Mass Media II
Burstyn, Barbara Sumner. 2003. Drug testing bid will alienate already helpless children. New Zealand Herald, 26 May 2003.
Kaitaia College is introducing drug testing, not because it has discovered pupils using the drug, but because the local policeman, also on the school board, says methamphetamine use is growing in the wider community.
Drug-testing is problematic, Burstyn says, - false positives are possible, and testing doesn't reduce drug use. Drug tests can be cheated, fail to distinguish between heavy users and one-time experimenters, and tend to alienate students. Education, and attempts to influence behaviour, are better solutions than testing, which "will destroy….open communication" between staff and students.
Burstyn raises some good points, and provides evidence (though generally not cited) for her claims. This article is a useful contribution to the debate over drug testing in schools.
Cardy, Tom. 1997. Herbal experience falls well short of ecstasy. The Evening Post, 6 January 1997, 16.
Evening Post reporters took Herbal Ecstasy themselves in order to see what the fuss was about. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given previous research on the substance (Saunders 1995), they were not impressed with the effects.
Ministry of Health research into the contents of Herbal Ecstasy shows that there would "probably be more stimulation in a cup of coffee".
Most reviewers noticed no effects, or unpleasant ones (except for one who claimed to have had a great time watching a boxing match, though he denied that the drug had anything to do with his experience).
A possible flaw with the 'experiment' is that stimulants are considered to be more enjoyable if taken in a social setting, and tend to have a greater effect if consumed while dancing (or at least moving around), rather than sitting home alone.
Cardy, Tom. 1999. Third formers using Ecstasy. The Evening Post, 25 February 1999, 3.
Reports on worries that ecstasy use is becoming more prevalent in Wellington schools, following the case of four Auckland girls who were hospitalised after taking the drug. While the shock headline indicates that children as young as 13 are using the drug, the evidence for this is Wellington City Mission counsellor Ray Russell, who spoke to two 13 year olds who claimed they had used the drug. While Russell claims "[drugs] are becoming a lot more accessible for them", he also notes that he has "counselled seven students for drug and alcohol abuse" in 1999 - hardly an epidemic (especially as there's no breakdown given of what drugs the students were using, or indeed if they were all using alcohol).
Another City Mission employee, Stephen Coward, makes claims about the availability of ecstasy at parties: "it's like the booze, everybody chips in". While this is possible, if several people split an ecstasy tablet, the effects would be negligible. He also warns of the danger that someone would drink something that had been spiked with ecstasy.
This is unlikely for two reasons - the cost of the drug (see Gannaway, 1999), and its distinctive bitter taste (it would be impossible to consume ecstasy and not notice the odd taste). One can only conclude that the interviewees are scaremongering.
Catley, Beth. 2005. Party drug sales slated. The Nelson Mail, 12 April 2005. [Accessed 15 April 2005. Link no longer valid, 8 February 2006].
Nelson police are opposed to the sale of social tonics, linking them to sex crimes (allegedly committed while offenders were under the influence) and to the death of local man George Palmer, who crashed his car the night after taking pills containing BZP. On the night of his death he had taken nitrous oxide.
The first argument is problematic, failing to prove causality, and being unlikely on the face of things, as amphetamines and similar substances, including social tonics, tend to take away sexual desire and ability to perform.
The second case has potential merit - it is possible that Palmer might have been fatigued from lack of sleep having taken BZP the night before. That is pure speculation on the part of the police, though.
Drug counsellor Ashley Koning compares social tonics to amphetamines: "it's got all the same old risks that that does".
This seems like an exaggeration, based on current knowledge.
The article also interviews retailers, who provide the usual arguments in defence of the drugs, noting that alcohol can be harmful, too.
Police interviewees include Brian McGurk and John Winter.
Cleave, Louisa. 2003. P-plague takes toll on high achievers. New Zealand Herald, 26 September 2003.
[Accessed 8 May 2005. Link goes to subscription database].
Reports that the number of middle class users seeking help from drug treatment centres for methamphetamine use is growing rapidly. Drug counsellor Stuart Anderson said he was seeing more "high-functioning individuals" whose "drug use had crippled their potential." Counsellors report that between 35% and 50% of their patients are reporting that P is their primary drug of abuse. Presents results from the 2001 National Drugs Survey (Wilkins et al, 2002), showing the number of users and the amount they spend on the drug. An internet survey is reported that claims 55% of respondents had friends who had taken P.
The article is obviously based on first-hand evidence, but fits into the Herald's pattern of presenting the drug issue as an epidemic, especially with its concluding request: "[h]as the drug P had an impact on your life or your community? Email the Herald News Desk to share your story."
Cleave, Louisa. 2005. Deadlier form of 'P' on the way. New Zealand Herald, 8 February 2005. [accessed 11 May 2005].
A newer, deadlier form of methamphetamine is on the way to New Zealand. 'Crystal rock' is similar in appearance to crack cocaine, and stronger than ice. A police informant says "your blokes are going to be picking up the pieces because this stuff is lethal."
These claims are uninformed. There is no difference between ice and this alleged "new" drug (Erowid 2005b). The article is scaremongering, and this is at least the third or fourth time that ice has been reported as a newer, deadlier form of methamphetamine about to hit New Zealand.
Clement, Diana. 2004. P lab nightmare for landlords. New Zealand Property Magazine (Jul):14-15.
Property owners are warned of the consequences of their tenants manufacturing methamphetamine on their properties.
Property company Quinovic rented a former P lab to tenants without decontaminating it. They were sued, and had to pay damages.
The landlord is responsible for cleaning up damage, which could cost $1-10,000, although Police will remove most chemicals.
Landlords should watch for changes in their tenants' situations (such as losing a job) which might make them turn to manufacturing drugs. Landlords should conduct regular inspections, but P cooks tend to keep low profiles and be good tenants, and the required 48 hours notice before inspections means that they have time to hide paraphernalia.
Landlords are not covered by insurance for damage caused as a consequence of the operation of a clandestine laboratory on their property.
Conway, Matt. 2005. Young party-pill 'victim' joins call to ban them. The Press, 2 May 2005. [accessed 9 May 2005, link no longer valid 8 February 2006].
A Christchurch schoolgirl is calling for social tonics to be banned, after suffering negative effects when she tried them the first time.
"Jane" reportedly "went into a. seizure….jaw clamped so hard she tore her gums, bruised her lips and dislodged three front teeth….dipped in and out of consciousness, was disoriented and paranoid, fought attempts at help, refused to get into an ambulance and, once at Christchurch Hospital, had to be restrained by security guards while she was sedated." Jane's heart rate went up to 150bpm and stayed there for 14 hours.
At first, though, the drug was strongly pleasant "[e]uphoric, energised and talking incessantly, Jane was unable to sleep and drank almost five litres of water overnight."
A Christchurch emergency doctor says that 2 to 10 party pill cases are seen each week at Christchurch Hospital, though symptoms are rarely as bad as those Jane experienced: "[s]leeplessness, agitation, an accelerated heartbeat, high blood pressure, sweating and enlarged pupils were common effects".
None of which seem sufficient to consider the drugs a health risk.
The owner of the store where "Jane" bought the drugs speculated that she had also taken something illegal, but didn't "want mummy and daddy to find out". This is certainly possible: after Ngaire O'Neill's death from ecstasy her friends and family were quoted as saying she never took drugs, but it was later revealed that she was an experienced user.
While slightly sensationalist, this article does raise important questions about the possible negative effects of social tonics - questions that are not currently being answered by official research.
Courtney, Dave. 2003. Rising popularity of 'P' concerns frontline agencies. The Press, 1 October 2003, 10.
At first this article appears to be a well-researched investigation into the incidence of P use in Christchurch. It interviews a policeman, a nurse and an employee of a security company, all of whom note problems with P users. However, the article gives the impression that P usage is a major problem.
When examined closely, the quotes from interviewees do not support this. "It is not a huge issue at the moment, but it is growing" says nurse Mark Newsome, who cites an assault by a patient under the influence of an unnamed drug. Bouncer Jayson Ryan points to customers on drugs: "I don't know what drugs they are, but obviously P seems the drug of choice at the moment". One wonders if Ryan's staff are trained to recognise the symptoms of drug use, or if he is basing this statement on the high media coverage of P. Inspector Dave Lawry claims to be arresting methamphetamine users, though figures are low compared to other parts of the country, and he qualifies his statement by saying "we are seeing people who are obviously on some sort of drug".
While these interviewees may be perfectly correct, none of them has cited any evidence that the individuals they are dealing with have used any drug, or methamphetamine in particular. None of them cite blood tests which would show exactly what drugs, if any, had been taken.
The Press compounds this problem by appealing to readers to contact them if they have had to deal with the "destructive effects of the drug", which surely begs the question - there is no suggestion that readers who enjoyed using methamphetamine should contact the paper, or that readers struggling with alcohol problems should do so. The New Zealand Herald runs a similar campaign, leaving the media open to claims that they create the news as much as they report it.
Courtney, Dave. 2005. Mayors urge ban on herbal highs. Sunday Star-Times, 10 April 2005.
Several mayors are calling for social tonics to be banned, and are attempting to use current laws to keep the pills out of their towns. Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn says "[w]e are lifting the bar in so many areas of society, but for some reason we are lowering it for the sale of these things. It doesn't make sense….Why do we need to put this kind of distraction in front of our children?" Buller Mayor Martin Sawyers takes a similar line "[o]ur kids have a hard enough time growing up anyway without putting more temptation in front of them."
Both objections appeal to the 'danger' that social tonics pose to children. Neither offers any evidence that such a danger exists. STANZ's Matt Bowden and a spokesperson for Jim Anderton argue in favour of the pills, Bowden claims that prohibition drives people to harder drugs, and the spokesperson says that expert advice said the pills are not dangerous. Both Anderton and Bowden, of course, are pushing for sales of the pills to be restricted to over-18s, which would answer the mayors' objections.
Courtney, Dave, and Irene Chapple. 2005. Shops trumpet R18 party pill ban - then ignore it. Sunday Star-Times, 17 April 2005. [accessed 15 May 2005. link no longer valid, 8 February 2006].
Despite advertising that they do not sell to children, a number of social tonic shops in Christchurch and Auckland have done so. The newspaper sent children to purchase the drugs, and they were generally successful, even gaining recommendations on particular brands from shop assistants.
Pauline Gardiner of Welltrust says the industry "was more interested in profits than social responsibility. It is there to make money and it doesn't give a tuppenny's who it sells them to." She also criticises the industry for its marketing, "calling them herbal when there's nothing herbal about them". This latter claim is debatable: the early social tonics were herbal, and the industry hasn't marketed the later products as herbal. Some stores, such as Herbal Heaven in Christchurch, do seem to use the 'herbal' label, however.
Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton says he is wary of the self-regulation claims, arguing that the industry has to show that it is going to be responsible, and that it hasn't. His comparison to the cigarette industry (which he says suppressed knowledge that cigarettes were unhealthy) seems unfounded - the social tonics industry doesn't have the clout to suppress any kind of research, there is very little research available, and what is available has been reviewed by the Ministry of Health.
Shop owners either refused to return calls from the newspaper, or said that the sale was against their policy, and they would discipline the staff member involved.
Cropp, Amanda. 1997. Lab rats. New Zealand Listener, 28 June 1997, 36-37.
A major police operation to bust a clandestine laboratory in Cheviot is reported. The house cost $40,000 to clean up, and townspeople were at risk of ammonia poisoning.
Police said it was easy for manufacturers to get precursor chemicals. Interestingly, they were not referring to shoppers obtaining pseudoephedrine from chemist stores, but to manufacturers buying industrial chemicals from wholesalers.
Cumming, Geoff. 2003. Booze 'is worse than drugs'. New Zealand Herald, 23 June 2003.
Drug experts claim that the negative health effects of alcohol outweigh those of other drugs. The effects of alcohol abuse take longer to show up, and are irreversible, whereas the effects of methamphetamine abuse become visible very quickly, and soon lead to a discontinuation of use, so "for most people lifetime usage is very short", says Ian McEwan of ALAC.
Drug harm could be reduced by increasing the price of alcohol and raising the drinking age. Around 225, 000 people meet criteria for alcohol dependence, and around 35, 000 for drug dependence.
The headline places the text "worse than drugs" in inverted commas, indicating that this claim is only opinion. Similar articles cite similar claims about the negative effects of drugs as fact.
Interviews Ian McEwan, Lynn Theron, Peter Jones, Roger Eccles, Sally Jackman.
Currie, Max. 2005. Why I'll never take another party pill. New Zealand Woman's Weekly, 25 April 2005, 21-23.
A first-time party pill user reports her negative experience. She took a pill (without knowing what it was) in a club, and within 15 minutes her heart rate was up, she was breathless and suffered a panic attack. She attempted to vomit, but could not. A man tried to kiss her. She panicked and left the club. At home she went into a deep depression, thinking of all the mistakes she had made in her life, and how stupid she must have looked in the club.
Doctor Roy Knill said that some people are allergic to 'party pills', and that others who have problems with blood pressure should not take them.
The one question that isn't answered by this article is what exactly she took. It is quite possible (though probably unlikely) that her friend had actually given her ecstasy. The symptoms seem strong for a single social tonic pill, and more similar to a bad ecstasy experience.
Davis, Joanna. 2005. Teen near death from party pills. The Press, 23 May 2005.
A Christchurch teenager nearly died after taking 10 "party pills". The actual brand of pills was not reported, but the recommended dose for most brands is 2 or 3 pills. The woman suffered seizures and breathing difficulties and was admitted to intensive care. Dr Paul Gee said emergency staff "regularly saw three or four teenagers a week with side-effects of anxiety, panic attacks, racing heart rate, hallucinations, headache and vomiting".
The article expresses concern at Christchurch shops selling social tonics in high doses at bulk prices, meaning users may be more likely to binge. Matt Bowden of STANZ supports this view, and Christchurch has consistently (at least judging by media coverage) had far more problems with social tonics than anywhere else in New Zealand.
Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton said "[p]eople shouldn't take it for granted that [BZP is] always going to be available. There's a very big question mark over it."
The National Poisons Centre is reportedly seeking ethical approval for a national study on people affected by party pills.
Dearnaley, Matthew. 2003. Quarter of staff fail drug tests. New Zealand Herald, 13 October 2003.
Reports that "a quarter of staff randomly tested in about 50 firms have been found with drugs such as cannabis and amphetamines in their urine", according to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). Dr Susan Nolan of ESR was giving evidence in support of Air New Zealand, in an Employment Court battle over whether the airline could introduce random drug tests for workers.
The problem with such a broad statement is it fails to mention how many of the staff had taken amphetamines, and how many had taken cannabis, and fails to account for the fact that cannabis will stay in the blood stream for long periods, possibly up to a month. It also fails to account for the possibility that use of some drugs may enhance worker abilities. It is well known that amphetamines reduce fatigue and enhance concentration. They have been used by many militaries over the years, and are still in use in the US airforce (Borin 2003).
Easther, Elisabeth. 2001. Dialogue: ecstasy not big killer despite the headlines. New Zealand Herald, 10 April 2001.
The risks of ecstasy are overstated, says Easther. "Three deaths. That's hardly an epidemic. Yes, it is tragic when anybody dies accidentally but more people become sick or die each year hyperventilating while blowing up balloons and inflatable pool furniture. I say ban the balloon."
Education, and responsible drug use, would reduce the risks even further. Much criticism of drugs is scaremongering and a knee-jerk response from people who believe that "drugs equals bad". Why has no-one ever published stories headed 'Good time had by all on drugs'? Only negative effects of drugs are presented in the media.
Edwards, Brent. 1999. Out of the cupboard come the hoary issues. The Evening Post, 6 March 1999, 2.
Reports the political debate over drugs, suggesting vote-catching is a key motivator: "[w]elcome to election year". Claims that politicians will not offer anything other than simplistic solutions to complex issues, and "petty arguing" over who is tougher on crime and drugs. Labour leader Helen Clark is quoted as saying that there needs to be a "co-ordinated response" to the drug problem, with funding for treatment services as well as policing. Social Services Minister Roger Sowry replies that "intellectuals" who "should know better" are "prepared to risk children's lives" by not supporting National's tough approach. Edwards calls this debate "simplistic" (though Clark's comments imply a more balanced approach than that presented by Sowry, which appears to focus purely on punitive measures).
The article acknowledges that many of the political statements on drugs are made for electoral advantage, rather than out of any analysis of the benefits of the particular approach espoused. It's interesting to compare the public statements of politicians here, with the more sophisticated approaches promoted by government agencies – approaches that the politicians are presumably well familiar with.
El Orfi, Mariam. 2001. Drug education could save lives. The Nelson Mail, 7 April 2001, 2.
Health education is the key to reducing drug harm. Jose Cachemaille of Health Action says that the death of Dai Bowden from water intoxication was "absolutely" avoidable. Health Action does not condone drug use, but recognises that people take drugs and need more information on safe use.
Health Action guidelines for safe use of ecstasy are outlined, including the suggestion to drink no more or less than 600ml water/hour if active. This would prevent both dehydration and water intoxication.
Gower, Patrick. 2002. 'P' is for psychotic - users linked with rising violence. New Zealand Herald, 14 December 2002.
One of the earliest articles associating methamphetamine with violence. Explains that P is popular on Auckland streets, and was the drug of choice of "RSA triple killer William Bell" and "pizza worker killer" Ese Falealii. Two suicides have been attributed to the drug.
No further information is provided on these, presumably due to a deliberate decision to downplay media coverage of suicide.
P provides an initial rush and a 10 hour high, but "there will of course be a low", characterised by "depression and paranoia". Auckland policeman Colin McMurtrie mentions the use of methamphetamine in war, to make soldiers "more aggressive and alert". This is one of the few references to this sanctioned, official use of methamphetamine in the New Zealand media.
Police warn that they are seeing more violence, "not just in robberies.[but] violence for the sake of it".
Overall, this is not an alarmist or inaccurate article, it reports the facts as provided by the interviewee, though it might have been better to have interviewed a medical or drug professional rather than a policeman.