WSNIA - The Educator

INFORMATION ♦ EDUCATION ♦ ENFORCEMENT

THE EDUCATOR - Spring 2006

Educating Voices - The Dangers of Drugs

EVINews, Tracking the news that impacts drug prevention.

Drugs Ordered Online Killed Five Teenagers

Two Indiana men whose Internet sales of a concentrated form of a drug used in cough syrups allegedly led to the overdose deaths of five young men have agreed to plead guilty to federal charges, prosecutors said Tuesday. The men purchased powdered DXM from sources in India, repackaged it in plastic bags and then shipped it to people across the nation, Susan Brooks, US Attorney, said. Those shipments continued, she said, even after the men learned two Florida youths died in February 2005 after overdosing.

-- Associated Press, January 11, 2006

Home Grown Marijuana Twice As Strong And Equipment Is A Click Away

Police in Forest Lake, Minn. said they busted a high-tech marijuana growing operation… The equipment, similar in size to an airplane engine, may appear common, but it turns out, instructions are just a few clicks away on the Internet. The large hydroponic growers are easily found on the Internet for about $4,000 each. The marijuana produced by the growers is often twice as strong, which leads to higher street values. On the Internet, information is readily available on how to grow the plants, in addition to information on avoiding arrest.

-- Wcco.com, January 10, 2006

Parents Helping Schools With Student Drug Testing

Anew home-testing campaign initiated by TestMyTeen.com gives parents responsibility for safer schools along with administrators. The words “My parents test me” stop pushy peers in their tracks and give each teen the “socially acceptable” excuse they need.

-- Prweb.com, January 10, 2006

Hazelden Reports Unprecedented Number Of Admissions For Meth

People addicted to methamphetamine now account for an unprecedented 12.1% of admissions to addiction treatment programs in the metro area, compared with 10% in 2004, 7.5% in 2003, and only 2.9% percent in 1998, according to a new report on drug abuse trends released by the Hazelden Foundation. "For the first time in the Twin Cities, there are almost as many people entering treatment for meth as for cocaine," said Carol Falkowski, Hazelden's director of research communications and author of the report.

-- Prnewswire, January 9, 2006

Marijuana-Legalization Advocates Pushing For Initiatives In CO And NV

Stoked by their surprise victory in Denver, marijuana-legalization advocates are hoping to ride the momentum with statewide ballot initiatives this year in Colorado and Nevada.

If the measures pass, Colorado and Nevada would become the first states to win voter approval for marijuana legalization. Both state proposals would legalize possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana for adults older than 21, but that's where the similarities end. The Colorado proposal…says nothing about sales, production or taxation. However, the Nevada initiative provides a detailed regulation system in which marijuana would be sold only by state-licensed vendors and located no closer than 500 feet from churches and schools. Sales would be prohibited in gambling establishments, and penalties for selling marijuana to minors or driving under the influence would be doubled.

-- The Washington Times, January 9, 2006

“They’re Doing It Right Under Their Parents’ Noses”

Florida middle school students in Palm Beach and Broward counties increasingly are taking sniffs of computer keyboard cleaner, lighter fluid and other household products to get high, according to the most recent state survey of youth substance abuse. "This is the No. 1 middle school drug," said Doris Carroll of the Palm Beach County Substance Abuse Coalition. They (communities) face a tough challenge because adolescents surf the Internet to chat and learn about vapor-producing products, go anywhere to buy and obtain them on the cheap -- all while their parents often are too busy or naive to realize it.

-- Sun-Sentinel, January 9, 2006

Peer Pressure Is Enormous To Smoke Marijuana

Marijuana is small enough to fit into a student's back pocket. It's easy to carry and easy to find. It doesn't cost a lot and it doesn't require complicated paraphernalia, as some drugs do. There are several reasons why marijuana is so popular among teens. "It's cheap, affordable and readily available," said David Daniels principal at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, NY. It's easy to get marijuana from other students or from dealers outside school… All students have to do is ask, stated a student. The peer pressure is enormous.

-- Press and Sun-Bulletin, January 8, 2006

For more educating and eye-opening articles, visit www.educatingvoices.org/EVINews.asp