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  Denver Mayor to Focus on Drug Woes
Posted by FoM on March 13, 2002 at 13:50:11 PT
By Robert Weller, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Associated Press 

justice Denver Mayor Wellington Webb has seen what drugs can do: He once asked a judge to put his crack-using son in rehab. Now, with 14 months to go in his third and final term, Webb plans to focus on fighting drug abuse.

"We need to change our philosophy on how to deal with drug addiction, to treat it as a health issue," the 61-year-old Democrat said recently.

Webb has proposed a $1 million plan to study the creation of a city-run drug treatment center and to attack abuse with an additional drug court, housing for binge drinkers and addicts, drug prevention programs in middle schools and a major crackdown on sellers.

Drug abuse has been on Webb's agenda from the moment he was elected to the Legislature in 1972. Back then he put through a law requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for alcohol abuse treatment in all group plans.

More recently, his son's troubles and the drug problems he has seen as mayor have helped focus his attention on the issue.

"I doubt there are many families that haven't been touched by a drug problem. I know from my personal family pain of having to see addiction problems," he said.

Webb's son Allen, 39, has had several brushes with the law. In 1994, the mayor asked a judge to commit him to a rehabilitation center because of a crack habit. Ultimately, the younger Webb voluntarily entered rehab.

Last year, the mayor's son was arrested on a marijuana possession charge. He pleaded guilty and received two years' probation for the drug offense and an unrelated robbery.

Denver has a detox center, where those who are drunk or high can be held for 48 hours while they sober up. But it has no city-run rehab center.

The mayor, who has been credited with rebuilding downtown, expanding its arts offerings and promoting the construction of sports arenas, said he wants to see drug treatment become available to the average person.

He said there is treatment "for the Elizabeth Taylors and Betty Fords." But he added: "There are no real treatment programs for people who just have a job. You have to commit a crime to get treatment."

The problem is serious in Colorado.

Colorado ranked second in the nation in 2001, behind New Mexico, on a substance abuse index that is based on drug- and alcohol-related deaths and arrests. The index was developed by Harvard Medical School sociology professor William McAuliffe.

Colorado ranked at or near the bottom in spending on prevention, research and treatment, according to the National Center on Addiction and Drug Abuse at Columbia University. One state, Georgia, did not report. Of every $100 spent by Colorado on drug abuse, only six cents goes to prevention, research and treatment, said Susan Foster, the addiction center's vice president of policy and research.

Some other prominent political families have also seen drug abuse up close.

Noelle Bush, daughter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is being treated at a drug treatment clinic after allegedly trying to buy an anti-anxiety drug with a fraudulent prescription. Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson's 38-year-old daughter died in January. The Tennessean in Nashville reported Saturday that the death was the result of an accidental drug overdose.

In Denver, Councilmen Ted Hackworth said he has "real problems" with the idea of setting up treatment centers for those who violate the law.

"And the city is about $12 million in the hole this year," he added. "It isn't the time to start new programs."

But Councilman Ed Thomas, a former police officer, said: "It took me 20 years to learn that enforcement wasn't the only answer. Twenty years as a cop. It's no better than it was then. If the mayor comes up with innovative approaches, I am all for it."

Newshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch II -- http://www.norml.org/
Source: Associated Press
Author: Robert Weller, Associated Press Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Copyright: 2002 The Associated Press

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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on March 14, 2002 at 05:58:28 PT:

Sauce for the goose; how about the gander?
As much as I commiserate with Senator Thompson losing his (adult and presumably sane) daughter to prescription drug addiction, he, like so many other pols, keeps forgetting something:

She may have been originally prescribed those drugs for a legitimate purpose, but their addictive qualities were well know...especially with Hydrocodone...otherwise known as Tylenol 3. She must have been apprised of those addictive qualities by her physician. And the bottles have those wonderfully gross off-color stickers warning you of the dangers of prolonged use.

But the crux is that they were legal drugs. And the result was the same as if you had given her several grains of heroin: death. By legal pharmaceuticals.

My point? Pols like Thompson just can't seem to make the incredibly simple equation of making drugs illegal ('does not equal' sign) public safety.

Whatever demons drove that adult woman to commit slow suicide, I can only conjecture. But so long as the desire to change one's consciousness maintains, people will find a way. And do so. Regardless of ideology or the mores of any ruling class. By using 'legitimate' means (alcohol or SERTs)...or not. Failure to take this into account - as Thompson has done and is doing - is stupidly playing into the hands of those who understand this ugly calculus all too well. And the body count reaches ever higher...and nearly all of it preventable.

Senator Thompson, in a very small way, has tasted of the pain he and his self-appointed moral proctor Rep friends have visited upon those less fortunate and politically unconnected with his support of the DrugWar.

The worm does turn, doesn't it?

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #6 posted by The GCW on March 14, 2002 at 05:04:17 PT
Amnesty / police killings
DRUG LORDS COULD 'RUIN' JAMAICA http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n459/a04.html?397

In the year 2000, 140 people were killed by Jamaican police, the highest ratio of police killings reported anywhere in the world.

"Amnesty (International)has developed a particular view of the police force," he said. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Amnesty is due to make a decission in April, to attack the war on drugs. Does anyone have thoughts on Amnesty, joining in on the war against the war on some plants and drugs? They are cited in this article and others, in confrontations that seem related to this issue more and more. It seems it must be helpfull for any help... but this seems like a big help.

Shall we help Amnesty decide favorably, so to join forces?

Does any one have an update?



[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on March 13, 2002 at 19:23:47 PT:

another Link
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_1023547,00.html

a long one has the story, including Sen. Thompsons comment: ------------------------------------------------------------ In a news conference in Nashville on Saturday, Thompson called The Tennessean report "unfortunate."

"Every public official has to understand there's a price you pay, and for the most part it's appropriate. ... But there are lines to be drawn," he said.

"The news media have a responsibility, too. There's no reason to drudge up things that can only be harmful."

----------------------------------------------------------- Prohibition and the Prohibition Attitude Kills and it killed his daughter.



[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #4 posted by The GCW on March 13, 2002 at 19:12:43 PT
24:7
Proverbs Wisdom is too high for a fool:

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by Lehder on March 13, 2002 at 16:06:27 PT
Senator Fred Thompson
favors toughening penalties for "drug offenses:"

http://www.issues2000.org/Domestic/Fred_Thompson_Drugs.htm http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/Fred_Thompson.htm#Drugs

There are a few news stories on the net about his daughter:

http://google.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=Senator+Fred+Thompson+daughter+drug&hc=0&hs=0

but I am unable to load them. The nashvillecitypaper link disables my Netscape. Maybe you can do better.

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 13, 2002 at 15:35:05 PT
JR Bob Dobbs
I think they said it was OxyContin. They kept it quiet.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on March 13, 2002 at 15:11:24 PT
More info?
>>Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson's 38-year-old daughter died in January. The Tennessean in Nashville reported Saturday that the death was the result of an accidental drug overdose.<<

I searched the Tennesean's web site and Yahoo news and I could find no more information about this. Does anybody know more? Was it an overdose of legal or illegal drugs?

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