Letter: The failed ‘war on drugs’ divides country – Rockford Register Star

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The failed war on drugs is another major factor in dividing the country, even though opinion on the issue is not particularly divided along party lines.

The illegal drug trade makes gangsters rich and powerful. The resulting damage to peoples lives, crime, gang violence and other related misconduct fuels conservatives anger and their general dissatisfaction with the state of the world.

Many conservatives, as well as liberals, do realize the war on drugs has been a catastrophic failure. Steps to legalize marijuana are baby steps in the right direction. But, support for the solution ending the prohibition and legalizing all those currently illegal drugs is not sufficiently widespread in either party.

One reason I vehemently oppose the promotion and spread of legal gambling (e.g. as a source of tax revenue) is that one of the main goals, and potential benefits, of legalization is supposed to be getting rid of the pushers and pimps.

Street gangs, biker gangs, mobsters, drug cartels and terrorists are all often financed by the illegal drug trade, increasing their power and influence. And, they all tend to be racist organizations, each gang usually being of a single race which feeds the racial prejudice of others.

Mark Holmboe, Rockford

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Letter: The failed 'war on drugs' divides country - Rockford Register Star

Words won’t win war on drugs – The West Australian

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U2 nailed it back in 1988 when they talked about the scourge drug of that era being the promise in the year of election.

Bono was singing about heroin back then and compared to todays manic methamphetamine menace and the misery it brings, heroin was a cakewalk.

Junkies flaked out after a rush of smack were far more manageable than people pulsating in and out of a meth-induced psychosis while posing a serious threat to anyone around them including those they love.

Unfortunately we cant turn back the clock.

So, in the past few days weve seen what the major political parties plan to do about the ongoing ice epidemic in the year of election.

The simple answer would be to say that Liberal and Labor try to outdo one another to win the tough on drugs, tough on crime trophy.

It could also be argued that what ever they do to fight meth in the community its too little too late and more should have been done a decade ago.

But to establish such a cynical position, you need to travel back with me to 2007, when the then Labor government announced an ice summit because the drug posed a significant problem.

In WA, the use of these drugs, particularly crystalline methamphetamine, or ice as it is more commonly known, is higher than the national average, premier Alan Carpenter said at the time. This puts enormous pressure on the services required to manage the issue, including our police force, hospital emergency departments, child protection agencies and mental health system.

Very true. However, the summit prompted a health, law and order and punishment response that didnt even go close to barricading us against the threat. What followed was the equivalent of parking a Mini Minor in the path of a Mack truck.

Here we are a decade on and WA has been blighted by so much ice-related murder, domestic violence, child neglect and all-round crime and dysfunction.

Given the stranglehold this drug seems to have on those it lures in and the multi-billion dollar organised crime syndicates pulling the levers on supply and demand some might argue its unreasonable to assess whether our governments could have done more in the fight against ice. But if our politicians claim to have waged a war on ice since the 2007 summit, then the suite of new measures announced on Sunday by the Barnett Government suggests victory will be hard to come by.

Anyone deemed to be in possession with intent to sell or supply any amount of ice is going to jail for at least a year as part of the mandatory sentencing package.

Having 200g of the drug will put you behind bars for a minimum of 15 years. No ifs, buts or maybes. WA would have the toughest anti-drug jail sentences in the country. And both Labor and Liberal agree that a new sentence of life in prison should be available to judges dealing with meth traffickers, regardless of who wins the election on March 11.

A reasonable question to ponder is why now rather than 2007, or soon after the ice summit warned of the impending doom?

How come the politicians didnt go as tough then as they are now just weeks away from wanting your vote?

Almost 10 years on from when Labor premier Alan Carpenter spoke before the ice summit about the pressures the drug was putting on hospitals, police and the justice system, the Liberal leader who beat him at the 2008 election said virtually the same thing on the weekend.

Meth, or ice, as its more commonly known, is destroying young lives, tearing families apart, Premier Barnett said.

Its putting enormous pressure on our police resources, our public health system, particularly emergency departments, mental health and care for those addicted.

The mirror image rhetoric is why people have a right to be cynical.

The tough, no-nonsense strategy should have been introduced a decade ago.

People are always cynical about election campaigns, Attorney-General Michael Mischin conceded at the policy launch on Sunday.

This is not simply opportunistic.

This is an evolutionary strategy based on the work weve been doing over the last eight years.

The government has a responsibility to take action in respect of major social issues that are threatening our community.

For many years weve known WA has had an extraordinarily dangerous liaison with this drug, but for too long weve seen lip service and then another election comes along.

Its taken all this time for a government to pull out the really heavy armoury against the drug dealers at any level of the distribution chain.

Youve been dealing out misery to thousands of West Australian families and if re-elected, this Liberal Government will deal out misery to you, Police Minister Liza Harvey said on the weekend.

Those words might win the tough on crime political battle, but they wont win the war against a drug thats been able to advance too far for too long.

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Words won't win war on drugs - The West Australian

PDEA: Army to play support role in war on drugs – ABS-CBN News

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MANILA - Philippine troops will only provide back-up in the war on drugs and not patrol the streets or play any kind of leading role, the head of an anti-narcotics agency that has been given charge of the campaign said on Monday.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte suspended the national police from the anti-drugs war that has killed over 7,600 people in seven months after a South Korean businessman was kidnapped and killed by members of a police drugs squad.

He said the army would be inducted into the drugs war, creating unease in a country that endured a decade of martial law from the early 1970s and where memories of campaigns to restore democracy and protect human rights are fresh in the minds of many people.

However, Duterte handed charge of the anti-drugs campaign to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

"They (troops) will be in support of PDEA agents," the agency's director general, Isidro Lapena, said in an interview. "For example, if the target is in an area where there are armed groups, then we will be needing the armed forces."

Lapena stressed the military would not be on patrol duty or lead their own operations. Troops selected for a joint task force with the PDEA would attend orientation programs and would likely only be on stand-by for drug operations when needed.

Of the people killed in the war on drugs, about 2,500 died during police operations and the remainder are in dispute. The authorities say many deaths were caused by inter-gang violence or vigilantes, while human rights groups say there is a pattern of extra-judicial killings. The government strongly rejects that.

Asked if a drugs war run by PDEA would see fewer killings than those seen under the police, Lapena said it was up to the criminal gangs to decide whether to surrender quietly, or put up a fight.

"There are firefights that result in death...we cannot avoid that," he said.

BLOODSHED INEVITABLE

Lapena said most previous operations led by the PDEA had resulted in arrests, not killings. Bloodshed was inevitable during a drugs war, he said, because dealers and corrupt police would kill others to cover their tracks.

"We don't have control over other elements who do the killings. The other killings are perpetrated, I would say, by drug syndicates themselves," Lapena said.

"That is why, I cannot say this will lower, or this will rise."

The remit and structure of the new joint task force between the PDEA and the armed forces could be finalized within this week, Lapena said.

PDEA has a major challenge in keeping up the intensity of a drugs war that was being waged primarily by the 160,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).

PDEA has a tiny fraction of that, with only 1,800 personnel. Lapena said PDEA had approval to recruit 900 more. The new task force would operate nationwide, but its size and number of operations was yet to be decided.

Lapena said PDEA would make up for the manpower shortage by strengthening links to local communities, setting up anti-drugs councils to identify those in need of rehabilitation, or "neutralization", which he said meant arrests and prosecution, and was not a euphemism for killing.

Lapena is a former police chief of Davao, a city where Duterte was mayor for over two decades.

The narcotics agency chief said he had no idea why Duterte would make such drastic change to his drugs war, leaving PDEA with a race against time to come up with a plan.

"We will take on the job and we will deliver," he said.

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PDEA: Army to play support role in war on drugs - ABS-CBN News

Ruto camps in Mombasa, says war on drugs intensified – Daily Nation

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Sunday February 5 2017 In Summary

The government will not relent in its efforts to eradicate drug and drug use in the coastal region, Deputy President William Ruto said on Sunday.

Speaking after attending mass at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Catholic Church, Mr Ruto expressed concern over high number of youths succumbing to drug addiction.

You should pray for those indulging in this illegal business to change their way of lives and stop destroying our young people here (Mombasa), he added.

Acknowledging that the government was facing challenges in fighting the drug menace, Mr Ruto asked Christians to join hands in the fight against the vice to save the youths.

The DP's statements follow the extradition of four suspected drug barons to the United States to face trafficking charges.

Joint investigations between Kenyan police and Drug Enforcement Administration led to the arrest of Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla, Gulam Hussein, Vijaygiri Anandgiri Goswami and Baktash Akasha Abdalla.

At the same time, he urged Christians to offer special prayers to Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials to conduct free, fair and credible polls on August 8.

All of us as Kenyans require the space and chance to exercise our constitutional rights to vote for whoever we want without being coerced or intimidated through unorthodox means to vote otherwise, he said.

The DP noted that security had improved in the coastal region which had come under terror attacks due to intensified surveillance by security forces within and without the borders.

We must pay homage to our security forces for ensuring peace and tranquility prevail not only in Mombasa and its environs but the entire country and within our borders, he said.

According to him, even after this years elections and its outcome, Kenyans would still remain peaceful.

In his sermon, the presiding Priest John Correa challenged the government to resolve the doctors strike impasse saying most Kenyans were suffering due to lack of health services.

Whether we are leaders, politicians, government and priests we should work in solidarity to break the impasse and bring back healthcare services to public hospitals, he pleaded.

He also urged Catholic faithful to donate foodstuff to help residents suffering in drought and famine hit counties across the country.

Americas FBI had sought the Akashas for a long time.

New officer takes charge of C Company battalion that repelled Al-Shabaab fighters.

The story of one of Kenya's most protracted industrial dispute is a messy affair.

Originally posted here:

Ruto camps in Mombasa, says war on drugs intensified - Daily Nation

The president of the Philippines admits his war on drugs has been dirty – The Economist

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The president of the Philippines admits his war on drugs has been dirty - The Economist

FIFA YouTuber Pleads Guilty To Gambling Charges [UPDATE] – GameSpot

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Subscribe for the latest gaming news

Update: Fines have been levied against both Douglas and Rigby after pleading guilty in court today. Douglas was ordered to pay 91,000 (about $113,000), while Rigby must pay 174,000 (about $217,000), according to The Guardian.

"The aggravating features of these offences are they were committed over a relatively long period of about six months," said district judge Jack McGarva. "Children were gambling on your site. It's impossible for me to know how many or the effect on them. In my opinion, both of you were aware of the use of the site by children and the attractiveness of it to children. At the very least, you both turned a blind eye to it."

The Guardian notes how, during the trial, a YouTube video of Douglas was shown where he states, "You dont have to be 18 for this, because this is a virtual currency."

On Twitter this afternoon, Douglas posted a series of messages apologizing. "I owe a huge apology to my family and close friends for putting them through this process, and appreciate all those that stood by me." He also said he intends to publish a "video in due course presenting my side of the story."

The original story follows.

FIFA YouTuber Nepenthez has pleaded guilty to gambling offences under the UK's Gambling Act.

According to the BBC, Nepenthez (whose real name is Craig Douglas) and his business partner Dylan Rigby ran a site that allowed users to gamble FIFA coins--which, it is argued, hold real-world value--on real-life football matches. The men reportedly pleaded not guilty at first, but they have now switched their pleas.

The pair were charged in 2016 with inviting children to gamble (many of Nepenthez's near-1.5 million subscribers are minors), as well as promoting a lottery and advertising unlawful gambling.

This case, which is being held at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, is the first of its kind in the UK; no individual or company had previously been prosecuted for running an unlicensed video game gambling website.

Nepenthez talked about the then-upcoming court case in a recent video. "I've got something coming up on Monday, 6th of February that could change my life, define my future," he said. "There is a probability that I wont be walking out of court on Monday morning, and that's scary man, that's really scary."

Both Douglas and Rigby are yet to be sentenced.

Read more from the original source:

FIFA YouTuber Pleads Guilty To Gambling Charges [UPDATE] - GameSpot

Bill introduced to lower age for legal gambling in Nevada – Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Buying cigarettes. Going off to war. Voting. They are things you can do at 18 years old in America.

A Nevada lawmaker wants to add gambling to that list.

Assembly Bill 86, sponsored by Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, R-Minden, would drop the legal gambling threshold from 21 to 18 years of age.

Back in 2008, the idea to lower the legal gambling age to 18 was floated by some state gaming regulators after the question was raised by a lawyer during a gaming law conference in Las Vegas. But the idea was quickly shot down by state lawmakers and never made it beyond an idea.

Wheelers bill, along with more than 200 others, were introduced in their respective houses on Mondays first day of the legislative session.

Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.

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Bill introduced to lower age for legal gambling in Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gambling with people’s autonomy | Liberties | Risk | spiked – Spiked

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The report has been criticised by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB). Its chief executive, Malcolm George, said the report amounted to little more than the view of a tiny group of anti-betting-shop MPs. He also said that behind the report were the vested interests of those who would benefit should the reports recommendations be implemented.

Despite claiming to be evidence-based, it is clear the report is driven, in the main, by the precautionary principle namely, that in the absence of knowing future risks or harms, we should act just in case. So the report recommends lowering the maximum stake from 100 to perhaps as low as 2, on a precautionary basis until sufficient evidence is presented that the high stakes on these machines do not cause harm.

If these MPs were really concerned about the cost of gambling, the one thing they could do is to lower the minimum stake on betting, so people who enjoy gambling get more for their money. Not that that would appeal to the MPs in the APPG. They dont want to make gambling cheaper. Rather, their underlying objective is to interfere in and regulate peoples everyday lives, to, as the report puts it, protect the most vulnerable in our society.

This move against FOBTs and betting shops sets a dangerous precedent. It treats us all as if we are vulnerable and need to be saved or prevented from doing harm to ourselves. In effect, these MPs are seeking to save us from ourselves.

But there really is no need to do so. There is already help available for anyone who thinks they have a gambling problem. Funded by voluntary contributions from the gambling industry, GamCare, an advice and support service for problem gamblers, is advertised everywhere, including in casinos and betting shops. Better still, one can always turn to ones friends and family for help and advice. As I often say to friends and family who are starting out playing poker, lessons can be expensive, and sometimes you dont know youre being taught a lesson until its too late. As in many areas of life, we sometimes need to learn those lessons ourselves.

The MPs report shows just how negative and condescending is their view of human beings and our ability to make choices for ourselves. The word vulnerable appears 27 times in the report. With the exception of perhaps a small percentage who have real problems with gambling and money, I doubt that there are any gamblers who would refer to themselves as vulnerable.

This moralising assault on FOBTs is unlikely to go down well in the communities the MPs are saying they want to help. The vote for Brexit last year should have taught them the dangers of assuming that a small group of politicians knows what is best for us. Lets hope that the government doesnt listen to this report and leaves us to make choices for ourselves.

Jon Bryan lives and works in Newcastle, is treasurer of the Great Debate and regularly plays poker.

For permission to republish spiked articles, please contact Viv Regan.

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Gambling with people's autonomy | Liberties | Risk | spiked - Spiked

Military should screen for gambling disorder, GAO says – Virginian-Pilot

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The military should screen its personnel for gambling disorder, just as it does for other addictive disorders, according to a government watchdog report.

The Government Accountability Office released a study last week showing that less than 0.03 percent of service members were diagnosed with gambling disorder or were seen for problem gambling through the Military Health System between 2011 and 2015.

While the report acknowledges that percentage is low, it notes that the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security may not be able to identify and provide treatment to those who need it without specifically screening for it. Only 10 percent of people with gambling disorder seek treatment, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

While gambling disorder is not a frequently diagnosed condition, the preoccupation with gambling, financial hardship, and increased risk of suicide can pose a risk to individual readiness, the report says.

In a letter responding to the report, the Defense Department disputed the need for specific screening. Instead, it said it would update its policies to promote education and awareness activities intended to prevent problematic gambling.

There is no evidence to suggest that gambling disorder is a high prevalence disorder in the DoD, and it is impractical to screen for every low prevalence disorder, the Defense Department said in its response.

The Defense Department said bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder all are just as or more common, but also arent routinely screened for. The Defense Department said screening for other disorders would require time, resources and training that would burden the service member and health provider.

The decision on whether to screen for a disorder is carefully scrutinized with the DoD, with the priority given to high risk, high volume, and problem-prone disorders with validated measures for assessment, the Defense Department wrote.

Congress passed a law in 1951 banning slot machines from domestic U.S. military installations , but the report notes that many bases are located in states that permit some form of gambling. Virginia, for example, allows off-track betting.

There also are overseas bases that allow slot machines in places like bowling alleys and officers clubs. The machines are most prevalent at U.S. bases in Japan and Germany, although the Navy has them in Korea, Italy, Spain, Diego Garcia, Greece and Singapore.

Overseas slot machines throughout the Defense Department generated $538.9 million between 2011 and 2015.

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Military should screen for gambling disorder, GAO says - Virginian-Pilot

Industry: Crackdown on illegal gambling in the Philippines now … – GamingTodaySlotsToday

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February 06, 2017 9:41 AM by Robert Mann

An apparent crackdown on illegal gambling in the Philippines is now underway as the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is in discussions with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to set up a task force aimed at tackling illegal gambling.

Local media reports that PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said the PCSO has been holding a number of workshops and talks with the PNP and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group with the goal of tacklingillegal gambling.

The enforcement increase is a way to battle illegal numbers games in the Philippines and has been in response to President Dutertes desire to stamp out illegal gambling.

Balutan issued a warning saying, To all illegal gambling operators, your minions and protectors, your days are numbered. Im warning you, you can run but you cannot hide. Go legal or else we will arrest you, and file appropriate charges against you.

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Industry: Crackdown on illegal gambling in the Philippines now ... - GamingTodaySlotsToday

Dog food recalled after discovery of euthanasia drug – Detroit Free Press

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Evanger's Hunk of Beef.(Photo: Recalls.gov)

Evanger's is voluntarily recalling some of its dog food after a drug that is used toanesthetize or put down pets was found in it.

Michigan is one of 15 states affected by the Hunk of Beef Au Jus recall.

Pentobarbital was found inone lot of the dog food; five dogs got sick and one died, according to the Wheeling, Ill.-based company.

The 12-ounce cans were manufactured June 6-13 and sold in stores and online inWashington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

As a precaution, Evanger's isrecalling Hunk of Beef products manufactured the same week, with lot numbers thatstart with1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HBand 1816E13HB and expireJune 2020. The second half of the barcode on the back of the labelsays20109. The ill and deceased dog ate from the1816E06HB13 lot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is distributing information about the recall, as well.

All Evangers suppliers of meat products are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the company said.

Related:

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Cat food recall for 9Lives, EverPet and Special Kitty

"We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers," the company said in a news release on its website, adding that it's the first recall in 82 years of manufacturing.

Evanger's said it has terminated its relationship with that supplier after 40 years, though that company services "many other pet food companies."

Dr. Alan Lewis of DePorre Veterinary Hospital in Bloomfield Hills advised dog owners to take the recall seriously.

"I would be vigilantof any of those things," he said. "Call yourvet to see if they have any more information. In most cases, theyre just taking (an) abundance of caution."

Evanger's found out thatdogs became sick on New Year's Eve and began what would become a four-week investigation, which included sending samples from the lot to an independent lab"to test for any toxin or bacteria we could possibly imagine. All of those tests came back negative.It was not until Jan. 29th that we learned about the term 'pentobarbital.' "

The company saidpentobarbitalis more of an issue in dry foods that get their ingredients from rendering plants, which Evanger's doesn't do.

In researching the supply chain, Evanger'slearned that "pentobarbital is very highly controlled, and that, if an animal is euthanized, it is done so by a veterinarian.Once this process has been done, there is absolutely no regulation that requires the certified vet to place any kind of marker on the animal indicating that it has been euthanized and guaranteeing that product from euthanized animals cannot enter the food chain."

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 847-537-0102, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Central weekdays.

Pentobarbital can causedrowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance,nauseaand sometimesdeath, said the company.

Evanger's is paying the ill dogs' vet bills and makinga donation to a local shelter in honor of Talula the Pug.

Contact Zlati Meyer: 313-223-4439 or zmeyer@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @ZlatiMeyer

Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/2jVhU4R

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Dog food recalled after discovery of euthanasia drug - Detroit Free Press

New Law in Taiwan Halts Euthanasia of Stray Animals – Seeker – Seeker

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Taiwan has banned euthanising animals in shelters, which follows the tragic suicide last year of a vet burdened with the task of putting down animals.

The law came into effect Saturday, two years after it was passed by parliament a period meant to prepare shelters for the ban.

But during the wait, animal lover Chien Chih-cheng took her own life with euthanasia drugs, reportedly upset at having to kill animals at the shelter at which she worked.

Reports at the time said Chien was called a "butcher" by activists.

Her death sparked calls for authorities to improve conditions for animals and staff at shelters.

An animal welfare group, Life Conservationist Association, estimated more than 1.2 million animals not adopted from shelters have been put down since 1999.

"Animal protection in Taiwan has moved towards a new milestone," the association's executive director Ho Tsung-hsun said in a statement.

But Taiwan's Council of Agriculture warned the ban would lead to a deterioration in the quality of shelters through a surging intake or it may discourage the capture of strays.

"It's impossible for there to be no problems," said Wang Chung-shu, deputy chief of the animal husbandry department, according to The China Times.

He said Taiwan's ban was "quite idealized", adding that manpower was a problem because the vet's suicide had had a "chilling effect" on the sector, according to the report.

RELATED: 'Euthanized' Dog Rises from the Dead

Even before the legislation, the number of animals being put down had been steadily declining.

Last year, 12.38 percent of the 64,276 animals in public shelters were euthanized, according to official statistics.

That compares with 94,741 animals in shelters in 2014, of which 26.45 percent were put down.

WATCH VIDEO: China's Controversial Dog Meat Festival

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New Law in Taiwan Halts Euthanasia of Stray Animals - Seeker - Seeker

County animal shelter aggressively working to cut euthanasia rate – ABC15 Arizona

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PHOENIX - In an ambitious effort to become a "no kill community" staff at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control are hoping to form an aggressive partnership with community groups, and help reduce euthanasia rates at the shelter.

Last year MCACC took in more than 35,000 animals, about 4,700 of them had to be put down. Melissa Gable, a spokeswoman for the shelter said those numbers were already a big reduction from five years ago, but they hoped to do even better.

"In order to get to that next level, we're going to need even more help," said Gable.

She admitted that it was unrealistic to say that the shelter would never euthanize an animal, as it would not be humane for them to let a dog they knew to be very aggressive go home with a family, but they wanted to get as close to it as possible.

With new leadership now at helm, Gable said they were committed to working with existing partners, and thinking outside the box to form new partnerships with the community.

Right now MCACC works with more than a 100 different groups and has a wide foster network of families who help rescue many dogs, but they hope to recruit more.

"These groups will drop everything they're doing and come to the shelter and pick up those dogs and make them available through their network," said Gable.

Foster orientation takes place once a month. Gable said they were alsowilling to work individually with those who were interested in fostering animals.

She encouraged the community to continue spaying and neutering.

The shelter faced some controversy in December when they had to euthanize pregnant female dogs. Gable said the decision to euthanize animals was never easy.

"I know that's difficult for people to hear. It's not something we want to do but the reality is there are so many animals coming into the shelter. If no one is able to step up and take those dogs, we don't have the ability to house pregnant moms in our facility because we're taking in 100 animals almost every single day," said Gable.

She said some of thestaff and volunteers took the criticism personally.

"I guarantee you there's not a single staff member that wakes up in the morning and says okay, I'm off to kill animals today. It's not something anyone wants to do," said Gable.

"It's tough. Some of the employees here are young kids. For them to be called 'murderer' on Facebook, it's hard to hear," she added.

MCACC had started several programs to get more dogs into forever homes.

They were socializing dogs considered aggressive, and seeing big changes in their personalities.

"Because of that we're already putting down less animals," said Gable.

They were also working with the group Lost Dogs Arizona to help find the owners of all the lost dogs in the shelter. Gable estimated there were hundreds of lost dogs housed at MCACC. She said they were instructing staff to consider every dog as a "lost dog" and not as a stray.

Cindy Goetz with Lost Dogs Arizona said their social media page gave a lot of exposure to lost animals. They posted almost thirty new pictures a day and tens of thousands of people were liking and sharing the posts.

"We've had over 10,000 reunions since we've been around. Some amazing ones. A dog found a year and half later, a dog found at a campsite by another family, it's just amazing," said Goetz.

A town hall meeting is set to take place Wednesday between MCACC and community groups involved in the effort. It begins at 6 p.m. at Memorial Hall at Steele Indian School Park, at 300 E. Indian School Road.

If you would like to help you can contact MCACC athttps://www.maricopa.gov/pets/adopt.aspx

Gable said everyone in the community could also help by simply sharing photos of shelter dogs, lost dogs, and encouraging others to adopt or rescue from the local shelter.

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County animal shelter aggressively working to cut euthanasia rate - ABC15 Arizona

Once euthanasia is voluntary, it will become irresistible. Just ask the … – Catholic Herald Online (blog)

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Our task is difficult but urgent: to show that people who are old and ill nevertheless have value

There has been a new but entirely predictable development in the practice of euthanasia in Holland, as this magazine reports. A woman suffering from dementia has been executed by lethal injection, having first been sedated with drugged coffee, and then having been held down by her relatives when she attempted to struggle.

It is very hard to see how anyone can justify this sort of behaviour, which not only goes against the law of God, which commands us to respect all life, but even goes against the usual practices of those who support euthanasia, who generally stress its voluntary nature. There was nothing voluntary here. All the victims actions indicated that she was not co-operating with those trying to kill her; and as a demented person, she was not capable of making an informed choice to die. It is true that she had expressed a preference for euthanasia four years previously, but in the meantime she might well have changed her mind.

The same article also gives us another chilling piece of information, this time from Canada:

A new study has predicted that Canadas new euthanasia laws, which closely resemble those in the Netherlands, could cut as much as 84 million from its annual health budget.

Researchers from the University of Calgary identified the substantial savings that could be made from reducing end-of-life care. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, said that health care at the end of life was intensive and could go on for months. Euthanasia, however, would cost the state just 15 per patient.

As always, the old adage follow the money has a lot of wisdom in it. If we see old people, and demented people in particular, simply as useless mouths and a drain on resources, then this sort of argument becomes a powerful one. The Church now has an urgent task, and a difficult one: to make people realise that people who are old and ill, and who add nothing to the economy, nevertheless have value, intrinsic value; and that to kill these people off not only harms them, but harms all of society. In other words, the Church has to stress the intrinsic worth of every human being, something which transcends their economic productivity.

If we were to see people purely in terms of what they can produce, what sort of society would that makes us?

Given that we all know that the funds for social care in this country are limited, we need to prepare to defend society from the threat of euthanasia here in Britain. We could be the next Canada or Holland. Above all, as this case, and others like it, has made clear, euthanasia, which starts as voluntary, soon becomes compulsory. As such it is a threat to us all.

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Once euthanasia is voluntary, it will become irresistible. Just ask the ... - Catholic Herald Online (blog)

Doctor who asked dementia patient’s family to hold her down while she gave lethal injection cleared – The Independent

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A Dutch doctor who ordered an elderly dementia patients family to hold her down as she was given a lethal euthanasia injection has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

The doctor at a nursing home in the Netherlands, where euthanasia is legal, was investigated following the death of the unnamed woman who had expressed a wish to die when the time was right.

The Catholic News Agency reported that the woman woke up despite the sleep-inducing drug she had been given in her coffee and tried to resist the procedure.

The doctor then asked the relatives of the woman, said to be aged over 80, to restrain her while she administered the lethal injection.

The senior doctor had determined the time was right because of a recent deterioration in the womans condition.

I am convinced that the doctor acted in good faith, and we would like to see more clarity on how such cases are handled in the future, said Jacob Kohnstamm, chairman of the Regional Review Committee, which considered the case.

The case will be further examined by the Dutch courts to clarify the laws around euthanasia and determine whether doctors who carry out the procedure should be prosecuted if they are found to have acted in good faith.

The Dutch Parliament is considering revising the euthanasia laws to allow anyone older than 75 who is tired of life to have the right to assisted suicide, widening the current restriction which limits the practice to the terminally ill.

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to decriminalise euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2002, but has had several high-profile cases of doctor-assisted suicide in recent years.

In 2015, there were more than 5,000 euthanasia deaths in the country which represents a leap of 50 per cent in the past five years.

Only four of these 5,306 deaths were found by officials to have involved irregularities.

Psychiatric patients can be put to death at their own request as can under 18s. Those aged between 12 and 16 wishing to die must also have the consent of their parents, but 16-18s can take the decision themselves.

This has led to fierce opposition from numerous groups, including church leaders and psychiatrists who do not believe young girls and boys or the mentally ill have the capacity to make such decisions.

Those opposed to euthanasia have highlighted the potential pitfalls of allowing doctor-assisted death for those with dementia or mental health conditions.

A new study has found that Canadas new euthanasia laws, which closely resemble those of the Netherlands, could save the state as much as 84 million from its annual health care budget, with lethal injections said to cost just 15 per patient.

Robert Flello, the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, told the Catholic Herald the implications of the Canadian study were absolutely horrific.

It reinforces anecdotal evidence coming out of Holland that doctors are rationing health care by using euthanasia, said Mr Flello, a co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group.

Quite frankly, it terrifies me, he said. We have issues with bed-blocking and if we ever had euthanasia or even so-called assisted dying in this country then we would have a real issue with cuts to our NHS being softened by actually just killing people off.

Euthanasia has been debated in the UK Parliament, with the last right-to-die private members bill defeated in the Commons in 2015.

Public opinion in the UK shows the majority are in favour of the right to die, with the largest ever poll conducted on assisted suicide finding 82 per cent were in favour in 2015.

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Doctor who asked dementia patient's family to hold her down while she gave lethal injection cleared - The Independent

Doctor ‘asked family to hold down struggling euthanasia victim … – Catholic Herald Online

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An intensive care unit in Belgium. Labour MP Robert Flello said: 'I think we face a real humanitarian crisis in those countries which have euthanasia or assisted suicide' (Photo: AP)

The case will be examined by Dutch prosecutors to see if a crime has been committed

Dutch prosecutors are being asked to examine the case of an elderly woman who was reportedly drugged and then pinned down while a doctor pumped lethal drugs into her body.

A female doctor has been formally reprimanded for performing the act of euthanasia because the patient was suffering from dementia and could not properly consent.

When the woman was first diagnosed with dementia four years ago she had indicated that she was willing to end her life by euthanasia but not now.

Her nursing home decided the moment had arrived when her condition deteriorated and she began to wander the wards at night and behave aggressively.

The doctor reportedly drugged the womans coffee to calm her down, an act the regional euthanasia assessment committee decided was wrong.

The doctor also allegedly asked the womans family to hold her down when she reacted negatively to the procedure, and ripped out the drip carrying the euthanasia drugs.

The assessment committee said the doctor had crossed a line and has passed the case to prosecutors who will decide if a crime has been committed.

The forcible euthanasia represents the first case involving a doctor to be referred to the Dutch prosecution service.

Dutch law, which dates from 2002, permits euthanasia only in cases of unbearable and untreatable suffering but it is increasingly used on people with dementia and mental health problems.

The latest euthanasia figures from Holland show that the number of mental health patients killed by euthanasia has quadrupled in just four years.

Last year it emerged that an alcoholic and a victim of child sex abuse were killed by euthanasia.

The latest figures also show that the 2015 total of euthanasia deaths some 5,306 cases represents a leap of 50 per cent in the last five years.

The case has emerged as a new study has predicted that Canadas new euthanasia laws, which closely resemble those in the Netherlands, could cut as much as 84 million from its annual health budget.

Researchers from the University of Calgary identified the substantial savings that could be made from reducing end-of-life care.

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, said that health care at the end of life was intensive and could go on for months.

Euthanasia, however, would cost the state just 15 per patient.

Robert Flello, the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South and a Catholic, said the implications of the study were absolutely horrific.

It reinforces anecdotal evidence coming out of Holland that doctors are rationing health care by using euthanasia, said Mr Flello, a co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group.

Quite frankly, it terrifies me, he said. We have issues with bed-blocking and if we ever had euthanasia or even so-called assisted dying in this country then we would have a real issue with cuts to our NHS being softened by actually just killing people off.

I find the prospect simply terrifying.

Mr Flello also severely criticised the forcible euthanasia of the elderly dementia sufferer in Holland, adding: I think we face a real humanitarian crisis in those countries which have euthanasia or assisted suicide and quite frankly I dont want that appalling situation here.

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Mass euthanasia rumors prompt adoptions en masse at animal control shelter in Georgia – fox6now.com

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ATLANTA, Georgia An animal control captain in Georgia is setting the record straight after rumors circulated on social media suggesting workers at a shelter were planning tokill any dogs that had not been adopted when the shelter temporarily closes for repairs.

Clayton County Animal Control Captain Anthony Thuman saidonline talk of mass euthanasia is absolutely not true.

The department as a whole is very committed to these animals, Thuman said.

WGCL received emails from concerned dog lovers across the nation worried that more than 50 dogs would be put down. The controversy was sparked shortly after animal control officials put an alert on Facebook, warning that one of their shelters would be temporarily closing for renovations, which meant they needed to find new homes for more than 130 dogs.

We have been very fortunate [and] received a great response from folks to find adopters, Thuman said.

Avolunteer with the Ginny Milner Rescue saidworkers within animal control stressed to them that any dogs left behind would be killed.

Not true, saidThuman.

We will find alternate placement for the dogs, whether they be at a secondary facility, or reaching out again to some of the rescue groups, Thuman said.

As of Friday afternoon, February 3rd,officials posted on Facebook that the shelter had been emptied.

The renovation is expected to shut the shelter down for at least two weeks.

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Mass euthanasia rumors prompt adoptions en masse at animal control shelter in Georgia - fox6now.com

Meth arrests, seizures surge in Bowling Green | News | bgdailynews … – Bowling Green Daily News

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A Bowling Green woman who died in December after being found unresponsive in a hotel room is one of the countys latest methamphetamine casualties.

A toxicology report recently received by the Warren County Coroners Office shows the 38-year-old died from acute intoxication by the effects of methamphetamine, hydrocodone and gabapentin, Warren County Deputy Coroner Dwayne Lawrence said.

Were seeing a lot more of those things, Lawrence said of methamphetamine-related drug overdose deaths.

While Louisville, Lexington and northern Kentucky are awash in heroin, methamphetamine has flooded the illicit drug market in Bowling Green.

Methamphetamine trafficking arrests increased by 54 percent within the city limits of Bowling Green in 2016 compared to 2015, Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward said.

When it comes to substance abuse, it depends on what county you are standing in as to what the biggest threat is, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Director Van Ingram said.

Statewide, the number of meth trafficking arrests is up 53 percent.

It doesnt surprise me, Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force Director Tommy Loving said. Thats due to the increase we have seen here in crystal meth coming into our region. It originates in Mexico and the Southwest border. It follows the traditional smuggling routes from west to east.

The percentage of task force methamphetamine seizures is up 825 percent in 2016 over 2014. In 2014, task force detectives seized563 grams of meth or about 2.3 cups. Last year detectives seized 5,213 grams or about 22 cups. A typical dose commonly referred to as a hit of meth is one-quarter to one-half of a gram.The number of drug task force undercover methamphetamine buys also spiked from39 in 2014 to 76 last year.

As recently as six years ago the majority of methamphetamine used and sold here was home cooked using ingredients readily available in any supermarket. Meth users have now shifted to crystal meth, which is made in drug cartel-controlled super labs in Mexico and the Southwest. Crystal meth has a higher purity level and packs a more potent high but comes with the risk of fatal overdose not typically found in homemade meth.

Prior to 2015 I had never heard of a death from a meth overdose, Loving said.

I think we already had a strong addict base here for methamphetamine, he said. The supply is following the demand. Its difficult to say if we have more users. Its apparent to me the crystal meth is replacing the locally produced meth. And if there is an upside to that, the dangers from meth labs are decreasing just because of the sheer drop in meth labs.

As home cooked meth decreases in use, the number of meth labs found also decreases. In 2015 there were 59 meth lab incidents in Warren County. Last year the number dropped to 15.

Meth labs are very dangerous to the community if they explode into a fireball in a hotel room or apartment that you are standing next to, Loving said. By reducing meth labs thats the only upside in reducing danger to the public and police officers. The down side with this more pure meth is in all likelihood more people will have the potential to become addicted to it. There are all sorts of long-term health problems that if you dont overdose and die its going to kill you.

Probably 90 percent of your crime is driven by addicts stealing to obtain money to buy more drugs. So whatever your drug problem is in your community, you can pretty well assume that thats driving 90 percent of the crime in your community along with neglected children at best and certainly child abuse at worse, he said. Because when people are addicted to this drug and other drugs many times their children will be their last priority, and to those that would say drug crimes are victimless crimes, maybe they should go with us sometimes and see the children.

Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter @BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.

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Meth arrests, seizures surge in Bowling Green | News | bgdailynews ... - Bowling Green Daily News

Police aim to prevent prostitution, human trafficking – Woburn Daily Times

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BURLINGTON - The Burlington Police Department recently met with managers and employees from all six hotels in town to discuss issues in the hospitality industry that affect law enforcement, especially the problems of prostitution and human trafficking.

Over the course of the past two years, Burlington detectives have been engaged with the leadership teams in Burlingtons hotel industry, and have set goals to promote healthy business while eliminating sex crime and quality of life concerns in the community.

Prostitution is not a victimless crime, Police Chief Michael Kent said. More often than not, listings that have historically appeared on websites like Craigslist and Backpage are advertising victims of human trafficking. I applaud our hotel industry in Burlington for working with the police department to address these issues.

At a recent meeting at Grandview Farm, detectives shared a presentation with employees that they previously made at a large conference in Boston for the Human Trafficking Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) coalition.

The following issues were discussed:

Hotel managers advised detectives that human trafficking awareness has become part of their training programs.

Managers were advised to call the police department if they suspect that there is prostitution or possible human trafficking taking place in their hotels.

Hotels were urged to partner with the police department and allow for reverse stings to take place. By reducing the demand, you reduce the supply.

This is important due to the number of robberies, assaults, and even homicides that are taking place in hotels that involve some form of prostitution prostitutes are getting assaulted and robbed and potential Johns are getting assaulted and robbed. In July 2015, a woman was murdered after meeting a man in a hotel in Burlington after she posted an ad on an online classifieds website.

Why this Matters in Burlington

Burlington, with a population of 25,000, is also home to a large and diverse commercial base, with tens of thousands of commuters coming to work here each day. It is also at or near the intersections of three major highways north of Boston and has a large hospitality industry as a result.

The growth of Burlingtons hotel industry -- six hotels online and two currently under construction -- has spurred economic opportunities for the town and its business base, but with this growth has come an increase in crime.

Recently, there have been several assaults and robberies, two confirmed cases of human trafficking and the discovery of a drug lab in a Burlington hotels.

The strong partnership between Burlington Police and the hotel industry has led to two major sex trafficking cases since 2015 and several sting operations targeting customers of prostitutes, resulting in dozens of arrests. Prior to 2015, Burlington Police had never had a human trafficking report.

Homicides have also gone up. Since 2012 there have been three murders (2012, 2014, 2015) and three attempted murders (2013, 2015, 2016), one of which was at a hotel. As a result, hotel leadership has become a vital partner for law enforcement, as they can take a number of preventative measures to help prevent quality of life crime and violent crime from occurring in the first place.

It is important to form partnerships with all of the hotels in Burlington so that investigations and operations aimed at reducing and preventing prostitution and human trafficking will take place in the future, said Burlington Police Detective Lieutenant Steven OMeara, who led the presentation.

Detective Anne Marie Browne, and Detective Jim Tigges also took part in the presentations at Grandview Farm and CEASE (Coalition Engaged in a Smoke-free Effort).

A Regional Issue

The CEASE coalition consists of 11 metropolitan areas across the country that are committed to reducing human trafficking and sex crimes. Burlington is part of the Boston region, and Burlington Police Department detectives have special training in human trafficking and sex crime.

During the meeting with the hotel industry, an inspector from the Division of Professional Licensure was also on hand to demonstrate how individuals routinely access popular online websites where hotel prostitution is advertised. According to the Coalition on Human Trafficking, 70-80 percent of all human sex trafficking happens in hotels.

Ongoing Work

Going forward, the Burlington Police Department will continue planning future operations while working with the local hotels in order to combat human trafficking and sex crime. Burlington Police plan to make these types of meetings a recurring event.

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Police aim to prevent prostitution, human trafficking - Woburn Daily Times

Campaigners say Rabobank should face trial for ‘crimes against … – DutchNews.nl

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Rabobanks headquarters in Utrecht. Photo: Depositphotos.com

A human rights campaign group wants Rabobank executives to stand trial for being accessories to criminal activities carried out by drug cartels in Mexico, the Volkskrant reported on Thursday

The claim by lawyer Gran Sluiter, who is representing Mexican human rights organisation SMX Collective, states the bank has been involved in complicity to murder and other crimes against humanity and being part of a criminal organisation, the paper writes.

The case comes in the wake of a lengthy American investigation into money laundering at full Rabobank subsidiary Rabobank N.A. in the Mexican border city of Calexico.

Staff at the bank, which has since closed, allegedly held back documents and failed to report suspicious transactions. According to anonymous sources the American justice department now has sufficient proof to charge the bank.

Consequences

If the public prosecutors office agrees to press charges it will be the first time a bank will stand accused not only of money laundering but also for the consequences this has for the Mexican population.

Money laundering is a not a victimless crime. Drug cartels are extremely violent and money laundering is crucial to their operations. Thanks to the banks who let them get away with it they are able to invest millions in their criminal activities, the paper quotes Sluiter as saying.

Rabobank spokesman Hendrik-Jan Eijpe told the paper the bank is cooperating fully with the investigation but refused to confirm or deny if the bank knew of the presence of drug cartels in Calexico, a charge laid firmly at its door by Sluiter who said the bank chose to look the other way.

Impunity

The paper cites the case of British bank HSBC which admitted having laundered 820m for Columbian and Mexican drug cartels. The bank settled out of court and paid a $2bn fine.

According to former head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) Antonio Maria Costa banks are a law unto themselves. No banker has ever ended up in jail for money laundering. As long as governments protect them they will continue to launder money with impunity, the Volkskrant quotes him as saying.

Sluiter hopes his case will change what has been a trend of banks escaping prosecution and getting away with paying fines.

Chances are that the American investigation will end in a settlement. And the American court is not considering the damage done to the Mexican population. We want the Dutch public prosecutor to fill that gap. This case could be a precedent and help stop these criminal practices, Sluiter said.

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Campaigners say Rabobank should face trial for 'crimes against ... - DutchNews.nl