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Oceania

Oceania
Ice cold heart
10.04.06 | Permalink | Comment?

A man from Sydney, Australia, who a few years ago ordered the gang rape of a teenage girl who was staying at his apartment, has blamed his use of methamphetamine (“ice”) for his criminal behaviour; he had started using the drug six months previously. Apparently he didn’t like the girl and, upon seeing her in the house, got violent, causing damage to the apartment before turning on the unnamed victim and getting her to perform oral sex on some of his mates.

Canan Eken, 28, claims that he was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time and didn’t remember what happened; Eken also bashed the 17-year-old girl. This, combined with a family history of mental illness, contributed to the attack, according to his defence lawyer, Geoffrey Nicholson, QC; a psychiatrist testified that psychotic behaviour is a common side effect of using the drug.
Oceania
Drugs Rampant Among Prison Population
09.25.06 | Permalink | 1 Comment

A study in Australia has found that there is a major problem with the amount of prisoners testing positive for illegal drugs in the West Australian prison system.

The report found that about 900 prisoners had tested positive for drugs in the last year – mainly amphetamines and cannibis.

This represented a 22% increase over the same period last year.

A bored population of criminals (many with a history of drug use) in combination with an underpaid (read: potentially corruptible) guard staff and there’s a drug problem?
Oceania
Harm Reduction is Soft on Drugs?
08.16.06 | Permalink | 3 Comments

In a perfect example of why I hate politicians, the Australian health Minister, Tony Abbott has accused the Labor opposition of being “soft on drugs” due mainly to their support for heroin injecting room trials.

He went even further in accusing the (Labor run) states of coniving with criminals by supporting injecting rooms – “I can certainly assure the House that as long as the Howard government has breath in its body, we will try to oppose any state and territory which is conniving with law breaking in this way,” Mr Abbott said.
Oceania
Hunger Leads to Drugs for Aboriginal Australians says Waniwa Lester
08.14.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Waniwa Lester, an Aboriginal elder from Anangu Pitjantjatjarra Yunkatjatjarra (APY) lands in South Australia, says that hunger is leading Aboriginal children to turn to drugs to satiate hunger pains.

The statements came yesterday as Lester called for federal help in instituting children and women’s shelters on the Aboriginal area of South Australia.

Now, the first reaction to the claim that drugs are being taken in lieu of food is that either the claim is wrong, drugs are damn cheap or food is damn expensive – the latter two of which are usually quite unlikely. However, when you realise that a piece of fruit in some Aboriginal areas of South Australia costs as much as $3 a piece, then it starts to become plausable.
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.
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.
Oceania
Free Drugs for Addicts
07.19.06 | Permalink | 1 Comment

The Green Party of Australia have unveiled their policy on drugs to help the growing problem of drug trafficking, use and addiction.

Heroin addicts would be given access to free, tax payer funded heroin in a combined strategy that would also require them to undergo detox and rehab programs as well as counselling. While holding commercial quantities of drugs would still remain illegal, users would not be as heavily targeted under the new strategy.
Oceania
Marijuana and Murder
07.09.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Australian homicide detecties are investigating the possiblity that a super potent form of genetically modified marijuana was a factor in four murders there.

Detectives supect psychosis brought on by the powerful marijuana was part of the cause of the deaths.

The hydroponically grown marijuana is said to have a far more powerful effect than naturally grown markijuana and can spark what is known as cannabinoid psychosis, especially in those already prown to mental illness. By some accounts marijuana is up to 10 times more powerful than that freely available a decade ago.
Asia, Oceania, Smuggling, The Media
Drug smuggling and the death penalty
07.09.06 | Permalink | Comment?

If drug couriers are likely to face the death penalty if caught and convicted in a foreign country – and their home country doesn’t have capital punishment – should police from their home country still tip off those foreign authorities or just wait until they return home and then arrest them?

This issue, which came up in the case of the Bali Nine, has been raised again in light of the arrest in Vietnam of an Australian couple on charges of attempted heroin smuggling. Vietnamese airport officials alleged Nguyen Van Huy, aged 36, and his 39-year-old wife, Hoang Le Thuy, had 500 grams of heroin hidden away in bottles of medication in their baggage, as they attempted to fly from Ho Chi Minh City back to their hometown of Melbourne. Their three daughters, aged between two and 10, were travelling with them and have been handed over to relatives. They face possible decades away from their parents.
Oceania
A town with no beer….
07.04.06 | Permalink | Comment?

The state government of New South Wales, the largest state in Australia, is proposing that voting be allowed in licensed premises, in particular pubs, in certain rural areas. According to acting Premier John Watkins the option is being looked at because of what he says is a lack of venues outside of Sydney. State elections are due to be held next year.

Deputy Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell rubbished the idea, affirming that he was content with the current polling sites – schools and community halls – while also asking how the drinking and gambling that goes on in pubs could be seperated from the voting going on. Watkins answered the question quite succinctly: pubs would not be allowed to serve alcohol.

Now, I think that a town with an election on is, at the best of times, a town with no cheer; but a town with also no beer?