The Archives

Oceania
Where to hide in New Zealand
07.23.06 | Permalink | Comment?

A New Zealand newspaper has compiled a countrywide crime index, rating those regions with the highest recorded crime rates for murders, drugs, theft, domestic violence and rape; Rotorua on the North Island came out worst overall. Citizens and criminals, take note.

The Dominion Post took 2005 New Zealand Police statistics and calculated recorded crime rates per 10,000 people; stats usually only highlight raw figures as well as percentage increases and decreases. To the surprise of some observers, while South Auckland appeared in seven out of 10 categories, it didn’t top any of them.
Uncategorized
Meth Use Explodes in USA
07.23.06 | Permalink | Comment?

The use of meth among drug users in the US now accounts for more incidents of drug use than heroin, pot and cocaine combined.

A study by the National Association of Counties surveyed 500 counties in 44 states and came to the startling conclusion.

“You’d be surprised how many people in your neighborhood are probably just using. It would amaze you. It doesn’t matter who it is once you do it you do it,” said Mary, a recovering addict interviewed by KSLA TV, who reported the study.
People
Travel and Drugs: Avoiding the Sting
07.22.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Traveling for the drugs is nothing particularly new. The Marakesh Express of the 60s is still running and it is possible to get cheap drugs from Morocco through to India and Thailand and parts of South America too. Of course, if you have been reading Rehabology for a while, you will also know that there are gringos doing hard time in all of those countries for drug crimes.

So what seperates the experienced peace bussers from the losers in the can?

Let’s be honest, many people still go to many of countries and get pleasantly stoned at very cheap prices. Some people manage to do it regularly and never have a worry with the law and others get nabbed by the local constabulary the first time they try.
Africa
Rif Mountains Hash
07.22.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Morocco supplies up to 80% of the hash market of western Europe. A lareg portion of that crop comes from the Rif Mountains area in the nation’s north. As with any major drug producing region, politics has played a massive role in its fortunes.

According to the UN 1000 tons of hash is produced in the Rif Mountains every year. A kilo of hash will go for about $350 at the source, but by the time it get’s to Europe it is many times that amount. Of course, for a poor Moroccan farmer, the return on producing drugs is far greater than that on producing other types of cash crop.
Oceania
It now looks over for Wendell Sailor
07.22.06 | Permalink | Comment?

It looks pretty much certain now that the career of rugby star Wendell Sailor is over, after the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) just terminated his contract with immediate effect.

The 32-year-old dual international - he represented Australia in rugby union and rugby league - failed a cocaine test in April after a Super 14 match between ACT and his team, the New South Wales Waratahs. He was subsequently dropped from the Waratahs.
Rehabology - The Debate on Drugs
Addiction: Disease or a series of bad chioces?
07.21.06 | Permalink | 7 Comments

This seems to be one of the MOST controversial topics of discussion amongst the community of providers of treatment, those who study addiction and of current and rehabilitated addicts.

As disease:
http://www.medical-online.com/addict.htm

Not disease:
http://www.american-partisan.com/cols/2001/mercer/qtr1/print/0313.htm

Obviously there seems to be no middle ground it’s that devisive a topic.

I’d be very interested in hearing what this community has to say on the subject.

In dealing with some aspects of addiction in the past myself I feel that it is indeed a disease but more along the lines of a mental health issue which can then after time has more traditional physical manifestations.
Studies
Psilocybin - The Flesh of the Gods
07.21.06 | Permalink | 1 Comment

The Economist has an interesting article this week on the reemergence of research into the effects of psychadelic drugs - specifically magic mushrooms.

Mushrooms, also known as teonanacatl, hasn’t been studied seriously since the 1950s, but recently a team from Johns Hopkins began studies into the effects of psilocybin, the main active component of shrooms.

According to their study, which has been published in Psychopharmacology, psilocybin does indeed induce a mental state that they identify as akin to “religious experiences.” No big finding there. Their other finding, which may raise a few eyebrows however, is that psilocybin also has lasting positive effects on its users.
Rehabology - The Debate on Drugs
New Design
07.20.06 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Hope you guys like it. It was a bit of pain to get it installed, and I may tweak a few things in the coming days.
Latin America, People, War on Drugs
Peruvian Judge Hernán Saturno Vergara assassinated
07.20.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Peruvian Judge Hernán Saturno Vergara, who has been involved in the prosecution of drug dealers alleged to have links to the Tijuana Cartel in Mexico, was shot dead in a Lima restaurant on Wednesday evening, only shortly after having dismissed his police protection for the night.

The 60-year-old had been having dinner with his cousin, Hugo Miguel Vergara, when he let his bodyguard go for the night because of some family matters he wanted to discuss. Soon after, two men entered “Bunker” restaurant and opened fire. The judge died on the spot after being hit by four bullets, while his cousin was rushed to hospital where he is now recovering.
Africa, Smuggling
Kenyan Prosecutor in David Mugo Kiragu cocaine case hits back
07.20.06 | Permalink | Comment?

I recently posted excerpts from a guest column in the Kenyan newspaper The Nation by Philip Murgor, a former director of public prosecutions, in which he chided the investigation into a large 2004 cocaine bust and the subsequent prosecution of seven suspects; it netted only one guilty charge, that against David Mugo Kiragu.

One particular target of his scorn was the police who:

rejected the appointment of a competent and specially trained prosecutor in anti-narcotics investigations and prosecutions. Skeleton investigation files finally received reflected shoddy investigations with vital evidence missing.

The man who went on to prosecute the case, J-Oriri Onyango, was understandably not amused at the implication that he was not competent and wrote a letter [free registration required] to The Nation to this effect, squarely taking aim at Murgor, who was indeed the Director of Public Prosecutions at the time:

[A]ll the State counsel in the DPP’s department, including myself, are competent to prosecute all criminal cases without bias. Indeed there is no State counsel trained to prosecute a particular criminal case, as alleged by Mr Murgor.
The murder case involving Mr Kamlesh Pattni, which was prosecuted dismally by Mr Murgor, did not require a trained prosecutor in homicide investigations and prosecution.