Historic Drug Treatment Bill Waits for Gov's Signature in Maryland
Everyone has a stake in ending the war on drugs. Whether you’re a parent concerned about protecting children from drug-related harm, a social justice advocate worried about racially disproportionate incarceration rates, an environmentalist seeking to protect the Amazon rainforest or a fiscally conservative taxpayer you have a stake in ending the drug war. U.S. federal, state and local governments have spent hundreds of billions of dollars trying to make America “drug-free.” Yet heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs are cheaper, purer and easier to get than ever before. Nearly half a million people are behind bars on drug charges - more than all of western Europe (with a bigger population) incarcerates for all offenses. The war on drugs has become a war on families, a war on public health and a war on our constitutional rights.
Many of the problems the drug war purports to resolve are in fact caused by the drug war itself. So-called “drug-related” crime is a direct result of drug prohibition's distortion of immutable laws of supply and demand. Public health problems like HIV and Hepatitis C are all exacerbated by zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean needles. The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have us believe. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse.
Friday, April 16, 2004
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Safety First: reality-based approach to drug education
It's been said before, "the truth will set you free". That is the orientation behind honest drug education programs such as Safety First
As opposed to the same old shit that leaves the kids up the creek without a paddle of preventative education:
Just Say No Again: the old failures of new and improved anti-drug education
As opposed to the same old shit that leaves the kids up the creek without a paddle of preventative education:
Just Say No Again: the old failures of new and improved anti-drug education
Monday, February 23, 2004
Army Massively Multiplayer Project Interview ...
HomeLan Fed : Exclusives : Army Massively Multiplayer Project Interview : with Robert Gehorsam
As I noted, we are not designing a game so much as a large-scale, flexible and powerful environment that can be used for training and mission-rehearsal across a range of objectives. So unfortunately, it's probably a bit early to talk in detail about the gameplay. But simply put, the project will enable a commander of a unit to say, "Hey, my unit needs to train for its upcoming peacekeeping duties in Kumar." He works with a trainer to develop a specific environment and scenario (or better yet, modify an existing one out of a repository), figures out who is going to play the bad guys, the civilians and the "others" -- like the Red Cross, the UN, etc. -- and then prep his unit for the exercise. These exercises could last anywhere from a couple of days to months for all we're concerned, that's the beauty of an MMP, of course. And so at a certain time, the participants would start to show up. Bad guys would be given their assignments, good guys theirs, etc. and off they'd go. People play themselves, on the ground, interacting with their team, other units, civilians, the enemy, etc. It's not all combat by any means, there will be a lot of intelligence, patrolling, planning, collaboration, negotiation with civilians, etc. In many ways, MMPs do all of these things today, but each MMP today is highly specified for its particular entertainment and social goals. That's absolutely the right thing to do for a commercial product, but because There was always conceived of as a virtual world platform, it enables us to be more adaptive and general purpose. I expect there will be several dozen different styles of gameplay when this is up and running.
As I noted, we are not designing a game so much as a large-scale, flexible and powerful environment that can be used for training and mission-rehearsal across a range of objectives. So unfortunately, it's probably a bit early to talk in detail about the gameplay. But simply put, the project will enable a commander of a unit to say, "Hey, my unit needs to train for its upcoming peacekeeping duties in Kumar." He works with a trainer to develop a specific environment and scenario (or better yet, modify an existing one out of a repository), figures out who is going to play the bad guys, the civilians and the "others" -- like the Red Cross, the UN, etc. -- and then prep his unit for the exercise. These exercises could last anywhere from a couple of days to months for all we're concerned, that's the beauty of an MMP, of course. And so at a certain time, the participants would start to show up. Bad guys would be given their assignments, good guys theirs, etc. and off they'd go. People play themselves, on the ground, interacting with their team, other units, civilians, the enemy, etc. It's not all combat by any means, there will be a lot of intelligence, patrolling, planning, collaboration, negotiation with civilians, etc. In many ways, MMPs do all of these things today, but each MMP today is highly specified for its particular entertainment and social goals. That's absolutely the right thing to do for a commercial product, but because There was always conceived of as a virtual world platform, it enables us to be more adaptive and general purpose. I expect there will be several dozen different styles of gameplay when this is up and running.
Saturday, February 14, 2004
Videogame Theory - it's an academic question
Ludology.org - Videogame Theory
According to the Entertainment Software Association, 50 percent of Americans over the age of six play computer games, and the industry had $11.4 billion in sales in 2003, more than the film industry. Last year, 63 percent of U.S. parents said they planned to buy a video game.
So why shouldn't it merit serious academic attention?
Academics turn to video games
According to the Entertainment Software Association, 50 percent of Americans over the age of six play computer games, and the industry had $11.4 billion in sales in 2003, more than the film industry. Last year, 63 percent of U.S. parents said they planned to buy a video game.
So why shouldn't it merit serious academic attention?
Academics turn to video games
US engages in opium opportunism?
Nato happy to ignore explosion in Afghan opium output, says Russia
Another bumper crop is Afghanistan, warlords entrenched, and no election this summer - hey, that's business as usual.
Another bumper crop is Afghanistan, warlords entrenched, and no election this summer - hey, that's business as usual.
Friday, February 06, 2004
Free junk for junkies - a fix or folly?
Edmonton Journal - Story - canada.com network
Very informative article which appeared in several papers across Canada on January 25/04. The article describes serveral heroin maintenance programs worldwide, and how Canada is embarking on a pilot project of heroin maintenance in three cities. As well, a overview of the laws against opiates and the impact since late 19th century.
With maintenance being re-discovered in country after country, hardliners in the UN and the White House are doing their best to discredit the idea.
John Walters, the U.S. drug czar, attacked the British system in the Wall Street Journal last year.
"When British physicians were allowed to prescribe heroin to certain addicts, the number skyrocketed," Walters wrote. "From 68 British addicts in the program in 1960, the problem exploded to an estimated 20,000 heroin users in London alone by 1982."
This is deeply deceptive, says Fazey. Not only had the British system been in place for decades before 1960 without any increase in addiction, it was effectively dead "by about 1972."
Very informative article which appeared in several papers across Canada on January 25/04. The article describes serveral heroin maintenance programs worldwide, and how Canada is embarking on a pilot project of heroin maintenance in three cities. As well, a overview of the laws against opiates and the impact since late 19th century.
With maintenance being re-discovered in country after country, hardliners in the UN and the White House are doing their best to discredit the idea.
John Walters, the U.S. drug czar, attacked the British system in the Wall Street Journal last year.
"When British physicians were allowed to prescribe heroin to certain addicts, the number skyrocketed," Walters wrote. "From 68 British addicts in the program in 1960, the problem exploded to an estimated 20,000 heroin users in London alone by 1982."
This is deeply deceptive, says Fazey. Not only had the British system been in place for decades before 1960 without any increase in addiction, it was effectively dead "by about 1972."
Sunday, February 01, 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Exploring options for ending prohibition - eight legal variants
Illicit IV Drugs: A Public Health Approach
As the debate on harm reduction and drug policy reform intensifies, our understanding of these eight policy options and their health, social and criminal consequences needs to be expanded and developed. The process of examination of these eight legal options for all currently illegal drugs will produce significant benefits for society, drug users and drug abusers. The desired end result is an evolution of our illegal drug laws and policies... society will not manage its “drug problem” effectively until we reach a place where addiction is viewed first and foremost through the lens of public health, and addicts and drug users are treated with dignity and respect.
As the debate on harm reduction and drug policy reform intensifies, our understanding of these eight policy options and their health, social and criminal consequences needs to be expanded and developed. The process of examination of these eight legal options for all currently illegal drugs will produce significant benefits for society, drug users and drug abusers. The desired end result is an evolution of our illegal drug laws and policies... society will not manage its “drug problem” effectively until we reach a place where addiction is viewed first and foremost through the lens of public health, and addicts and drug users are treated with dignity and respect.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
WWII Aerial Photo Archive to Go Online
Yahoo! News article
Ah, how primative was the technology of war in the mid'20th century? Get out your magnifying glass, and figure out what we should bomb Winston.
Ah, how primative was the technology of war in the mid'20th century? Get out your magnifying glass, and figure out what we should bomb Winston.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Heroin Assisted Treatment in Switzerland
Starting in 1994 Switzerland began trials for heroin maintenance. One of the doctors involved talks with Vancouver's Four Pillars Newsletter: A Chat with Dr. Christophe Burki
Vancouver's safer injection site is doing well after four months. Over 2000 clients registered, and upwards of 500 people using it daily. (synopsis0
Vancouver's safer injection site is doing well after four months. Over 2000 clients registered, and upwards of 500 people using it daily. (synopsis0
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Drug Enforcement and Crime - myths and realities from NY
Drug Enforcement and Crime
However, there are also several reasons why enforcement of drug laws can lead to increased crime, including:
1) Distribution networks that are established within illegal drug markets are disrupted, leading to increases in disputes over market share and informal contractual arrangements within the illegal drug markets. This may lead to more violence, a favored dispute resolution mechanism in illegal markets (Miron 1998).
2) Disruptions in the market may also lead drug sellers to switch to other forms of economic crime that are considered substitutes, such as robbery and burglary, to obtain income when supplies are disrupted (Kuziemko and Levitt, 2001).
3) Drug users with dependencies or addictions and those who use illegal drugs to treat (diagnosed or undiagnosed) medical conditions may resort to crime as a result of pharmacological effects from physical or psychological withdrawal, or from behavioral changes resulting from ending self-treatment.
4) Intensified enforcement may drive up prices and profits for remaining suppliers, providing more incentive for potential suppliers to engage in crime or violence to obtain a share of the market and leading to more economic crime by users who need to obtain income to support a habit.[26]
5) Resources spent on drug enforcement cannot be used for investigating and making arrests for other types of crime. As a result, enforcement effectiveness for other crimes may be reduced (Rasmussen and Benson, 1994).
6) The incarceration of drug users and sellers takes up scarce prison cells. With prisons at full capacity, an increase in prisoners for drug offenses reduces imprisonment for other crimes, or results in early release of other criminals, prison overcrowding, or new prison construction. There is a cost to society because other crimes can be expected to increase due to lower rates of incarceration and because the resources used to expand prison capacity could have been used for other purposes (Kuziemko and Levitt, 2001).
Brick by brick good analysis such as this will surely dismantle the cruddy edifice of prohibitionist lunacy
However, there are also several reasons why enforcement of drug laws can lead to increased crime, including:
1) Distribution networks that are established within illegal drug markets are disrupted, leading to increases in disputes over market share and informal contractual arrangements within the illegal drug markets. This may lead to more violence, a favored dispute resolution mechanism in illegal markets (Miron 1998).
2) Disruptions in the market may also lead drug sellers to switch to other forms of economic crime that are considered substitutes, such as robbery and burglary, to obtain income when supplies are disrupted (Kuziemko and Levitt, 2001).
3) Drug users with dependencies or addictions and those who use illegal drugs to treat (diagnosed or undiagnosed) medical conditions may resort to crime as a result of pharmacological effects from physical or psychological withdrawal, or from behavioral changes resulting from ending self-treatment.
4) Intensified enforcement may drive up prices and profits for remaining suppliers, providing more incentive for potential suppliers to engage in crime or violence to obtain a share of the market and leading to more economic crime by users who need to obtain income to support a habit.[26]
5) Resources spent on drug enforcement cannot be used for investigating and making arrests for other types of crime. As a result, enforcement effectiveness for other crimes may be reduced (Rasmussen and Benson, 1994).
6) The incarceration of drug users and sellers takes up scarce prison cells. With prisons at full capacity, an increase in prisoners for drug offenses reduces imprisonment for other crimes, or results in early release of other criminals, prison overcrowding, or new prison construction. There is a cost to society because other crimes can be expected to increase due to lower rates of incarceration and because the resources used to expand prison capacity could have been used for other purposes (Kuziemko and Levitt, 2001).
Brick by brick good analysis such as this will surely dismantle the cruddy edifice of prohibitionist lunacy
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