

As an administrator, Lockyer plans to push the state personnel division for
higher salaries for his employees. The relatively low pay for state lawyers,
who start out at $38,000 a year, as well as equally low salaries for
investigators, has hurt morale and led to good people leaving the office.

In his budget request submitted a few weeks ago, Lockyer is seeking an extra
$25 million to hire more lawyers and to improve the state's crime labs. Part
of the money will bolster the civil rights division, where, Lockyer noted,
Lungren cut the staff from 12 attorneys down to one. ``The office was
virtually eliminated,'' he said.

He also faulted Lungren for not cracking down on environmental polluters.
Although Van de Kamp filed roughly 200 legal actions over environmental
violations that were independent of any actions by other state agencies,
Lungren brought fewer than 20, Lockyer said.

``It's not so much beefing up the lawyers,'' he said. ``It's giving them the
green light. Lockyer said several environmental lawyers told him that they
were frequently told to drop potential suits on which they were working.

(c)1998 San Francisco Chronicle Page A13

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

Lockyer And Prop 215 (A staff editorial in the Orange County Register
endorses the medical marijuana reforms promised by Bill Lockyer,
California's new attorney general.)

Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 00:07:56 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: OPED: Lockyer And Prop 215
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John W. Black
Pubdate: 04, Jan 1999
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Copyright: 1998 The Orange County Register

LOCKYER AND PROP 215

The new year grants a chance to clear the air of the haze of confusion
hanging over Proposition 215, the medical marijuana initiative voters
passed in 1996. And incoming Attorney Gen. Bill Lockyer has turned on
the fans, signalling that a new view of the issue is being taken by
the state's top law enforcement officer.

Under Mr. Lockyer's predecessor, Dan Lungren, virtually no leeway was
given to local counties and cities in the implementation of the law.
Mr. Lungren even called in federal drug enforcement officials to crack
down on medical marijuana distributors.

Although the wording of Prop. 215 is not always clear, its intent is
to allow a physician to give a permission slip (not a prescription) to
suffering patients, who then should be able to legally obtain the
medicine. Unfortunately, Prop. 215 doesn't specify how patients can
get the medicine, which is still illegal to sell or buy. This policy
disconnect has led to crackdowns on cannabis buyers' clubs, including
at least one in Orange County.

Mr. Lockyer says he's going to implement the will of the voters. "That
means cooperating with local communities if they have different
approaches," he told the San Francisco Examiner last week. "So San
Francisco would be different than Kern County. I think [Mr. Lungren']
was overly zealous in continuing to oppose [Prop. 215] even after the
people had adopted it. I joke that there are days when I thought Dan
had a copy of 'Reefer Madness' at home."

That's good news for the many people suffering from glaucoma,
leukemia, cancer or other ailments that seem to be aided by smoking
the herb. During last year's political campaign, we twice met with Mr.
Lockyer and were touched by his compassion for his mother and sister,
both of whom died of leukemia. He wondered to us why suffering
patients can be given morphine, but not marijuana, if that's what can
ease their pain.

"I'm impressed and delighted with the vision and courage that Bill
Lockyer has shown on this issue," Steve Kubby told us; he's co-author
of Prop. 215, publisher of Alpine World and was last year's
Libertarian Party candidate for governor. "In addition, his approach
of doing it on a county-by-county basis, rather than on a statewide
basis, is exactly what's needed right now. Lockyer said it best:
Lungren saw himself as the pinnacle of law enforcement, but Lockyer
sees himself as a support for communities district attorneys and
local law enforcement."

Mr. Kubby also was impressed with Mr. Lockyer's "private discussions
with people like the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Club. That's the first
time an elected official I've heard of has gone right to the patients
and asked them for their views. So he has a track record with medical
patients, and we respect him and appreciate him."

Mr. Lockyer's job won't be easy. He still has to deal with federal
drug enforcement authorities, who insist that marijuana has no
medicinal value and should not be recommended by doctors. A crackdown
could include revoking a physician's federal license to prescribe medication.

But Mr. Lockyer, unlike Mr. Lungren, is a member of the same party as
President Clinton, the Democrats.

And as the No. 2 elected official in the nation's largest state, Mr.
Lockyer's voice will be heard in Washington on this issue - especially
after last November's election, when five other states voted to allow
medical marijuana.

Clearly, Americans want marijuana allowed as a medical treatment. In
California, it's time to make Prop. 215 work.

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

Four Californians among 33 people granted presidential pardons
(The Associated Press says President Clinton has issued Christmas pardons
for a San Diego County man convicted in 1975 of marijuana possession,
and a former California resident sentenced a decade ago in Sacramento County
for conspiracy to cultivate pot. Nationwide, President Clinton also pardoned
a car thief, a Korean War veteran who went AWOL and a variety of people
nabbed for drug crimes.)

Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 21:46:46 -0500
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
From: ltneidow@voyager.net (Lee T. Neidow)
Subject: Pardons Given For Drug Crimes
Cc: drctalk@drcnet.org
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Published at http://www.bayinsider.com/news/1998/pardons.html

Four Californians among 33 people granted presidential pardons

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP)--Four Californians convicted of crimes including income tax
evasion, marijuana and counterfeit cash possession, and pot cultivation were
among the 33 Americans granted a pardon by President Clinton.

"I feel vindicated," Robert Radke said last week when hearing the good news.
"Being 82 years old and retired, I have no intention or any need or want to
make much of anything out of it. This is for me."

Radke of Van Nuys was an attorney by trade when he was convicted of
attempting to evade income taxes and sentenced in 1981 to 1,000 hours
of community service and a $10,000 fine.

Convinced he had been wronged, Radke was determined to clear his
name. He put in his bid for a presidential pardon more than a decade ago.

Three other Californians receiving pardons included:

--Haig Ardash Arakelian, a San Diego County man convicted in 1975 of
marijuana possession as a teen-ager.

--Darrin Paul Sobin, who now lives in Washington, D.C., sentenced a
decade ago in Sacramento County for conspiracy to cultivate pot.

--Vincent Anthony Burgio, a 64-year-old retired masonry contractor from
Canoga Park, convicted of possessing counterfeit cash in the early 1970s.

"It was a very nice Christmas present," said Burgio, who served three
years probation. "I'm happy that I received it. Now, let's go on with life."

Nationwide, President Clinton also pardoned a car thief, a Korean War
veteran who went AWOL and a variety of people nabbed for drug crimes.

More than 200 people apply for pardons each year. Justice Department
officials say only about one in 10 is successful.

"It is basically an act of forgiveness," said Chris Watney, a U.S. Justice
Department spokeswoman. "It does not wipe your record clean, but it
does restore certain rights."

Applicants must wait five years after their conviction before submitting a
pardon request. They must serve their sentence, show that their crimes
are behind them and prove they have become a productive member of
society.

Then they face long applications and FBI interviews.

Radke had started in law as a prosecutor, been married for 57 years, lived
in the same house for decades. He considered himself a solid citizen, not
the tax cheat the IRS said he was.

Though typically applicants must show remorse for their crimes, Radke
felt he was bulldozed by the IRS and wanted a pardon to prove he had
done no wrong.

Radke says the IRS case against him boiled down to a disagreement over
how much he owed.

"They did their computing wrong and I protested," he said. "But you don't
often win with them, especially in those days."

His penance performed, he continued with his law career before retiring.
Whatever the facts of the case, Radke says today, "I worked my way out
of it."

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

Jesse Ready For The Main Event - Ex-Wrestler Ventura Takes Office Today
(The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says the new governor of Minnesota,
former professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura, recently told a group
of farmers that he wanted to "deregulate some stuff," which he later said
referred to lifting restrictions such as the prohibition on industrial hemp.
A Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll in December found that more people
would vote for Ventura today than did in November.)

Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 20:21:29 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US MN: Jesse Ready For The Main Event Ex-Wrestler Ventura
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 4 Jan 1999
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Contact: editpage@seattle-pi.com
Website: http://www.seattle-pi.com/
Copyright: 1999 Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Note: A mention of industrial hemp legalization below

JESSE READY FOR THE MAIN EVENT EX-WRESTLER VENTURA TAKES OFFICE TODAY

The new governor of Minnesota doesn't know exactly what he'll do in office
yet, but he has made one decision: no appointments before 9 a.m.

Why?

"Arnold was very worried about me," the governor-elect said the other day.
"Arnold told me I really have to get back to working out, so that's what
I'm going to do every morning."

That's Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course. He was offering advice to his
friend and fellow muscleman, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, the former
professional wrestler who now holds Minnesota's highest office.

As Ventura becomes governor today, there's still a lot up in the air.

How will Ventura, who won 37 percent of the vote under the banner of the
Reform Party, work with a House of Representatives controlled by
Republicans and a Senate controlled by Democrats? What will Ventura's
policies be? And how will a self-styled outsider who ran under the slogan
"Retaliate in '98" adjust to being part of the political establishment?

One thing seems clear: Ventura will be unlike any governor Minnesota - or
any state, for that matter - has ever seen.

He has already been the subject of the "Doonesbury" comic strip and a guest
on the Jay Leno and David Letterman talk shows. He has signed a six-figure
book deal. And he is arranging for the sale of Jesse Ventura action figures
and T- shirts with slogans like "In Jesse We Trust."

Even his elaborate inauguration events seems unprecedented, including a
gigantic party for 13,800 in a basketball arena. Tickets at $10, $15 and
$20 sold out long ago. Ventura has, however, forgone his initial promise to
arrive at the official inauguration by rappelling from a helicopter down
through the Capitol dome. His staff concluded it's a little too dangerous.

"This is strange stuff," said Steven Schier, chairman of the political
science department at Carleton College in Northfield. "Usually a governor
comes in and you know where he stands, who his enemies are and what he's
going to do for the next four years."

Ventura, Schier said, is "working hard at it and he's smart, but the
problem is he's got zero background."

Ventura, the strapping, chrome-domed, former bad-boy wrestler, action-film
actor and talk radio host, stunned prognosticators by trouncing two
respected and widely known opponents, Democratic Attorney General Hubert
Humphrey III and the Republican mayor of St. Paul, Norm Coleman.

Many of his supporters were young people, especially men, with nearly half
claiming only a high school education. They saw something refreshing in
Ventura, whose previous political experience was as a part-time suburban
mayor who voted in only four of the last 14 elections.

Now, Ventura has put away his leather jacket and jeans - and the camouflage
outfit and Australian bush hat.

"Suits used to take me 40 minutes," said Ventura, who has a gift for
shifting quickly between his entertainer and politician personas. "Now I
can do it in 12."

He is getting used to a chauffeured sedan instead of his beloved Porsche.
And he has submitted to a phalanx of bodyguards because "it wouldn't be too
good if the governor knocks somebody down."

Aware he has a lot to learn, he has assembled an advisory committee and
staff, drawing some of the more respected, independent-minded people from
all parties. He has toured the state and visited state departments. But he
has just begun to assemble a Cabinet and says that will take more time.

"We're like the discoverers of the New World," Ventura said in his
transition office in the basement of the Capitol building, where he has
hung a neon sign with the words "Jesse the Gov" and an image of Rodin's
"The Thinker," a pose Ventura struck in one of his campaign commercials.
"There was no one who could sit there and say, `Been there, done that.' "

Since the election, Ventura, who is considered fiscally conservative and
socially progressive on such issues as abortion, has given few concrete
hints about his policies, saying he wants to be prudent and consider a
range of ideas.

When asked on the day after the election about the details of his tax-cut
proposals, Ventura responded, "Oh, sheesh."

In a recent speech to farmers, he said he wanted to "deregulate some
stuff," which he later said referred to lifting restrictions, like
prohibition on growing industrial hemp.

And during the campaign, he criticized state-subsidized child care and the
state's health-insurance program for children. He said families should not
have children until they could afford them.

Ventura now suggests a more moderate tone. His chief of staff, Steven
Bosacker, said that Ventura had a habit of saying things to provoke debate,
rather than establish a policy stance.

"I think, unfortunately, people tend to believe that as soon as you make a
comment, that's your firm position," Bosacker said.

Ventura is finding that even firm campaign pledges require careful
implementation. After promising to refund the state surplus in increments
of $1,000 for every man, woman and child, Ventura is now evaluating
different options and wants to wait until the end of the budget period in
June to make sure the state has the money.

While he is treading carefully, Ventura has managed to push the envelope -
especially in an ethically straight-laced state. After refusing campaign
contributions from political action committees, he has accepted corporate
donations for transition costs.

He has proposed that his wife be paid a salary. And he wants to put money
from sale of T-shirts and action figures into his campaign fund, but will
give it to charity if the state's campaign ethics board says no.

"A whole host of things have come out that are extremely unconventional,"
said Steve Sviggum, the Republican state House speaker. "I guess I would
just as soon that he focus on the job that he ran for."

So far, though, complaints are rare. A Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll in
December found that more people would vote for Ventura today than did in
November.

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

Natural Childbirth Is Out, Drugs In (The Omaha World-Herald, in Nebraska,
describes a new meta-analysis in the latest issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association comparing epidurals - which numb women
in delivery below the waist - to narcotic injections. Studies have shown
that inadequate pain relief can do lasting harm by increasing the incidence
of post traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression. The use of drugs
to relieve labor pain has been growing, obstetricians say. One study found
that from 1981 to 1992, epidural use increased from 16 percent to 29 percent
of deliveries, while narcotic use increased from 49 percent to 55 percent.
The number of women forgoing painkillers dropped from 32 percent
to 22 percent.)

Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 17:03:44 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Natural Childbirth Is Out, Drugs In
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jan 1999
Source: Omaha World-Herald (NE)
Copyright: 1999 Omaha World-Herald Company.
Contact: pulse@owh.com
Website: http://www.omaha.com/
Forum: http://chat.omaha.com/

NATURAL CHILDBIRTH IS OUT, DRUGS IN

How painful is childbirth?

In surveys, women have rated it worse than a toothache, a migraine, a
broken arm or even most cancer pain. No wonder "natural" childbirth
without painkillers has lost favor in this country, while the
controlled use of anesthetics during labor has grown.

Despite this trend, controversy dogs the most effective method of pain
relief, the epidural block, which numbs the woman below the waist.
Epidurals have been accused of slowing labor, stopping it altogether
and increasing the need for cesarean surgical delivery.

A study in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association comparing epidurals to narcotic injections offers
reassurance. Researchers at MCP Hahnemann University of the Health
Sciences and the University of Toronto found that while epidurals
slightly lengthen labor, they do not increase cesarean rates. And
epidurals give women more complete pain relief, with fewer bad effects
on their newborns, than narcotics such as Demerol or Fentanyl.

"This information should be available to women so that they can make
informed choices about labor pain relief," the authors conclude.

The study is not likely to end the epidural debate, because it is a
meta-analysis, combining the results of 10 clinical trials with a
total of 2,369 patients. Meta-analyses have the advantage of large
numbers but the disadvantage of mixing disparate study designs.

"Will it settle the debate? Probably not," said Owen Montgomery, an
obstetrician-gynecologist at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.
"But in our own practice, well-done epidural anesthesia does not
appear to increase the cesarean-section rate. It's nice to see a
meta-analysis confirm our clinical judgment."

Natural childbirth, a movement that coincided with feminist calls for
women to take control of their lives and bodies, was once touted as a
superior method of delivery. But studies have shown that inadequate
pain relief can do lasting harm by increasing the incidence of post
traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression.

"A lot of sociopolitical stuff surrounds the issue of pain relief for
childbirth," said Barbara Leighton, the director of obstetric
anesthesia research at MCP Hahnemann and an author of the new study.
"The problem is, labor really hurts a lot."

The use of drugs to relieve labor pain has been growing, obstetricians
say. One study found that from 1981 to 1992, epidural use increased
from 16 percent to 29 percent of deliveries, while narcotic use
increased from 49 percent to 55 percent. The number of women forgoing
painkillers dropped from 32 percent to 22 percent.

Leighton said the trend partly reflects the fact that babies are
getting bigger and thus harder to push out. A nine-pound baby, a
rarity in the 1950s, is now common.

Another factor: Competition for obstetrical patients has led more
hospitals to offer epidurals. An anesthesiologist gives a local
anesthetic by way of a tiny tube, or catheter, inserted into the
woman's lower spine. The drug relieves labor pain by numbing nerves
leading to the lower half of the body.

Leighton and her colleagues found several disadvantages to epidurals,
compared with narcotics. Epidural labor lasted about an hour longer,
instruments such as forceps that help with delivery by grasping the
baby's head were more often used, and the mother more often had to be
treated for a mild fever or slightly low blood pressure.

But the difference in cesarean rate was not statistically significant
- 8.2 percent for epidurals compared with 5.6 percent for narcotic
injections.

And women reported superior pain relief with epidurals. Their babies
were born more alert, with less acid in their bloodstreams and with
less need for noxalone, a drug that reverses the effects of narcotics.

The findings are welcome, especially in the wake of recent reports of
California hospitals denying epidurals to low-income women who
couldn't pay for them, Montgomery said.

"I am a firm believer in giving women the choice," he said. "I don't
believe there is only one right way. The option of natural childbirth
... is important, but so is safe, effective anesthesia."

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

DrugSense Focus Alert No. 92 - "60 Minutes" feature on Swiss
heroin successes (DrugSense asks you to write a letter to CBS
praising Sunday's excellent newscast about Switzerland's
heroin-maintenance program for otherwise untreatable addicts -
sample letter included.)

Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 11:14:52 -0800
To: mgreer@mapinc.org
From: Mark Greer (MGreer@mapinc.org)
Subject: DrugSense Focus Alert 60 Minutes Swiss Heroin

PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #92 1/4/99

60 MINUTES Feature on Swiss Heroin Successes

NOTE: MAKE A COMMITTMENT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 1999. A number of Media
Awareness Project (MAP) letter writing activists are making New Year's
resolutions such as committing to writing at least one letter a week
responding to articles selected from the DrugSense Weekly newsletter, FOCUS
Alerts, or any of our other news services. If you are willing to make any
commitment even a letter a month please send us a note to that effect at
MGreer@mapinc.org or post it to MAPTalk if you are subscribed.

If all of our letter writing volunteers wrote just one letter a month we would
generate over 30,000 letters in 1999. Since about 10% get published (see below
URLs to improve your odds) that would be 3,000 published letters and likely
have an advertising value over 3 MILLION DOLLARS!!

You CAN make a BIG difference

***

Your assignment should you choose to accept it:

Sunday's 60 Minutes segment on the Swiss approach to heroin use was excellent!
Please send them a letter of acknowledgement and encourage further coverage.
(Sample Letter Below)

Happy New Year, people! Let's make '99 a year that the prohibitionists
will never forget :-)

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It's not what others do it's what YOU do

***

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk list if you
are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to MGreer@mapinc.org Your
letter will then be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your
efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our impact and
effectiveness.

***

CONTACT INFO
60 Minutes
Don Hewitt, Executive Producer
CBS-TV
524 West 57th Street
New York
NY 10019-2985
212-975-2006 PHONE
212 975 2019 FAX
E-Mail: 60M@cbsnews.com

***

The CBS news program 60 Minutes had an outstanding report
on the Swiss heroin maintenance program earlier this
evening. You can view a preview video clip on the CBS web
site at http://www.cbs.com -- click on the "news" menu
button at the top of the page, then on the "programs" menu
button at the top of the page, then the "60 Minutes" button
at the side of the page, and you'll be at the 60 Minutes
section of the site. Scroll down to the third report, and
click on the preview to view the first half minute or so of
the show. To send 60 Minutes positive feedback, follow the
"feedback" link, or mail your comments to: 60 Minutes, 524
West 57th St., New York, New York 10019, or call (212) 975-
3247. The drug warriors will likely be doing the same, so
it's important that our side makes its voices heard. To
order a transcript, call (800) 777-TEXT, or to order a
videotape, call (800) 848-3256.

NOTE: Thanks to DRCNet for the text above

***

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

***

SAMPLE LETTER (SENT)

Dear 60 Minutes:

Your outstanding piece on the Swiss approach to heroin use deserves much praise
and accolades. It is heartening indeed to see a show with the stature and
reputation of 60 Minutes finally beginning to address and acknowledge some
sensible alternatives to the ruinous wasteful and ineffective policies of
incarceration, prohibition, and interdiction that the U.S. has foolishly
adopted over the last few decades.

Please continue to research and report on the topic of drug policies in
general. To aid you in any future segments might I offer the information
resources in the web sites below. DrugSense offers a wide array of accurate
information on drug policy including a searchable archive of over 15,000 news
articles specifically on drug policy matters. We also offer a terrific listing
of drug war facts and much more.

You might even consider doing a segment on the DrugSense organization. We are
having a significant impact in educating the media and the public using our
worldwide network of "NewsHawks," editors, and a talented and active
membership that engage in letter writing and other educational activities.

Thanks again for the great segment. Keep up the GREAT work!

Mark Greer
Executive Director
DrugSense
PO Box 651
Porterville,
CA 93258
(800) 266 5759
MGreer@mapinc.org
http://www.mapinc.org
http://www.drugsense.org

Just DO It!

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

Police Gunfire Terrifies Kids (The Vancouver Province, in British Columbia,
says after two hours of surveillance, a team of six prohibition agents burst
into a birthday party for 13 children yesterday in Abbotsford, shooting a dog
three times in front of the kids just as they were about to dig into
their cake, splattering blood on the face of a two-week-old baby. Four people
were arrested but only one, an occupant of the house, was detained,
at MSA Hospital, where he was spitting up blood. Witnesses said he and
several others were beaten by police.)

Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 21:51:29 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Canada: Police Gunfire Terrifies Kids
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: Vancouver Province (Canada)
Contact: provletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/
Copyright: The Province, Vancouver 1999
Pubdate: Mon, 4 Jan 1999
Author: Frank Luba, Staff Reporter, The Province

POLICE GUNFIRE TERRIFIES KIDS

A children's birthday party yesterday in Abbotsford turned into a police
bust and parents are steaming mad about the behaviour of the emergency
response team.

The six-member team burst into what they termed a "known drug house" after a
two-hour surveillance. One officer was attacked by Kona, a part pit-bull,
and another officer shot the dog three times in front of the 13 kids at the
party, who were just about to dig into their cake. Kona later died.

"A two-week-old baby got blood spattered in its face," said Abbotsford
resident Jason Rowsom, 28, who was at the party with his four children. "I
had an automatic weapon trained on me when I had my six-month-old daughter
in my arms.

"What they did was just inexcusable. My kids are really traumatized."

Sgt. Bill Emery, the Abbotsford investigating officer in the case, said
surveillance only indicated two children were playing in the yard. But
Rowsom said: "I watched them drive by and at one point I had eight of the
kids out playing hockey."

Said Emery: "If we had known there was a party going on, we would not have
gone in. We regret it happening. This was just bad timing."

Rowsom and Surrey mom Kim Raber, whose two children were also at the party,
are both planning on filing complaints.

Four people were arrested but only one, an occupant of the house, was
detained and may face narcotics and weapons charges.

The man detained was admitted to MSA Hospital and was spitting up blood,
said Emery, who did not know the reason for the condition. Witnesses said
the man and several others were beaten by police.

Narcotics and weapons previously were seized at the same residence. Emery
also said there was evidence of marijuana at the time of this bust.

Victims' services workers were called to the scene.

***

From: TNic251424@aol.com
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 23:36:39 EST
To: cp@telelists.com
Subject: [cp] Re: The price we pay for ignorant acceptance of the
List-Unsubscribe: (mailto:leave-cp-27149A@telelists.com)
Reply-To: "Cannabis Patriots" (cp@telelists.com)

Hello People,

I just looked up the Abbotsford Police Dept. on the net and they have a
website that allows you to leave a "survey" that includes a nice good sized
"comments" section. So I felt it necessary to give them a little rattle,
er..rabble? The address is: http:/www.abbotsfordpolice.org/

Derek

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

Another failed police pot raid in Vancouver (A transcript of a newscast
on the BCTV News Hour, in British Columbia, notes the Vancouver Police
Emergency Response Team used a battering ram to carry out an armed assault
on a "cute bungalow" 10:15 am Sunday as the occupant was in the bathroom
getting ready for church. The police had obtained a warrant based on their
claim that they smelled marijuana growing.)

From: creator@drugsense.org (Cannabis Culture)
To: cclist@drugsense.org
Subject: CC: Pot-police go home-invasion crazy!
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 08:15:50 -0800
Lines: 232
Sender: creator@drugsense.org
Reply-To: creator@drugsense.org
Organization: Cannabis Culture (http://www.cannabisculture.com/)

Another failed police pot raid in Vancouver

Transcript from BCTV News Hour Final

Monday, January 4, 1999

Transcribed by Dana Larsen

VOICE OVER: This cute bungalow was raided by the Vancouver Police Emergency
Response Team at 10:15 am on Sunday. The resident was in the downstairs
bathroom getting ready for church when the VERT smashed the door open with a
battering ram.

MAN IN HOUSE: I saw four men in the living room, in the dining room,
heavily armed like a SWAT team. And there's also one man there, also
holding a gun. And I was in a panic. All I could do was shake my hands, I
put my hands up and then just as I get into the dining room they said
"Don't move! We have a warrant to search this house!" and I said "For what?
Can I see the warrant?" he said "In a minute."

VOICE OVER: Police passing by earlier apparently smelled marijuana, and
suspected a grow operation. Darcey Houdena (sp?) says he's a god-fearing
taxpayer. He's been a nurse at St Paul's Hospital for 22 years, his
religious pictures went flying when the ERT crashed in on him

So how could police get a search warrant to break into his home when there
was nothing there at all? Police say there were a number of grounds to
support the warrant.

POLICE SPOKESPERSON, CONSTABLE ANNE DRENNAN: First of all, there was what
they felt was the smell of marijuana, a fairly strong smell of marijuana,
in the area of the house itself. There were fairly large bags of fertilizer
in the yard of the house...

VOICE OVER: They also say there was a lot of heavy condensation on windows,
common with grow operations.

Darcey wonders if his spicy cooking for Philipinno relatives on New Year's
Day, followed by burning some incense, led to the raid.

CONSTABLE ANNE DRENNAN: I can tell you quite honestly there was no grow
operation found. So in this case those factors didn't add up to the end
result that we normally achieve. But we apologized profusely to this man,
and we will make sure the damages are repaired.

ANCHOR TED CHERNICKI: Even worse, is that this frightening experience
happened to a man with a heart condition, and today Darcey Houdena had to
miss work for a doctor's appointment.

Yes, police are only human and they do make mistakes. Their decisions are
based on the best information available to them at the time. But in police
work, good information can be a matter of life and death. Now remember in
1992, police raided a house in Vancouver and found only a few ounces of
marijuana, but 22 year old Daniel Possee was killed. It's that kind of
mistake that has police openly critical of the law.

GIL PUDER, VANCOUVER STREET POLICE: Why is it that we've created a hugely
lucrative criminal black market? Why don't we start some slow progressive
decriminalization, take away the money and take away the violence. We don't
need any more Daniel Possee's.

Contact: BCTV News jocelyne_gaumond@bluezone.net
BCTV Online Forum: http://www.tv4bc.com/bctv/post/content/newscom/newscom.htm

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

Relaxation In The Air (A staff editorial in the New Zealand Herald
says that when Parliament's select committee on health calls for a rethink
of official attitudes to cannabis, there is a sense the ground is shifting.
In August, the police told the select committee they were open to the idea
of decriminalising the drug, meaning a fine for those found in possession,
but no taint of a conviction. The Minister of Police holds similar views.
When the Police administration, the minister and a conservative-led select
committee venture down the path to more liberal cannabis laws, reform is
definitely in the air. But let us tread very warily. Decriminalisation is one
thing and it may be inevitable, but making the drug legal and allowing it to
be grown for personal use is quite another.)

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 19:05:38 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: New Zealand: Editorial: Relaxation In The Air
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: hadorn@dnai.com (David Hadorn)
Pubdate: Mon, 4 Jan 1999
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: New Zealand Herald
Contact: editor@herald.co.nz
Website: http://www.herald.co.nz/nzherald/index.html

RELAXATION IN THE AIR

When Parliament's select committee on health calls for a rethink of
official attitudes to cannabis, there is a sense the ground is shifting.

The campaign for legalisation, or at least decriminalisation, of the
drug has been dripping on the rock of respectability for almost as
long as reefers have been passed around at rock concerts and student
parties. Is the country ready to regard it as just another relaxant?

The law has long had little effect on the cannabis trade and its
cultivation has become a major industry in some places.

At this time of the year, the police spend plenty of time and money
hunting out crops and growers, but not with quite the same will. In
August, the police told the select committee they were open to the
idea of decriminalising the drug, meaning a fine for those found in
possession, but no taint of a conviction. The Minister of Police holds
similar views.

Now the committee has reported and it largely adopts the police
stance.

The committee suggests the Government should review existing policy on
cannabis and reconsider its legal status.

Further, it concludes from material placed before it that the mental
damage of the drug has been overstated and that moderate use does not
harm most people.

When the Police administration, the minister and a conservative-led
select committee venture down the path to more liberal cannabis laws,
reform is definitely in the air. But let us tread very warily.

Decriminalisation is one thing and it may be inevitable, but making
the drug legal and allowing it to be grown for personal use is quite
another. Our present social drugs cause enough damage; if we are going
to move in the direction that one or two European states have roamed,
we should do so only after careful evaluation of the dangers of the
drug, not simply in surrender to its widespread use.

Even if cannabis is as pervasive as it now seems, that would not be a
reason to condone a health hazard.

But its prevalence may be exaggerated in any case. In a survey in the
Herald-DigiPoll series, 60 per cent of those questioned said they had
never tried cannabis and never would.

Another 24 per cent said they had tried it only a few times.

Less than 3 per cent described themselves as regular users.

Any survey that invites people to incriminate themselves obviously has
difficulties but this one also found that only 3.3 per cent would be
interested in the drug if it were legal. That figure could be expected
to be much higher if fear was a significant factor in the response,
although it supports the contention of the pro-cannabis people that
decriminalisation or legalisation would not result in an upsurge of
use. The law appears to be having little influence on behaviour either
way.

The select committee's suggested review is probably not going to be
taken up by either of the main political parties before the next
election but it could be a plank a minor party puts into a coalition
agreement.

The electorate should regard any such proposal with great care. The
committee obviously feels more information is still needed, and that
is wise. We are surely some way from confirming cannabis'
semi-legitimacy when the jury has plenty to consider.

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

Drug Ban As Experts Probe Sudden Deaths Alert For Scottish Schizophrenics
After Report Of Cardiac Arrest Link (Britain's Daily Mail says Sertindole,
a controversial drug to treat schizophrenia, has been dramatically withdrawn
from the market after reports of sudden death among users. The Danish
manufacturer, Lundbeck Ltd, has suspended the drug following fears of heart
complications. Nine British users and 36 throughout Europe have died since
the drug appeared on the market in 1996. Heart problems had been developed
by some patients involved in clinical trials in the United States. The
withdrawal comes days after Health Secretary Frank Dobson announced plans
to return mental patients to hospital if they refused to take medication,
fundamentally acknowledging the failure of care in the community.)

Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 10:24:53 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Drug Ban As Experts Probe Sudden Deaths Alert For Scottish
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Mon, 4 Jan 1999
Source: Daily Mail (UK)
Copyright: 1999 Associated Newspapers Ltd
Contact: letters@dailymail.co.uk
Website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

DRUG BAN AS EXPERTS PROBE SUDDEN DEATHS ALERT FOR SCOTTISH
SCHIZOPHRENICS AFTER REPORT OF CARDIAC ARREST LINK

A CONTROVERSIAL drug to treat schizophrenia has been dramatically
withdrawn from the market after reports of sudden death among users.

The manufacturer of Sertindole has suspended the drug following fears
of heart complications. Nine British users have died since the drug
appeared on the market in 1996.

A confidential memo from the Committee on Safety of Medicines
circulated to British health bosses and psychiatrists instructs them
to conduct an urgent review of all patients being given the drug and
to block any further prescriptions.

The drug was used to treat negative moods and hallucinations but 36
European patients who took Sertindole, also known as Serdolect, have
died.

The Danish manufacturer Lundbeck Ltd insists there is no evidence to
implicate its drug in the deaths but is removing it from sale while
the cases are examined.

Psychiatrists and support organisations for schizophrenics have
expressed concern that the drug was licensed for use in the UK.

Heart problems had been developed by some patients involved in
clinical trials in the United States.

As a result, Sertindole was issued on the understanding that patients
were given an ECG heart test before taking the drug and received
regular monitoring.

Government watchdog the UK Medicines Control Agency is believed to be
concerned that there may have been cases of sudden cardiac death
despite this precaution.

The agency is reassessing the safety of Sertindole and is expected to
report within three months.

The temporary withdrawal of the drug means disruption in the treatment
of around 90 Scottish schizophrenia patients.

It comes days after Health Secretary Frank Dobson announced plans to
return mental patients to hospital if they refused to take medication,
fundamentally acknowledging the failure of care in the community.

Dr David Cunningham Owens, spokesman for the Royal College of
Psychiatrists, said he had known about problems with Sertindole for
some time.

'I was very surprised that it was licensed in Britain, especially when
we knew that there were several more of these new-style drugs in the
pipeline which did not require regular ECG monitoring,'explained Dr
Cunningham Owens of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Schizophrenic patients are notoriously difficult to monitor and medics
prefer to prescribe medication that is easy to use.

Dr Cunningham Owens added: 'The drug wasn't widely used for that
reason.'

Sertindole is one of a series of new-type anti-psychotic drugs
developed in the early Nineties.

Although more expensive than conventional medication for the treatment
of schizophrenia, they are believed to deal effectively with symptoms
without causing stigmatising side effects such as grimacing.

Scottish pharmacies issued 1,064 prescriptions of the drug last year.

There have been no reported deaths of Sertindole patients in Scotland.

A Scottish Office spokesman urged patients to seek medical advice.

'Patients being treated with Serdolect or Sertin-dole should continue
to take their tablets and see their doctor or nurse as soon as
possible,' she said.

The Committee on Safety of Medicines originally did not attempt to
prevent the sale of Sertindole in Britain, despite being aware of the
possible problems with its use.

However chairman Professor Michael Rawlins admits members have had to
reassess that position.

British managing director of Lundbeck, Jarne Elleholm, said the
company had moved to protect patients.

He said: 'The deaths that have been reported are in no way necessarily
caused by the drug. Schizophrenia patients have more than double the
mortality rate of other people.' Shona Barcus, chief executive of the
Scottish Association for Mental Health, said she welcomed the decision
to remove Sertindole from the market.

Mary Weir, of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, said she was
concerned that patients did not panic and stop taking the drug before
being given a replacement.

'Terminating their treatment could prove even more risky,' she said.

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

Experience the Adventure of a Lifetime - Explore the Amazon and Machu Picchu
with Peter Gorman (The tour guide and former High Times editor
is leading "shamanic journeys" into the Peruvian jungle Feb. 6-19
and March 6-19, ayahuasca included.)

Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 12:23:47 -1000
To: dragonfly@aloha.net
From: prophets (prophets@maui.net)
Subject: Adventure of a Lifetime
Sender: owner-hemp@efn.org
Experience the Adventure of a Lifetime -
Explore the Amazon and Machu Picchu
with Peter Gorman
A Powerful and Unforgettable Shamanic Journey
February 6-19 & March 6-19, 1999

http://www.greatmystery.org/amazon.html

Peter Gorman is a noted writer, adventurer and medicinal plant collector
who is highly respected for his research into a wide variety of fields,
including indigenous cultures, rainforest destruction, ethnopharmacology,
and shamanism.

"What to say about the trip? It was indescribable. I was awestruck for
two weeks. In ten trips to the area I could not duplicate the experience
orchestrated by Peter and his crew. My only advice to the would-be
adventurer is...GO! As far as highlights of the trip, I wouldn't know
where to begin. In fact, the whole experience was so amazing, wild and
bizarre that I really don't want to share! You have to find out for
yourself!"

--J. F. Krabbenhoft

"When I first agreed to do these trips into Peru's jungle I didn't know
what to expect. My promise was simply to make things as interesting as I
knew how and to introduce my guests to some of the most fascinating people
I've ever known. Now, with four trips behind me, I realize that most of our
guests are getting the trip of a lifetime; not the most comfortable, not
the most pleasant in terms of creature comforts, but a trip which might
actually shake their entire world view. The jungle and ayahuasca
experiences are exceptional. I believe most of our previous guests would
soundly agree with that. And Machu Picchu, of course, as well as the San
Pedro ceremony, are also experiences of a lifetime. On top of which, I'm
having the time of my life with these groups. Which is why I've agreed to do
a few more Jaunts - February 6-19 & March 6-19, 1999."

--Peter Gorman

Full information on the Peter Gorman Amazon and Machu Picchu Jaunts may be
found at - http://www.greatmystery.org/amazon.html or 1-888-777-5981.

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

Fear Makes Drug Abusers Avoid Clinics, Doctors Say (The Irish Times
says an article in the Irish Medical Journal by doctors at the National Drug
Treatment Centre reports that some pregnant "drug abusers" avoid ante-natal
clinics because they are are afraid their babies will be taken from them.
The authors, Dr John O'Connor and Dr D. Sloan, advocate methadone treatment
for pregnant heroin abusers. An attempt to detoxify and become completely
drug-free during pregnancy "is regarded as even more dangerous than
continued drug use, being more stressful for the foetus than the mother.")

Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 20:40:33 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Ireland: Fear Makes Drug Abusers Avoid Clinics, Doctors Say
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Source: Irish Times (Ireland)
Contact: lettersed@irish-times.ie
Website: http://www.irish-times.ie/
Copyright: 1999 The Irish Times
Pubdate: 4 Jan 1999
Fax: ++ 353 1 671 9407
Mail: Letters to Editor, The Irish Times, 11-15 D'Olier St, Dublin 2, Ireland
Author: Padraig O'Morain, Social Affairs Correspondent

FEAR MAKES DRUG ABUSERS AVOID CLINICS, DOCTORS SAY

Fear that their babies will be taken into care leads some pregnant drug
abusers to avoid ante-natal clinics, doctors at the National Drug Treatment
Centre have reported.

Others are too busy raising money to finance their drug habit to attend
routine ante-natal clinics, they write in an article in the Irish Medical
Journal.

The authors, Dr John O'Connor and Dr D. Sloan, advocate methadone treatment
for pregnant heroin abusers.

An attempt to detoxify and become completely drug-free during pregnancy "is
regarded as even more dangerous than continued drug use, being more
stressful for the foetus than the mother."

Previously published estimates suggest that each year more than 150 women
who are addicted to heroin - often in combination with anti-depressants and
sleeping pills - give birth in Irish hospitals, almost all in Dublin.

Heroin passes easily into the placenta, which supplies the foetus with
nourishment.

Higher than normal rates of distress, stillbirth, premature birth and
congenital defects have all been reported where pregnant women are abusing
heroin, the authors say.

When born, the babies suffer withdrawal symptoms such as convulsions,
irritability, disturbed sleep patterns and poor feeding.

Older children born to drug addicts have been found to suffer developmental
delay and hyperactivity, but it is still unclear how much of this is due to
drug use during pregnancy and how much is due to being raised in an
environment where the mother continues to use drugs, the authors write.

Such an environment, they say, "is invariably a stressful one, with
associated poverty, poor nutrition and concomitant use of cigarettes."

On average, pregnant drug abusers take a month longer than other women to
book into ante-natal clinics. This is partly because heroin abuse disrupts
the menstrual cycle and the women may not realise that they are pregnant.

Many of the women claim the ante-natal clinics are too difficult to get to,
either because of where they are located or because they presume
administrative barriers will be placed in their way.

Some "have many other demands on their time and financing their drug habit
may take precedence over routine ante-natal appointments, especially when
perceived as not conferring them with any major benefits," the authors say.

"Some women fear that their child will be taken from them into care and
present even later for their ante-natal visit."

Some are discovered to be addicted only when they begin to show withdrawal
symptoms in the labour ward.

At high risk during pregnancy are foetuses whose mothers go through cycles
of withdrawal and relapse during the pregnancy, and are multiple drug users.

The use of street drugs increases the exposure to hepatitis B or C and to HIV.

Methadone treatment, say the authors, can reduce illicit drug use and
needle sharing. "Criminal activity may also be reduced. Maternal nutrition
is usually improved."

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

Five Die In Mafia Massacre In Sicily (According to the Scotsman,
investigators said yesterday that the worst "Mafia-style" massacre in Italy
in eight years was probably related to a clash for control of drug
trafficking in Sicily - though that doesn't explain why two local soccer
players were among the dead.)

Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 20:40:28 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Italy: Five Die In Mafia Massacre In Sicily
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
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Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Contact: Letters_ts@scotsman.com
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/
Forum: http://www.scotsman.com/
Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd
Pubdate: 4 Jan 1999
Author: Philip Pullella, In Rome

FIVE DIE IN MAFIA MASSACRE IN SICILY

INVESTIGATORS said yesterday that the worst Mafia-style massacre in Italy
in eight years was probably related to a clash for control of drug
trafficking in Sicily.

They said they feared the shootings in Sicily on Saturday night could
signal the start of a new war among crime clans in the south-east of the
island after a period of relative peace.

Five men in their 20s and 30s were mowed down in a burst of at least 40
bullets by two men who burst into a bar at a petrol station on Saturday night.

The gunmen opened fire as the victims were drinking coffee and reading
newspapers in the bar in south-eastern Sicily. They fled in a car driven by
an accomplice.

Police said at least three of the victims had previous criminal records. It
was still not clear if the other two dead men, members of the town's
football team, were members of criminal gangs or innocent witnesses killed
because they had seen the gunmen. The owner of the bar hid behind the
counter and was not hurt.

Investigators said the massacre could have been the local Mafia's way of
punishing a group of young upstarts trying to muscle in on drug trafficking.

"This massacre is a sign showing the strength and ferocity of the Mafia,"
said Ottaviano Del Turco, the president of Italy's parliamentary anti-Mafia
commission.

The provincial police chief, Alfonso Vella, yesterday called on citizens to
come forward and help police. "Rebel, break the wall of omerta [the Mafia
code of silence], help us," he said, according to the ANSA news agency.

The killing was the worst in Sicily since eight people were shot dead in
the city of Gela in 1990.

The victims were believed to be members of a clan of the Carbonaro and
Dominante families, who are locked in a struggle with other families for
control of drug rackets.

"This could be seen as a lesson meted out to those who believed they could
raise their heads and move about undisturbed because many Mafia bosses in
this area are either in jail or on the run," said Giovanni Tinebra, an
anti-Mafia magistrate from the town of Caltanissetta.

Italian police have scored many successes against the crime group since
1992, when the Mafia killed the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo
Borsellino and their bodyguards in two bomb attacks.

Those outrages sparked a crackdown that led to the arrest of the Mafia's
"boss of bosses", Salvatore "Toto" Riina, in 1993 after nearly a quarter of
a century on the run.

Since Riina's arrest, a number of top lieutenants who had been on the run
with him have also been arrested.

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