List Archives

Tue, 11 Jun 2002 01:05:18 -0400

Andrew wrote: Never seen anybody injured while fighting with a man on
marijuana, or anyone killed by a man driving his car while 'stoned'.
Seen thousands of people injured or killed because of alcohol. Lets get
that into perspective!!

Andy,

I want to move to wherever you live.  Here, I see those two things
weekly, some weeks daily.  

I've made 30 or so DUI arrests this year (I'm a full-time police
sergeant in Philadelphia).  In 13 of those cases, marijuana has been the
intoxicant.  Of those 13, 5 have involved accidents with injuries.  You
don't even want to know the number of assaults I've handled where
marijuana has been a factor.

The notion that marijuana is a harmless, or less-harmful, drug is a
fallacy.  

Of course, all other arguments aside, there is one that is irrefutable.
Marijuana is illegal in my neck of the woods.  Those in a position of
public trust cannot fail to abide by the law and expect to maintain
their positions.  By way of example, if you get caught using in my
service (and we do frequent, random drug testing) you're fired.  No
questions asked.  Not to mention that a conviction for a drug offense
can cost someone their license/certification.

Dave Adler, EMT-P
Editor, Prehospital Perspective Magazine
www.prehospital-perspective.com
adler@prehospital-perspective.com 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: trauma-list-admin@trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-admin@trauma.org]
> On Behalf Of andrew frazer
> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 3:30 PM
> To: trauma-list@trauma.org
> Subject: Re: Drug (ab)use in Medicine?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >From: "Cotton, Chris (SAAS)" <cotton.chris@saambulance.com.au>
> >Reply-To: trauma-list@trauma.org
> >To: "'trauma-list@trauma.org'" <trauma-list@trauma.org>
> >Subject: Drug (ab)use in Medicine?
> >Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2002 16:11:07 +0930
> >
> >......... I turn the lights off, light some incense, stoke my pipe
and
> I'm
> >taken on a musical journey for an hour. Hey - it works for
> me.............
> >
> >Chris - just what do you put in that pipe?   :)
> >
> >John
> >
> >Dr John L Holmes
> >Director Emergency Medicine
> >Mater Hospitals, Brisbane, Australia
> >
> >
> >Hmmmm, i could give the boring answer, or one that might stimulate
some
> >discussion, and perhaps even debate. I do this not necessarily as an
> >advocate of what follows, but in the interest of seeing how other
trauma
> >players view the topic. We can be lame and ignore it, or we can look
at
> it
> >and discuss it.
> >
> >Hypothetically, suppose i said it was marijuana that i put in the
pipe;
> and
> >that i did it because i found it stimulating to my musical ear, it
> >increased
> >my clarity of thought and i enjoyed the sensation of being mildly
stoned
> >OCCASIONALLY? Would one cite studies that categorically denied that
this
> >might be a desireable side effect in some people?
> >
> >Would people start immediately citing references to studies that
showed
> the
> >deleterious effects of the drug? Would they then also do the same for
PDI
> >inhibitors like caffeine, or other epidemiological studies that
showed
> the
> >effects of alcohol and tobacco and their impacts on society?
> >
> >Would one then dare ask how many EMS workers use marijuana (or other
> drugs)
> >occasionally, and how many of them may infact have spent longer in
the
> job
> >because they employed a behaviour that helped them take time out from
> their
> >jobs occasionally and gave them "stress relief" perhaps. Their
equivalent
> >of
> >the Theatre, gardening or a concert perhaps?
> >
> >Remember that this is only hypothetical, so please don't shoot the
> >messenger
> >for asking legitimate questions and bringing up discussion that
examines
> >drug use by EMS workers. I know a lot of people in the EMS industry
who
> do
> >use different drugs, both legitimate and illicit occasionally.
> >Understanding
> >what they use and a having a responsible attitude to their use, in
their
> >eyes does not necessarily correlate as an issue for most of them.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Chris Cotton
> >Intensive Care Paramedic.
> >
> >
> >--
> >trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
> >To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:
> >http://www.trauma.org/traumalist.html
> 
> 
> Never seen anybody injured while fighting with a man on marijuana, or
> anyone
> killed by a man driving his car while 'stoned'. Seen thousands of
people
> injured or killed because of alcohol. Lets get that into perspective!!
> 
> Andy. (Not a user!) Casualty Nurse.
> 
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Drug (ab)use in Medicine?