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su tribune may 3 1989 c21 horrifying implications with drug abuse by olavo fernandes age 1 grade 11 the controversial issue of drug use and dependence has become a centre of growing concern around the world the mere thought of mans advanced civilization becoming subser vient to addictive chemicals has horrifying implications drugs are defined as chemical substances that bring about physical or behaviorial changes drug abuse is the 1 harmful use of a drug at dosage levels that produce hazardous consequences drugs can be considered a threat when they pose risks to the physical mental or social well- being of the user like a growing cancer illicit drug abuse has escalated into a moral menace that threatens the health and safety of society the potential health and safety risks presented by excessive or irresponsible drug use have been overshadowed by societys glamorous and appealing at titudes toward them during 1981 in canada a total of 1374 million was spent on the advertisement of alcohol tobac- co and caffeine products the at titudes that these ads foster toward the use of legal drugs af- feet societys view about all drugs r in fact societys drug dependence has become so prevalant that in any two day period one in two canadians over 15 takes some kind of x medical or narcotic drug the most popular illegal drug canada is cannabis which ac- counts for 912 percent of all il legal drug use a 1984 survey estimated that two million cana dians admitted to using cannabis i a 1987 survey indicated that 700000 canadians experimented with cocaine furthermore i reasons such as curiosity emo- uii a tional social and peer pressure have triggered a rising rate in il licit drug use mindaltering drugs interfere with judgment muscle co ordination attention span and the ability to concentrate and process information many drugs can cause irreversible damage if taken tor long periods of time or in large amounts users are at risk both from the possible adverse physical ef fects of drug use and from the harmful individual consequences of criminalization drug use can result in psychological dependence of body tissues on the continued presence of a drug and withdrawal syptoms will develop when the drug is discontinued drug tolerance results with the development of body resistance to the effects of a drug so that larger doses are needed to pro duce the original effect the com bination of dependence and tolerance constitutes addiction there are several important factors which affect a persons reaction to any drug that alters mood or behavior such factors include the kind of drug the amount of drug taken and the way it is administered which determines how quickly the drug reaches the brain drugs have varied effects on different people as a result some users often become more talkative and outgoing while others experience periods of quietness and reflection as perception of time and space changes immediate physical effects in clude impaired balance rapid heartbeat and the dilation of pupils accompanied by restlessness and excitement depending on the type of drug some users may demonstrate harmful conduct such as ag- gresive and hostile behavior in addition confusion and anxiety can distort all senses of reason and logic similar to intoxication researchers report that in dividuals who show high doses of narcotics regularly stop being contributing members of the family and community and may become very secretive and isolated chronic users seem no longer to care about themselves or their surroundings they may also show decreased ambition and loss of interest in the future in many cases the drug can result in permanent personality changes consequently users ex perience a loss of energy which results in impaired work or school performance the drug can also interfere with relation ships and strain family ties fur thermore heavy financial burdens that accompany recur rent drug use can be almost as lethal as the drug itself likewise populations with a high rate of drug use encounter in creased crime and traffic accidents in canada the main body of drug legislation is contained in two federal statutes the nar cotic control act and the food and drug act in 1985 drug of fences amounted to 57205 this figure represents nine percent of the total major offences that year and illustrates the severity of the issue the narcotic control act deals specifically with addictive nar cotics and prohibits the use of such drugs as heroin marijuana hashish cocaine and opium of fences are divided into several categories the offence of posses sion basically requires that the prosecution establish that the ac cused knowingly retained the drug and had some measure of control over it this includes having the drug in some other place or in another persons custody or in the custody of a group possession is a hybrid offence that has a max imum penalty of seven years imprisonment the offence of trafficking in cludes manufacturing selling transporting and distributing an illegal narcotic this offence is indictable and has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment a similar charge is possession for the purpose of trafficking which results from having more of a drug than would seem normal for personal use it is an indictable offence punishable by life imprisonment the offence of importing and exporting is the transportation of drugs in any quantity across the canadian border a criminal con viction can result in imprison ment of seven years to life the unauthorized growing of narcotics for personal use or traf ficking constitutes the indictable offence of cultivation which is subject to a maximum sentence of seven years incarceration prescription shopping or dou ble doctoring is a summary con viction that involves obtaining a prescription from more than one practitioner and concealing the fact that one is doing so it is punishable by up to six months imprisonment certainly the shortterm euphoric pleasure of drugs is no match for the destructive conse quences they harbor in one ma jor sense the current drug con troversy represents a failure on the part of the justice system to enforce its laws herongate barn dinner theatre f altona rd pickering popular demand another hilarious comedy dirty work at the crossroads playing from may 12thjune 24th now booking for mothers qay sfpr reservations inlorraaiion ibook tirtj to jvoid dluppotabmut please call 2940426 m cullen country barns the markham room relaxed country dining in a most unique setting enjoy lunch or dinner followed by a stroll through our galleries and lofts 4300 steeles ave east markham 4771106 reserve now for mothers day 7071ti iim hi 727222 starting april 24th the only place to play bingo in york region daily at 100 pm 700 pm 915 pm full 3500 prizeboards mv lcitisoc o boiieil ii cftaable groups eowarci street aurora blocks east ol yonqe si i deer park inn home of ronnie hawkins presents l eatie in ttietafk neil simons the odd couple starring paul saunders stephen day wed matinee sun evening call 6406060 10 minutes from maikham in stouftille discount one day only v a xp- saturday may 6 1989 do it yourself seminars rain or shine sat may 6th 10 am paving stones 12 noon retaining walls 2 pm paving stones some plants like their soil sweet and some plants like their soil sour i sunday may 7th nutrite garden partner products bring your soil samples for our soil test day nutrite sales rep kerry whale will be here 1100 am to 300 pm buy 2 roses and receive a box of vigoro rose food free value 399 we also carry farmer ajckk gardens inc garden centre seeds unilock pavers curbs retaining walls topsofl pottingsod grass seed peat moss springbubs barkchjps sand patio slabs garden tools limestone screening rrtles clay pots gravel masonry cement portland cement peailoam we deliver hours monfri saturday sunday 8 am 9 pm 8 am 6 pm 9 am 6 pm main st w stouffvihe open 7 days a week 6405080