174 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
174 lines
6.1 KiB
Plaintext
From: machman@hardy.u.washington.edu (The Machman)
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs
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Subject: The WO[S]D and State Fair Hypocrisy
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Date: 30 Aug 1993 21:27:54 GMT
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Message-ID: <25trcq$7s9@news.u.washington.edu>
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Yesterday I went to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington.
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So all over the place there's DARE shit, "DARE to keep kids off drugs"
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signs on trailers and walls and t-shirts and buttons, and a big booth
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with fancy items for sale and plenty of "drugs are evil" propaganda,
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plus a couple cops in various shiny uniforms.
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And maybe not a hundred yards away are a couple youthful Marlboro
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representatives with boxes of matches and cigarette lighters, handing
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them out to folks who give the right answer to "are you a smoker?"
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(To which I replied, "no, but it's never too late to start, huh?")
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There was a crowd of girls hanging around, filling out some kind of
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survey forms for the Marlboro people. I don't say women because I don't
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think they were women, I think these girls were maybe sixteen or so.
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Nobody else seemed disturbed by this obvious dichotomy.
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It really pissed me off.
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== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==
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That's not even to mention one of the brochures available at the DARE
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booth: "Facts About Marijuana," published by noted drug awareness authority
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the Lions Club. In its entirety:
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FACTS ABOUT MARIJUANA
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Marijuana: Drug of Deception
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Marijuana is made from the leaves, small stems, and flowering tops of
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the Cannabis sativa plant.
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Marijuana, also called pot, grass, weed, is usually smoked in a loosely-
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rolled joint or in a pipe. It has a sweet, lingering odor.
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Marijuana causes the user to experience a feeling of well-being---of
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detachment from ordinary circumstances. This "high" is usually followed
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by feelings of depression.
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Marijuana is not just one substance; it contains more than 400 chemicals.
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The most widely known compund in this group is commonly called THC (delta-
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9-tetra-hydro-cannabinol).
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THC is the primary mind-altering ingredient in marijuana.
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A portion of THC is absorbed into fatty tissue in the brain and repro-
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ductive organs, and in most other organs as well.
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It takes the body at least 30 days to eliminate all effects of smoking
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one marijuana joint.
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Marijuana is up to ten times more potent today than that which was produced
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in the 1960s.
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Some experts previously thought Marijuana to be harmless. It is now known
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that the reasons users can stop smoking without feeling severe withdrawal
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symptoms is because of the body's storage of THC. [!! huh? indeed.]
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Effects of Marijuana on the body
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* Marijuana reduces brain energy, impairing the users' ability to remember,
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feel, think, anticipate, and predict.
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* Because THC is stored in fatty tissues and works like a time-release
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capsule, regular marijuana smoking produces a constant state of sedation.
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* Since THC remains in the center of motivation of the brain, it weakens
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the users' ability to live drug-free.
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* The lungs of marijuana smokers are highly susceptible to emphysema and
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bronchitis.
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* Research shows that marijuana contains cancer-causing agents.
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* Marijuana impairs normal sexual development in both males and females.
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* Heartbeat rate increses by as much as 50% through marijuana use. Results
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are chest pains, and possible heart disease.
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* Regular use causes a decrease in the blood supply to the heart, and
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siminishes white cell production.
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* The body adjusts to regular use, making it essential to increase the
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amount used in order to achieve a "high".
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* Continual marijuana use deteriorates the body's immune system.
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Symptoms of Marijuana use
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* Marked change in behavior patterns
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* Carelessness about personal appearance
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* Lack of motivation
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* Reduction of short-term memory
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* Excessive irritability
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* Red eyes and fatigue
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* Abrupt mood changes/outbursts of anger
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* Less concern for the feelings of others
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* Bouts of depression/paranoia
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* Inability to react quickly/decreased coordination
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* Inability to get along with family/co-workers/peers
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* Loss of weight
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* Sleeplessness [to go with the fatigue I suppose]
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* Short concentration-span
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* Highly susceptible to common infections
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* Expressionless speech/blank stares
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* Faulty perception (cannot accurately judge distances, speed or time)
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* Decreased academic or work performance
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Marijuana connection
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Some researchers have found a direct link between increased marijuana
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use, and
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--juvenile and young adult crime such as theft
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--truancy and school drop-out rate
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--psychiatric referrals of adolescents and young adults
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--cases of teenage chronic organic brain syndrome (burnout)
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[chronic organic brain syndrome ?!?]
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Lions Drug Awareness Program
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Since its inception in 1984, the Lions Drug Awareness Program has
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emphasized prevention through education. Lions are working together to
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join families, educators, and other key leaders in a concentrated effort
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to create drug-free communities.
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Lions' primary focus is Lions-Quest "Skills for Adolescence," and Lions-
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Quest "Skills for Growing." These positive prevention curricula span
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Kindergarten through eighth grade, and are helping young people choose
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healthy lifestyles.
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For full details contact
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Lions Club International
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Special Research and Development Department
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300 22nd Street
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Oak Brook, IL 60521-8842
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Telephone: 708/571-5466
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== == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == == ==
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While some of these "facts" are only partial truths, many of them are
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absolute fabrications. Unfortunately, they're a perfect example of those
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to which middle-America as represented by State Fair attendees is exposed
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(along with all the ridiculous PDFA ads on TV) on a regular basis.
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Countering the Propaganda Machine is going to take a lot of persistent
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work on the part of all of us who agree that "Drug Awareness" programs
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like this one are misguided at best.
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-- dave
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--
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/''' The Machman machman@u.washington.edu david c carroll
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c-OO
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\ "Big Science. Hallelujah"
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-
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