25 June 2007
England - Cannabis Hospital Admissions Rise
Figures show that mental health hospital admissions due to cannabis have risen by 85% under the Labour Party. In 1996-7, there were 510 admissions, rising to 946 in 2005-6, data obtained by shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley revealed. Over the last five years alone there was a 65% rise, with Professor Robin Murray of London's Institute of Psychiatry, saying the figures were "the tip of the iceberg". He said cannabis use was a contributing factor in up to 10% of schizophrenia cases, yet this was under-recognised. The government said it had been clear on cannabis - it is illegal and should not be used. Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the country, with over 2 million regular users. These include people with a chronic addiction to cannabis, people with an acute cannabis psychosis as well as those with cannabis-related schizophrenia. ...[more]
return to top
USA - Approval of Pfizer AIDS Drug Delayed
Pfizer Inc. said that US health regulators will approve its novel AIDS drug called maraviroc once certain conditions have been met, although the world's biggest drug maker did not elaborate on what was necessary to obtain outright approval. Pfizer received a so-called approvable letter from the Food and Drug Administration for the twice-a-day pill that is the first drug designed to keep the HIV virus that causes AIDS from entering healthy immune cells. Older AIDS medicines attack the virus itself. Maraviroc blocks the CCR5 co-receptor that serves as a main doorway for HIV into immune cells, thus prohibiting the replication of the virus. ...[more]
return to top
US - Primate Cloning
An American scientist has announced that he has been able to perform therapeutic cloning with a rhesus monkey. If this is confirmed, it would be first time that anyone has successfully cloned a primate. The news, from the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, in Cairns, Australia, excited scientists who believe that this foreshadows the possibility of human cloning. ...[more]
Australia – Row Over Stem Cells
After a heated debate in the media, the lower house of the New South Parliament has voted 65 to 26 to support therapeutic cloning and embryonic stem cell research, following the lead of its neighbour, Victoria. But generating even more controversy than the scientific and ethical issues of stem cell research were remarks by the outspoken Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. He has had to weather a blizzard of criticism over his comment that Catholic parliamentarians faced unspecified "consequences" for their religious life if they supported the bill. Cardinal Pell, who funds adult stem cell research, was unmoved saying, "Adult stem cell has been much more productive than work on embryonic stem cells, which so far has proved to be a dead end. Little has been produced except massive grants for the researchers". ...[more]
return to top
South Africa – Majority Against Legalising Prostitution
According to a recent survey by African Response, seventy nine percent of South Africans are against the proposal that prostitution and public drinking be made legal for the duration of the 2010 World Cup. In March of 2007 Jackie Selebi, National Commissioner of Police Services, asked the National Assembly to give serious consideration to legalising prostitution and drinking during the World Cup. ...[more]
...[more]
Mexico – Legalise Prostitution
The leftist party that has already legalized gay unions and abortion in Mexico City said it wants to make prostitution legal in the capital of the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country. Mexico City legislator, Juan Bustos of the Democratic Revolution Party, said the move is necessary to protect prostitutes from abuse and regulate the sex industry. Corrupt police frequently use the current law not to arrest sex workers but as a threat to shake them down for bribes or sexual favours. "These are issues that we are going to bring forward as part of a political platform, because we feel it is part of our duty to society," Bustos said Wednesday. He does expects opposition. Spokesmen for the Roman Catholic church, which led marches against the abortion bill approved in April, were not immediately available for comment. ...[more]
South Africa - 'Child Porn' Film Banned from Festival
An award-winning Brazilian film focusing on misogyny and child abuse - due to be screened at the Durban International Film Festival - was banned by the Film and Publications Board, which ruled that it contained scenes that amounted to "child pornography". "The film does contain scenes that amount to child pornography. The tipping point was the scenes - you don't have to show child pornography to deal with the issue," said Iyavar Chetty, head of legal services at the Film and Publications Board. ...[more]
Australia - To Ban Alcohol and Pornography to Curb Abuse
In a flurry of controversy, Australia is to ban alcohol and pornography in Aboriginal areas of the Northern territory in a desperate bid to curb child sex abuse. The proposal follows a report that found evidence of widespread abuse in each of the territory's 45 communities. The report identified a wide range of social issues that contribute to child sexual abuse including poverty, overcrowded housing, substance abuse, alcohol and pornography. All Aboriginal children in the territory will be medically examined. Prime Minister John Howard has described it as a national emergency. "We're dealing with a group of young Australians for whom the concept of childhood innocence has never been present," John Howard told parliament. Under the new measures, the sale, possession, transportation and consumption of alcohol will be banned in indigenous communities for six months. Aboriginal leaders have expressed outrage at the new measures, saying, "[Mr Howard] would have to ban that in the cities and towns where white people live with Aboriginal people in order to make it effective." While the debate rages, it appears a direct link has been drawn between sexual abuse and pornography, drug use, and alcoholism. ...[more]
return to top
South Africa – Minister of Health to Redefine Nurses’ Rights
The nurse who has become the national face of opposition to perform abortions must still wait to hear her fate. For almost three years, Sister Wilhelmien Charles has waited to hear whether she would be allowed to refuse to perform abortions. But presiding Judge Dennis Davis referred her case to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Counsel for the Minister of Health, advocate Moses Mphaga, was advised by the court to convey their concerns to the minister, that nurses be given immediate guidance as to their rights to conscientious objection in respect of abortions. Charles quietly noted, "It's not about the money. It's the damage. No one knows the nature of the trauma that we go through”. Doctors For Life spokesperson John Smyth QC, who appeared for Charles said, "It has been a long struggle, but it's definitely not over. We will continue until we get clarity on whether nurses have the freedom to follow their constitutional rights." ...[more]
USA – Woman’s Death by Abortion Brings Lawsuit
Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties is being sued by the mother of Edrica Goode, 21, who died as a result of an abortion on Valentine's Day. Goode had presented herself for an abortion at the Planned Parenthood office in Riverside on January 31 2007, where she received laminaria dilators and gauze packing. Goode then became feverish and disoriented and did not report back to the abortion clinic for the removal of the dilators. Goode's mother, Aletheia Meloncon, was unaware of the abortion. She took her to a Moreno Valley hospital where, due to a lack of knowledge about the abortion, proper treatment was delayed and she eventually died. ...[more]
return to top
USA - Hundreds Arrested in Paedophilia Sting
Police shattered a global Internet paedophile ring, rescuing 31 children, some of them as young as a few months and rounding up more than 700 suspects worldwide. The ring was traced to an Internet chat room called “Kids the Light of Our Lives,” that featured images and videos of children being subjected to horrific sexual abuse. The host of the website, Timothy David Martyn Cox, who used the online identity “Son of God,” admitted to nine counts of possessing and distributing more than 75,000 indecent and explicit images and there was evidence that he had supplied thousands images to other site users. ...[more]
return to top
South Africa - DA Slams Manto Over Medicine Regulations
The absence of regulations controlling the manufacture and distribution of medical products is endangering the lives of South Africans, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said. DA spokesperson blamed Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang for holding back legislation to protect consumers from quack medicines. A traditional HIV/AIDS medicine, Ubhejane, sold by Zebulon Gwala, had been found not to have any effect on the condition. Morgan attributed Tshabalala-Msimang's lack of interest to her obsession with alternative medicines. "Draft regulations to provide for such a system under the Medicines Act were published in July 2004, almost three years ago, but nothing has been seen since. "One can only speculate that this reluctance stems from the minister's open support for alternative treatments and her public encouragement of purveyors of supposed miracle cures, including Mathias Rath and Gwala," he said. The Health Ministry refuted the DA's claims. ...[more]
return to top
|
