The Vatican is red-faced after illegal drugs were found in a car bearing diplomatic plates associated with the Holy See. French authorities found 4kgs of cocaine and 200 grams of cannabis on board. The car belongs to retired Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, 91, emeritus librarian at the Holy See, who retired in 2003 and Read more
You’ve probably heard the stereotype: Catholic colleges are in denial about their students’ sexual lives and alcohol use. Indeed, it’s true that many Catholic universities traditionally ended the conversations on sex and underage drinking with a simple, “just say no!” And yet, students attending Catholic colleges do not differ from students at other colleges, with Read more
New Zealanders are among the highest users of cannabis in the world, and the debate over whether it should be legal continues. In 2008, about 14 per cent of New Zealanders had used cannabis, the Ministry of Health’s alcohol and drug use survey reports. According to the United Nation’s World Drug report, that puts us Read more
A global study conducted by ChildFund Alliance shows that more than a third of the 1000 New Zealand children surveyed said alcohol and bad behaviour were the two main contributors to violence while just under a third said drugs were among the main causes. Professor Sally Casswell of the Whariki Research Centre at Massey University Read more
A group of students from Hamilton Catholic school, Sacred Heart Girls’ College, have been stood down for an alleged case of serious misconduct involving drugs. Board of Trustees chairman David Kraakman said five girls, aged under 16, were stood down last Friday for the alleged incident. “Five students are being talked to and could appear Read more
According to doctors as many as one in five Australians has a problem with substance use and and many of those people will develop an addiction.The annual cost to the community is estimated at $50 billion. That is more each year than the entire National Broadband Network is predicted to cost to build over 10 Read more
The Czech Republic’s 2010 decision to lower drug possession from a criminal to misdemeanor offense has turned the country into a mecca for drug users. The change has spawned a profitable sub-economy, but also come at a high social cost. The problem has its roots in a rectangular tent made of black plastic that looks Read more
The global war on drugs has cost billions and taken countless lives — but achieved little. The scant results finally have politicians and experts joining calls for legalization. Following the journey of cocaine from a farm in Colombia to a user in Berlin sheds light on why. “Pablo Escobar said to me: ‘One shot to Read more
There is no easy way to reduce the number of children who are trying to solve their problems by using alcohol and drugs. Any effective campaign to address child substance addiction must involve the whole community. According to a report in the Waikato Times, in the past 18 months 72 children with full-blown addictions have Read more
In today’s youth culture the penalties for taking drugs don’t matter a great deal, because drug-taking has become so normalised in Australia. “Prohibition of drugs is not working”, according to Vivienne Moxham-Hall. She writes that “Often kids won’t know what they are taking or can take very dangerous risks in mixing their drugs. If something goes Read more