Answer Addiction

Tag: drug charges

  • Sri Lankan President Signs Death Warrants For Drug Offenders

    Sri Lankan President Signs Death Warrants For Drug Offenders

    Sri Lanka’s decision to lift a 43-year moratorium on the death penalty has been met with opposition by world leaders. 

    Death sentences for four individuals convicted of drug-related charges were issued by Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena on June 26, prompting an appeal from the UN Secretary-General that was ultimately rejected.

    Political observers and members of Sirisena’s own cabinet have criticized the decision, which media sources have reported as being motivated by his upcoming re-election, though Sirisena has said that his goal is to thwart drug trafficking in his country.  

    Possible Appeal

    Legal challenges to the sentences have already been filed, and while Sirisena has said that the four accused individuals can appeal their convictions, he also noted that they have already decided the date of the execution.

    At a meeting in Sri Lanka’s largest city, Colombo, Sirisena told reporters that he had “already signed the death penalty” for the four individuals. He did not give the names of the four alleged offenders or a specific date for their executions beyond saying that they will be “implemented soon.”

    He also said that the decision to reinstate the death penalty, which had been on moratorium in Sri Lanka for 43 years, was a move to protect the “nation and the future generation from the drug menace, which is our worst social catastrophe.”  

    The New York Post noted that support for the death penalty has increased among Sri Lankans and earned the backing of several religious leaders, though political commentators were quick to add that Sirisena’s motives may lie more in improving his chances for re-election, which will take place later in 2019.

    “He is trying to protect himself like the Philippines president [Rodrigo Duerte],” columnist Kusal Perera told Reuters. “But I doubt whether it is enough. It won’t give him much political mileage now.”

    The decision drew considerable opposition from world leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, but Sirisena said that he told Guterres in a telephone conversation to “please allow me to stamp out the drug menace.”

    World Leaders Oppose The Decision

    The United Kingdom, European Union (EU) and Canada, as well as human rights groups like Amnesty International, all issued strongly worded condemnations of Sirisena’s decision, with the EU adding that the reinstatement of the death penalty would be a direct contradiction of Sri Lanka’s commitment to maintain its moratorium on executions in 2018.

    The country’s ruling political faction, the United National Party, issued its own condemnation, which declared that reinstating the death penalty would be “economic sabotage” and not befitting a “civilized country.” Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is a member of the United National Party, also said that a majority of parliament members were opposed to the decision.

    The move to revive the death penalty also faces several legal challenges from non-governmental organizations like the Centre for Policy Alternatives, which filed a case with the Sri Lankan Supreme Court on July 1. But plans to carry out the executions appear to have gone ahead as planned, with the Justice Ministry reporting that 26 candidates have been shortlisted for the job of executioner. The previous official hangman left his post in 2014, and his three replacements have all left the position after brief tenures.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Nurses Condemn Criminal Charges Against Mothers With Addiction

    Nurses Condemn Criminal Charges Against Mothers With Addiction

    The threat of arrest and sentencing has created what the AAN dubbed a “culture of fear and barriers” for pregnant and nursing mothers.

    The Washington, D.C.-based American Academy of Nursing (AAN) called for an end to criminal and civil charges against pregnant women and mothers based on drug use.

    The 2,700-member organization outlined its position in a press release, which stated that legal action against pregnant women with substance use disorder (SUD) has resulted in arrests and jail time that have deterred them from seeking essential health services.

    The AAN’s policy outlined recommendations to help reverse that trend, including increasing funding for mental health agencies and training for nurses in regard to substance use disorder.

    In the press release, the AAN noted that the opioid epidemic has placed substance use disorder in the national spotlight, but in the absence of a “public health response,” expecting and parenting women with SUD have been subjected to criminal and civil actions, including arrests and incarceration.

    Currently, a number of states, including Tennessee, Alabama, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky have laws in place that consider drug use during pregnancy as grounds for child abuse protection.

    The threat of arrest and sentencing has created what the AAN dubbed a “culture of fear and barriers” for pregnant and nursing mothers, who may avoid “essential health services” over concerns of prosecution.

    As the press release noted, “Early entry into maternity care plays a vital role in long-term health and social outcomes,” a notion supported by scientific research that shows that preschool-aged children (3-5 years old) with supportive mothers show significant increases in areas of the brain related to learning, memory and emotional regulation.

    To facilitate that crucial level of interaction, the AAN recommended a shift in public health policy away from punitive measures toward mothers and in the direction of recovery and treatment.

    The academy offered policy suggestions for federal and state agencies, as well as for individual providers. These included increased funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and expanded access to its Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants, as well as increased funding for community-based treatment programs for women with SUD and their children.

    Additionally, the AAN called on nurses to make sure that clinical assessments of women with SUD are “accurate and comprehensive,” and to keep providers in concert with a “therapeutic health justice approach.”

    “The Academy is helping to shape the conversation around providing care to pregnant and parenting women and reducing the stigma of SUDs in the age of the opioid epidemic,” the press release’s authors concluded.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "American Idol" Contestant Accused Of Fentanyl Distribution

    "American Idol" Contestant Accused Of Fentanyl Distribution

    Feds allege that former Idol contestant Antonella Barba was part of a major Virginia drug ring.

    Antonella Barba, who appeared in the sixth season of the reality/competition series American Idol, was indicted on federal charges for allegedly distributing fentanyl, heroin and other narcotics for a major drug ring.

    Barba was arrested in Virginia in late 2018 on charges of intending to sell 100 grams or more of heroin.

    Barba pled not guilty to the charge, but now faces 11 federal indictments, including 10 counts of distribution or possession of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

    According to newly released court documents, Barba was allegedly part of a drug ring that operated in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area from late 2017 to the fall of 2018. The ring reportedly used an apartment to store heroin, cocaine and money and made drug sales during the aforementioned time period in various locations throughout the Hampton Roads region.

    The indictment also alleges that a member of the ring – Justin Michael Isaac – instructed Barba to deliver approximately 830 grams of fentanyl to another conspirator on October 11, 2018. Barba was arrested that morning and charged in district court with allegedly selling or intending to sell heroin. 

    After pleading not guilty to the October charge, Barba was out of bail and awaiting trial in state court, but was taken back into custody on February 11, 2019 for the federal indictments. A detention hearing is set for February 14, 2019 in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia. Barba’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Suzanne Katchmar, did not respond to multiple requests for comments by various media outlets.

    Barba, a native of New Jersey and current Los Angeles resident, appeared on Idol in 2007 and reached the Top 16 before her elimination. She subsequently returned to college and earned a degree in architecture, and told Entertainment Weekly in 2009 that she was working on an album.

    Barba, who most recently reunited with several fellow Idol contestants for a parody of “We Are the World” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was also charged with two misdemeanor charges of shoplifting at an Urban Outfitters in 2011.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • El Chapo Trial Ends, Leaving Drug Lord Facing Life In Prison

    El Chapo Trial Ends, Leaving Drug Lord Facing Life In Prison

    El Chapo’s sentencing hearing is set for June 25.

    The three-month long trial of El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquín Guzmán Loera, came to an end on Tuesday (Feb. 12), the New York Times reports. Guzmán was found guilty of leading a Mexican drug cartel, the Sinaloa cartel, and aiding in smuggling tons of drugs into the United States. He was found convicted on all 10 charges he faced. 

    The determination from the jury was given more than a week after the deliberations started in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, New York. During the trial, 56 witnesses spokes against Guzmán, 14 of whom had worked with him at one point. 

    “Confronting this onslaught, Mr. Guzmán’s lawyers offered little in the way of an affirmative defense, opting instead to use cross-examination to attack the credibility of the witnesses, most of whom were seasoned criminals with their own long histories of lying, cheating, drug dealing and killing,” the Times reports. 

    Guzmán’s sentencing hearing is set for June 25. He faces life in prison, though it is not yet determined where he will serve his time.

    U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Richard P. Donoghue, spoke outside the courthouse. He stated that the verdict was a victory. “There are those who say the war on drugs is not worth fighting,” Mr. Donoghue added. “Those people are wrong.”

    Guzmán’s lawyers say they plan to file an appeal. 

    “When he came here he was already presumed guilty by everyone, unfortunately. We weren’t just fighting evidence, we were fighting perception,” said A. Eduardo Balarezo, one of his lawyers. 

    Despite the fact that aspects of the cartel were uncovered and Guzmán was convicted, the Times reports that the Sinaloa cartel is still in operation. In fact, the Drug Enforcement Administration states that in 2016 and 2017, when Guzmán was taken into custody for the final time, heroin production in Mexico still grew by 37% and border seizures of fentanyl “more than doubled.”

    Ángel Meléndez, the special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations, tells the Times that the outcome of this case drives home an important message to others involved in trafficking.

    “One of the important things about this conviction is that it sends a resounding message,” he said. “You’re not unreachable, you’re not untouchable and your day will come.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Government Contractor Accused Of Plotting To Sell Drugs On Cruise

    Government Contractor Accused Of Plotting To Sell Drugs On Cruise

    The contractor allegedly laid out the details of the drug-dealing scheme on his work computer.

    Two would-be tourists were collared earlier this month in Miami as they boarded a gay cruise, where officials said they planned to sell drugs. 

    Peter Melendez and Robert Koehler allegedly hatched the idea in a series of emails before the ship was set to sail. They were caught, according to NBC News, because one of the men worked as a government contractor and sent the messages from his work computer. 

    When authorities picked them up, they allegedly had 27 grams of MDMA, 18 grams of ketamine, 246 grams of the “date rape drug” GHB, 7 grams of Viagra and 5 grams of the ADHD medication Adderall in their luggage.

    It’s not clear when the emails were sent or what, exactly, they said. But, according to a police report, it was Melendez’ decision to send them from his work computer that flagged the interest of Homeland Security investigators. Reports did not specify which agency Melendez worked for. 

    The men are due to be arraigned sometime in March.

    Last year, 38-year-old Storm Chasers star Joel Taylor overdosed on a gay cruise. In the hours before he died on an Atlantis Events-chartered ship, other passengers reported spotting him so drugged up he needed help back to his room. His death later sparked a broader discussion about drug use on party ships, and some dinged the floating festivities for failing to embrace harm reduction efforts that could prevent future fatalities. 

    “The comments online say people need to take responsibility for their own actions—if they use drugs, they’re responsible—and I completely agree with that,” LGBTQ activist Jim Key told Quartz. “But because the promoters know that there are people at their parties who are going to be doing drugs, they share some responsibility there. If you say you have zero tolerance for drugs, that’s not going to stop people from using drugs—but it is going to stop people from seeking treatment.”

    At the time, the CEO of Atlantis—which brands itself as the world’s biggest gay and lesbian cruise producer—told the online news outlet that the company went to great lengths to ensure guest safety and offered full medical facilities and an intensive care unit on each ship. And, he added, medical staff don’t share information with the police.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

    Man Accused Of Throwing Drug-Fueled "Death Party" For Ailing Wife

    The Minnesota man was charged with multiple felonies.

    A Minnesota man was arrested after he allegedly threw a drug-fueled “death party” for his ailing wife who did not want to die in a nursing home. She stopped her medications, they rocked out to Quiet Riot, had sex and did meth. Then, on January 24, she died. 

    Afterward, according to the Mankato Free Press, prosecutors charged 58-year-old Duane Arden Johnson with criminal neglect. 

    It all started a few days earlier, when 69-year-old Debra Lynn Johnson begged her husband to take her out of the transitional care center. She’d had two heart attacks and struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure and mental health problems. But at her request, her husband agreed to take her back to their Searles home against medical advice, according to charging documents. 

    Then, he brought home some drugs, and at some point someone spray-painted the words “Death Parde God Hell” in red on the front door. She couldn’t eat food or drink water, so Johnson used snow to wet the dying woman’s lips. 

    They had sex the morning of January 24, and two hours later she died. Afterward, he wrapped her in linen and left her body at the top of the stairs. He allegedly waited a few hours—to be sure she was dead—before calling 911. 

    When the officers showed up, according to the paper, Johnson ran outside naked to greet them, shouting about his wife’s death. Then, authorities said he ran back inside and hid in the bathtub, trying to scrape “things” off his skin.

    Johnson allegedly told investigators he had 47 guns in the house, and officers recovered four rifles and two shotguns—along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Some of the weapons were stolen, he told police. 

    During an initial court appearance, a judge set Johnson’s bail at $250,000. That same day, Brown County Attorney Charles Hanson said that—in addition to felonies for criminal neglect and receiving stolen property—more criminal charges are possible, according to the La Crosse Tribune. 

    The death appeared suspicious, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called in to help with the case.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "The Ring" Actress Daveigh Chase Reportedly Arrested On Drug Charges

    "The Ring" Actress Daveigh Chase Reportedly Arrested On Drug Charges

    Actress Daveigh Chase was allegedly arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles back in August.

    Actress Daveigh Chase, who played the malevolent Samara in the 2002 American film version of The Ring, is facing a jail sentence and a $1,000 fine if convicted on two charges of drug possession.

    The 28-year-old, who also provided the voice of Lilo in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, was arrested in Los Angeles in August 2018 and booked for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. The presiding judge also issued a warrant for her arrest as part of the recent ruling, which took place on November 6.

    Chase was arrested on August 6, 2018 by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood division on the drug charge, which was a misdemeanor. According to The New York Daily News, she spent two hours behind bars before being released on a $1,000 bond.

    The arrest is the latest in a string of run-ins with the law for the actress. Chase was previously arrested and locked up on a $25,000 bond in November 2017 on charges of driving in a stolen car without the owner’s consent.

    That same year, while under arrest for an outstanding traffic misdemeanor warrant, Chase was questioned by police about allegedly leaving an unidentified man outside a Hollywood hospital before fleeing the scene.

    The man was pronounced dead by hospital employees upon discovery, but Chase, who reportedly spent time with the man prior to the incident, was not charged with any crime or playing any role in the death.

    Chase is currently facing two misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges carry a possible sentence of one year in jail and a fine up to $1,000. Because Chase was released on the aforementioned bond, the judge also issued a warrant for her arrest.

    Chase began her professional career in television commercials before making her screen-acting debut at the age of eight. Roles in Donnie Darko and voice-over work for the English-language version of Spirited Away led to her star-making turns in Lilo and Stitch and The Ring.

    She earned an Annie Award and an MTV Movie Award, respectively, for the projects, and later enjoyed a recurring role on Big Love. In recent years, Chase has made regular appearances in independent features and made-for-television films, while continuing to work as a voice-over actor for video games.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Top Ten Countries with the Strictest Drug Laws

    Top Ten Countries with the Strictest Drug Laws

     

    ARTICLE OVERVIEW: Some countries with strict drug laws also have the worst drug problems in the world. In this article, we look at these laws, their purpose, and how a country’s political motivations affect people. 

    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 7 minutes.

    Table of Contents:

    What Defines a “Strict” Drug Law?

    To define “strict”, we’ve had to form an answer based upon opinion. As we’ve observed in the U.S., public sentiment has varied about laws regarding marijuana use and possession. Some people do not see value in marijuana as medicine. Others felt that recreational use is completely justified. A counterculture fought back and, eventually, laws began to change.
    So, when are drug laws helping and when do they hurt? Are drug laws fair? Is sentencing for drug possession justified or unjustified? For example, in South Korea, you can be charged with a heavy fine as well as a long jail sentence for having a personal amount of cannabis on you [1].
    Though it’s agreed that even “softer drugs” come with their own dangers, we do need to examine punitive measures that governments take to try to regulate use or trafficking. These “strict drug laws” can include sentences such as:
    • Hard labor
    • Large fines
    • Long amount of time in jail
    • Sometimes the death penalty

    It should be noted, when it comes to fixing a drug problem, stricter laws may not necessarily curb use. What we need to do is work together to provide people with education as prevention. For those already struggling with a drug addiction, we not only need to provide them with this education but offer them to opportunity for treatment.

    With that in mind, let’s dive into our list of the countries with the strictest drug laws in the world.

    People struggling with addiction need treatment to get well.

    #10 – Japan

    To begin, over-the-counter medications have much stricter guidelines when compared to the United States [2]. Common necessities such as inhalers or certain allergy medications are illegal to carry in large supply, especially if any of the carry stimulants such as pseudoephedrine. If you’re planning to visit Japan, be aware that their law allows up to a two month’s supply of allowable over-the-counter medication and vitamins.

    When it comes to illicit drugs (anything from marijuana to heroin), Japan doesn’t mess around. If you’re are caught with any of these drugs, even if they were obtained legally elsewhere, you will be detained by customs officials and questioned. This, likewise, will happen for certain prescription medications when you enter Japan. Particularly, stimulants such as Adderall. Many American prescription medications are banned in Japan and, therefore, cannot be brought into the country by an American. However, if your prescription meets the Japanese laws, you will be allowed to possess up to one month of your medication.

    For those who do get caught within the country, you can expect harsher penalties for even just a minor offense [3]. For holding a small amount of drugs, you can be imprisoned anywhere from one to ten years with a fine of up to 5,000,000 yen (close to $45,000 USD). If you end up deported due to these breaks of the law, you won’t be allowed in the country for five to ten years.

    #9 – Vietnam

    When you’re caught with drugs in Vietnam, most of the time, you’re sent to a rehabilitation center. The Vietnamese government has a goal of cleaning up its citizens rather than punishing them. Especially due to the fact that drug use is on the rise in the country [4].

    However, there is a catch to these rehabilitation centers. Unlike those in Western countries which promote psychotherapies after detox, in Vietnam, you’re put into forced free labor. The biggest issue with this is prior addicts usually aren’t given any idea of a release date and can be held for long periods of time. Those who have gone against the rehabilitation centers, have reported that they’re often severely beaten by guards.

    #8 – China

    If you’re a drug dealer in China and caught by law enforcement, there’s a chance you’ll face the death sentence [5]. The roots of this conflict come from China’s cultural attitudes towards drug addiction. It’s considered to be a personal failure rather than a disease and, therefore, drug use is highly condemned.

    An issue China’s attempting to handle is the rising problem of illicit drug use. Like Vietnam, certain cities such as Beijing have incorporated punitive rehabilitation centers. However, in China, these facilities contain even harsher forced labor and consequences to those who don’t follow rules. The biggest issue with this is the state decides whether or not somebody is an addict. So, if you’re caught with a drug and it’s your first time using it, even though your body hasn’t adjusted to an addiction, you may still be considered an addict under Chinese law.

    This harsh punishment can also be witnessed in Chine detox centers. Standardly, it takes anywhere between a week to a few weeks for your body to completely detox from a drug. But in a Chinese detoxification center, you can expect to be in a forced detox for upwards of three years. This is followed by another three years within a rehabilitation center which normally should last less than a year.

    #7 – Singapore

    Strict laws are an aspect of life in Singapore which tend to take tourists by surprise. For example, according to Business Insider, you can receive up to a $1,000 fine if you’re caught littering. When it comes to drugs, these laws become even more consequential.

    Typically, drug dealers are executed if they are caught [6]. Yet, what Singapore considers a trafficker is very loose. People who are holding half an ounce of marijuana are considered dealers even if they’ve never shared their stash with anyone else. It’s due to these notions of drug users that make drug use in Singapore incredibly risky.

    In another example, if drugs are found on your property, you’re automatically assumed to be the possessor of them, unless you can provide reason otherwise. Even if you avoid the penalty of death, chances are you’re going to spend a large amount of time in jail for being in possession of drugs.

    If you’re planning to visit the country, it helps to understand which prescription medications are allowed and how to inform the authorities of your possession of them. You can find information on this here.

    #6 – Dubai

     As with many of the countries on this list, Dubai isn’t afraid to give you some long years in jail for possession. There’s a minimum of a 4-year jail sentence for having an illicit substance on you. Additionally, if you have traces of a drug within your bloodstream or urine, it’s automatically classified as a possession charge. Similar laws apply to those who actually get caught with drugs in their hands.

    These laws go as far as to charge you if you have poppy seeds on your clothing from eating something containing the ingredient. The biggest complication arises when considering how powerful the technology and security of airports located in Dubai are. It’s so strong that even residual amount of a drug will be found and cause complications with Dubai customs officials.

    #5 – North Korea

     It comes to no surprise that it’s rare for drugs to enter the North Korean territory. As can also be expected, little is known when it comes to North Korea and drugs as so little information can be obtained from the country. What we do know is possession of drugs can lead to the death penalty [7]. Furthermore, due to investigations within Taiwan and Japan, North Korea has been associated with large illicit drug shipments of methamphetamine and heroin [8].

    #4 – Indonesia

     Drug laws in Indonesia are similar to Dubai in the sense that they prosecute you for having drugs in your bloodstream. However, it’s their form of prosecution that really takes things to a new level – the death penalty.

    There is a zero tolerance policy for drugs within Indonesia. In 2009, a law was enacted which gave consequence to people who didn’t even take drugs. If your child is taking an illicit substance and you’re aware of it, you must report it to local authorities. If you don’t, brutal consequences will be carried out for the entire family.

    These harsh penalties aren’t kept from tourists either. There have been numerous accounts of foreigners being executed for being in possession of drugs.

    #3 – Iran

     Iran is one of the world’s largest opium producers (the main ingredient for heroin) and also has one of the largest drug problems in the world. Yet, their laws on drug use are extremely strict. So much so, it’s resulted in more than half of the country’s convictions to be that of drug charges. Yet, at the same time, there are efforts being made to curtail these force laws and, instead, help people struggling with addiction through treatment facilities.

    The biggest reason Iran is so high on our list is due to the fact that the country struggles economically and, therefore, some citizens produce large fields of poppy in order to make a living. With that in mind, it comes to no surprise many have fell victim to a heroin addiction. And prior to recent efforts, the penalties for drug possession have often resulted in death.

    When we consider these two factors – mass production of drugs with high drug use and very strict laws – an understanding develops as to why Iran is a dangerous place for a drug abuser to find themselves in.

    #2 – Islamic State (ISIS)

     The stakes are high in the territory captured by the terror group ISIS primarily because there are no official laws endated. Rumors have spread and leaders have spoken, but ultimately, there’s no true way to identify what you can and can’t do in the Islamic State. What we do know is public lashings are common for those caught in possession of drugs. Though this may not be as bad a consequence as the death penalties mentioned above, the real horror is nobody within the territory truly knows what they can and can’t get away with.

    Again, there are currently no written laws enacted for the people caught within the area. To top it off, it’s speculated ISIS is in control of various illicit trafficking in and around the mid-east. Therefore, they could be persecuting individuals committing crimes at a degree much less than their own.

    At the end of the day, the Islamic State is high on this list due to its harsh consequences and unpredictability involved around drug use and possession charges.

    #1 – Saudi Arabia

     What brings Saudi Arabia to the top of our list is, like some other countries listed above, execution is common for simple drug possession. However, the country isn’t afraid to publically execute criminals only to leave their bodies on display as a warning sign.

    The biggest issue within Saudi Arabia isn’t necessarily their drug issue, but rather their over corruption. Police aren’t afraid to prosecute even the innocent or torture them as a means of admitting to a false confession. In the first half of 2015, 100 criminals were publically executed. Half of them were non-violent drug offenders.

    Your Questions

    If you have any further questions pertaining to strict drug laws in other countries, we invite you to ask them in the comments section below. If you have any advice to give to our readers about these drug laws, we’d also love to hear from you. We try to respond to every comment in a prompt and personal manner.
    Reference Sources: [1] GOV.UK: Foreign Travel advice for South Korea
    https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-korea/local-laws-and-customs
    [2] U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan: Traveling with Personal Medication
    https://jp.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/doctors/importing-medication/
    [3] Student Handbook: Drug Laws in Japan
    https://www.kansaigaidai.ac.jp/asp/pdf/current_students/01_student_handbook/Drug_Laws_In_Japan.pdf
    [4] Foreign Policy at Brookings: A Slow March from Social Evil to Harm Reduction: Drugs and Drug Policy in Vietnam
    https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WindleVietnam-final.pdf
    [5] Foreign Policy at Brookings: A People’s War: China’s Struggle to Contain its Illicit Drug Problem
    https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/A-Peoples-War-final.pdf
    [6] Today Online: Significant support for death penalty
    https://www.gov.sg/news/content/today-online—significant-support-for-death-penalty
    [7] U.S. Department of State: U.S. Relations with North Korea
    https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm
    [8] CIA World Factbook on Korea
    https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/print_kn.html
    Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine: Integrated medical rehabilitation delivery in China
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5627700/
    Human Rights Watch: 100 Executions in 2017
    https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/06/16/saudi-arabia-100-executions-january-1#

    View the original article at addictionblog.org

  • Woman Sues After Faulty Drug Test Mistakes Cotton Candy For Meth

    Woman Sues After Faulty Drug Test Mistakes Cotton Candy For Meth

    The Georgia woman spent four months in jail because of a faulty roadside drug test mistook her cotton candy for meth.

    A Georgia woman has filed suit after spending almost four months in jail following a faulty roadside drug test that wrongly flagged a baggie of blue cotton candy as crystal meth, according to USA Today.

    Dasha Fincher’s federal legal claim, filed Thursday, targets the county commissioners, the deputies who arrested her and the company that makes the test.

    The arrest that started it all stemmed from a traffic stop on New Year’s Eve in 2016. Two deputies pulled over Fincher and her boyfriend after spotting dark window tints on their car – though authorities later admitted dark window tints are actually legal.

    Police later wrote that the couple seemed nervous, even though they handed over their IDs and agreed to a search of the car. During that search, the lawmen found a plastic baggie with something blue inside. 

    One of the deputies did a roadside test on the hood of the car – and told her he’d found methamphetamine.

    “I knew it was cotton candy,” she told the New York Times, “and for him to come back and say it was meth, I really didn’t know what to say.”

    For close to the next four months, Fincher was held in the county jail on $1 million bail, missing family events – like the birth of her grandsons. 

    “It seemed like everything was going on and I wasn’t there,” she told the Times. “I wasn’t there for my family when they needed me.”

    Then, on March 22 a crime lab finally realized there were no drugs in the bag. But it wasn’t until the following month that the results were finally forwarded to local prosecutors, and on April 4 Fincher was released.

    “It was crystal-like substances, it was in a cellophane bag, and it was under the floor mat,” Elizabeth Bobbitt, the interim district attorney for the area, told the New York paper. “We are not crazy people down here who would like to arrest people for cotton candy.” 

    Roadside drug tests have long been a source of controversy and false positives, as detailed in a 2016 New York Times Magazine and ProPublica investigation. 

    Based on those $2 tests, officers have wrongly identified everything from motor oil to cat litter to donut glaze as illicit drugs.  

    “Why, it’s almost as if these field tests will say whatever law enforcement officers want them to,” Radley Balko wrote in the Washington Post in 2015.

    In this case, the suit alleges, it was blue food coloring that foiled the test and netted a faulty result.

    The test-maker did not respond to a request for comment.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Prison Chaplain Accused Of Taking Bribes To Smuggle Drugs To Inmates

    Prison Chaplain Accused Of Taking Bribes To Smuggle Drugs To Inmates

    Officials say they found a cache of contraband along with more than $5,000 in proceeds in the chaplain’s office.

    A prison chaplain was arrested for allegedly taking bribes to smuggle drugs and cell phones to inmates in a federal lock-up in New England, authorities said Friday. 

    Joseph Buenviaje was working at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, when officials say he started sneaking in contraband—including phones, tobacco, pot and Suboxone—to prisoners at the medium-security facility. 

    It’s not clear how many inmates were involved or whether any other workers or outside co-conspirators participated in the alleged scheme, and authorities did not outline in court documents when the smuggling is believed to have begun. But, during a search of the 53-year-old’s FCI Berlin office, officials said they found a cache of contraband along with more than $5,000 in proceeds.

    “Public employees are expected to act with integrity,” U.S. Attorney Scott Murray said in a statement. “We will always be alert to instances of criminal misconduct by federal employees. In order to ensure that the public has confidence in its public servants, federal employees who violate the public trust by breaking the law will be investigated and prosecuted.” 

    The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General took the lead in investigating the case, with help from the prison’s special investigative supervisor. 

    Earlier this year, a former prison employee at the same facility was sentenced to 15 months behind bars after she pleaded guilty to similar charges when she was caught accepting bribes to smuggle in phones, drugs and tobacco. 

    Feds were tipped off to the illicit operation and started monitoring Latoya Sebree’s communications to learn that she agreed to drop off a cell phone and tobacco in exchange for $2,000. The goods were shipped to the 37-year-old’s post office box, where she picked them up and drove them to her home. 

    When investigators showed up there with a warrant, Sebree handed over the $2,000 and cell phone. A search turned up Suboxone strips, a heat sealer and tobacco, according to a federal press release.

    Under questioning, Sebree admitted to sneaking in drugs, phones and other banned items over a several-week period. After pleading guilty in fall 2017, Sebree was sentenced in January. When she gets out of prison, she’ll be on supervised release for a year. 

    “The public deserves honest service from its civil servants,” acting U.S. Attorney John Farley said at the time. “This officer betrayed the public trust and undermined the safety and integrity of a federal prison facility by taking bribes to smuggle contraband into a prison. This type of conduct cannot be tolerated.”

    FCI Berlin holds just over 1,000 inmates between the main facility and the adjacent 88-man minimum-security camp.

    View the original article at thefix.com