UEA’s Student Newspaper
Issue 295 • Free • Tuesday 11 March
The Drugs Issue
2
concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk
Editorial
Editor-in-chief | Sidonie ChafferMelly concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Deputy Editor | Sophie Witts concrete.president@uea.ac.uk Online Editor | Billy Sexton concrete.online@uea.ac.uk Deputy Online Editor | Amelia
Marchington concrete.online@uea.ac.uk News | Andrew Ansell & Lara-Jayne Ellice concrete.news@uea.ac.uk Comment | Zoë Jones concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk Global | Ella Gilbert concrete.global@uea.ac.uk Features | Bridie Wilkinson concrete.features@uea.ac.uk Environment | Peter Sheehan concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk Science & Tech | Dominic Burchnall concrete.science@uea.ac.uk Travel | Niyonu Agana-Burke concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk Lifestyle | Lydia Clifton concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk Sport | Charlie Savage & Will Medlock concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk Copy Editors | Stephenie Naulls & Anna Walker concretecopyeditors@gmail.com Chief Photographers | Jacob Roberts-Kendall, Will Cockram & Jonathan Alomoto concrete.photography@uea.ac.uk Distribution Manager | Steph Gover
Issue 295
Editorial
11/03/14
Contributors
News | Andrew Ansell, Alice Rodgers, Geraldine Scott, Daniel Falvey, Ned Samuel, Lara Ellice, Comment | Dian Atamynov, Verity Stone, Eve Lacroix, Geraldine Scott, Emily Fedorowycz Global | Graeme Tolley, Dan Falvey Features | Tyler Allen, Emily Fedorowycz Environment | Amelia FrizellArmitage, Jacob Beebe Science & Tech | Mabon Ellis, Elizabeth Leddy, Jasmine Groves, Leo Kellock Travel | Nick Brown, Jodie Snow, Hayley Musson, Rachael Parsons Lifestyle | Lucy Morris, Olive Hopkin, Jennifer Johnson, Jasmine Gray, Dominic Burchnall, Lydia Clifton Sport | Sam O’Doherty, Otto Billstrom, Sophie East, Will Medlock Proofreaders | Calyssa Erb, Rebecca Hedger, Helena Bradbury, Lizzy Hankins, Steph Naulls, Anna Walker, Ella Sharp
Are you an undergraduate student continuing your studies at UEA in September 2014? If so you will need to enrol on your modules for 2014/5 very soon. You should look out for an email which will be sent to your UEA email address directing you to all the information you need to enable you to choose and enrol on your modules for next year. Your School will be offering help and information and many will have briefings or enrolment clinics which you are strongly advised to attend. Staff in your Hub will be able to advise if you have any queries relating to the process. Your Adviser or
Course Director are also useful sources of information, particularly in relation to the module choices you are making. There will be help sessions in IT labs where you can get assistance with the actual process of making your choices online. You will get further information about these with the email. Full time students must enrol for their modules online between 24 and 28 March 2014; part-time students will be asked to submit their enrolments to their Hub on a form by 28 March.
Win! Win! Win! Turn to Venue page 23 to win tickets to see Metronomy!
Editor’s column The Drugs Survey results are here! Over 61% of respondents have taken some sort of drug, while more than 88% reported that their drinking habits had increased since coming to university. Turn to page 11 - 12 for the full results and our analysis of them. Remember to stay safe, and if you are affected by any of the issues raised get help. Talk to Frank, or visit The Matthew Project for local support - www. matthewproject.co.uk or call on 0300 7900 227.
We’ve got some great content to go alongside the results. Sport take a look at the implications of doping, while Comment look at a diffferent side to addiction and how caff eine affects us every day. Global and Travel both look at drug culture overseas, with an examination of drugs on American campuses and opium production in Afghanistan. There’s some great content, so enjoy! Sidonie Chaffer-Melly
Tweet of the Week “Ears still ringing with the sound of @ BombayBicycle after their amazing gig tonight at @Officiallcr! What a night!
@lkershaw18
Contact Us Union House University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593 466 www.concrete-online.co.uk www.concblog.wordpress.com Editorial inquiries / complaints concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk Got a story? concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Concrete welcomes all letters and emails, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Letters should be addressed to the editor-in-chief, and include contact details. All emails should be sent to concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk. We will consider anonymous publication, and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous article submissions are permitted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced through any means without the express permission of the editor, Sidonie Chaffer-Melly. Published by UUEAS Concrete Society ©2013 Concrete BMc ISSN 1351-2773
News
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Hodge urges civil Around Margaret service reform Norfolk EXCLUSIVE
Andrew Ansell News Editor
Castle Mall entrance to receive a facelift
EDP Norwich Castle Museum’s main entrance will be receiving a facelift, after three attempts to gain approval. After Norwich City Council failed to reach a decision, the casting vote was left with planning committee chairman David Bradford. Bradford “reluctantly” voted for the application, in spite of his aversion to aspects of the design. The design is inspired by Norwich’s textiles industry. According to Paul McCarthy, Castle Mall’s centre manager, the revamp was necessary if the centre was to stay competitive. He is adamant that Castle Mall needs to show it is eager to improve. Julia Bunting, planning consultant for InfraRed Capital Partners, the owners of Castle Mall, expressed that improving the exterior of the centre will “help put Castle Mall on the map”. David Ford of the Norwich Society expressed displeasure at the plans, stating that “the proposals do not achieve the sensitivity or subtlety needed in this location.”
The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, has called for a dialogue to be opened on how to change the civil service, as she declared “the system is broke” in a speech given at the University of East Anglia. Giving the annual John Garrett memorial lecture, Ms Hodge lamented the operation of the civil service as a barrier preventing value for money. The veteran Labour MP admitted that civil servants fail to be trained to meet the demands of modern government, which requires delivering projects and programmes rather than just developing policies. Ms Hodge said: “There are lots of fantastically bright and able people who join the civil service so it’s not a matter that there is not the capability there but they are not developed and trained in the right way to carry out the tasks that are required of modern government.” She added: “They have not got the commercial skills, they do not know how to run projects, they have not got the financial skills, they do not know about I.T.” The worst thing about the civil service, according to the first female Chair of the Public Accounts Committee is that the route to promotion, which involves changing positions every few years, means “nobody sees anything through from beginning to end”. This leaves little feeling of responsibility or accountability for projects or programmes, Hodge explained. During her speech on holding government to account, Hodge cited examples of poor management at a substantial cost to the state. She used an example of how ten changes of civil servants responsible for the attempt to regionalise fire control in five years led to the scheme’s abandonment, at a cost of £400m. Ms Hodge also recalled the decision under the previous government to privatise the transfer of energy from offshore wind farms to the National Grid. Although the farms’ lifespan only lasted a decade, the contract was awarded for double that amount of that time. The income awarded was irrespective of whether the energy was used and linked to the retail price index instead of the cost price index, with a maximum of ten per cent of the contract lost if pipe failure prevented the transmission of energy. Energy prices could rise almost 20%
in the next ten to 15 years as a result of energy infrastructure, Hodge stated “If we just managed things better we could really make an impact”. Under Hodge’s leadership the “queen of the select committees” has striven to make civil servants more accountable. With her committee now recalling civil servants responsible for projects they no longer are involved with, Hodge claimed that the culture is beginning to change. Speaking to Concrete, Ms Hodge claimed that the current student finance system “just is not working”. She believes that radical change needs to be made to student loans to make higher education accessible but more affordable to the state. The Public Accounts Committee recently concluded that up to £80 bn worth of student loans would not get paid
3
back. With most of the people who go to university still from middle class backgrounds and students from low income households in a minority, Hodge viewed that funding students through higher education should not provide a massive subsidy for the middle class. She said: “I just wonder whether we ought to go to a system that subsidises tuition but does not subsidise living expenses”. For Hodge, a postgraduate loan system is unaffordable in the current situation and the way to fund postgraduates was only through providing bursaries. Last autumn the government announced a boost to the amount of money available for bursaries to postgraduate students, albeit at the expense of bursaries to undergraduates.
4
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
News
11/03/14
An unstable family can Third of exotic stunt brain development dancers are students in children Alice Rodgers News Reporter
Exposure to common family problems during early childhood and adolescence can affect brain development, according to a study led by Dr. Nicholas Walsh, lecturer in developmental psychology at the University of East Anglia. The study showed that those who experience mild to moderate family difficulties between birth and age 11 tend to develop a smaller cerebellum, the part of the brain associated with skill learning, stress regulation and sensory motor control. A smaller cerebellum may also “be an indicator of mental health issues later on [in life]”, according to Dr. Walsh. The study focused on the effects of common, lasting forms of ‘family-focused’ problems, such as tension between parents or lack of affection or communication between family members, on healthy teenage brains.
Dr. Walsh said: “psychiatric illnesses are a huge public health problem and the biggest cause of disability in the world. We show that exposure in childhood and early adolescence to even mild or moderate family difficulties…may affect the developing adolescent brain.” Participants who reported to have experienced stressful events when they were aged 14 were found to have increased volume in more regions of the brain when aged 17-19. This may indicate that experiencing stress during the later development of the brain inoculates teenagers against exposure to difficulties later in life. These results suggested that the timing and severity of such difficulties may also be important in studying brain development. The study also showed that those who had experienced such family problems were more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric illness, have a parent with a mental health disorder and have negative perceptions of how their family functioned.
We need more engineers, warns Norwich energy firm
NY Daily News Geraldine Scott News Reporter Nearly a third of women who work in strip clubs are students, with many from middleclass families, a study published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education has found. “The core reasons for entry into stripping by students were the high cost of higher education, the lack of availability of loans and support for vocational courses and the ability to combine stripping work with the demands of educational courses, due to the flexibility it offered,” the study said. A separate study conducted by the National Union of Students (NUS) had previously brought this trend to attention, finding that more students are entering into
the adult entertainment industry as a result of the billowing costs of higher education. The NUS has attributed the rise of student participation in adult entertainment to the increase in tuition fees to £9,000 a year, implemented in 2012, but Leeds University researchers maintain that more evidence and analysis is needed to determine whether this has been a significant contributing factor. Peter Stringfellow, owner of lapdancing clubs in London and New York. has denied that more students are turning to stripping out of desperation for money. He said: “The majority of the girls who work for me come to work to earn money to do other things in life. But are they stripping in desperation to pay their fees? Absolutely not.”
Lecturer sacked after projector mishap Ned Samuel News Reporter
Aquaterra Energy Daniel Falvey News Reporter Norwich based energy firm Aquatterra Energy has expressed concerns that Britain has a worryingly low number of graduate engineers. The company’s managing director, Patrick Phelan, has admitted he has “major concerns” about the shortage of the skilled labour. “With such urgent demand across the industry there is an undisputed need to rapidly increase the number of children in schools and colleges who are studying and progressing in the relevant academic and vocational STEM subjects,
particularly physics,” said Mr Phelan. At the moment, the UK produces 46,000 graduates in engineering per year. This is half of the number that the government predicts will be demanded in the next 10 years. Phelan implies schools are partially blamed for the low numbers of students studying Physics and similar degrees at university, “by the time they are applying to university, and considering engineering as a degree subject, it is often too late. If they haven’t studied both maths and physics at A-level, most of the best engineering degree courses will not be available to them.”
Independent
A Swiss professor has been fired from a Zurich business school after he accidentally projected pornography during a lecture. Following a lecture to a class which was also being broadcast live online, the teacher used a school computer to access pornography, unaware that his laptop was still plugged in the projector. The images were broadcast on to the whiteboard. No students were in the classroom, but the mistake was witnessed by those who’d been watching online. Reportedly he was looking for pictures of naked women without limbs. When he realised what had happened he admitted what he had done to a “shocked” official, who along with others deemed his position at the school no longer tenable.
News
Union future remains
uncertain despite restructure
EXCLUSIVE Andrew Ansell News Editor It is not known how much money the planned restructure to the Union of UEA Students (UUEAS) will save, it has emerged. Following the loss of around half a million pounds in the last few years, the UUEAS has embarked on a restructure that will see many redundancies as both the Bars & Ents teams are altered. It will take six months to recoup the money spent on redundancies, according to the Union Academic Officer, Louise WithersGreen. Multiple reports conducted last year into the running of the UUEAS pointed to the need for reform. Both reports into the Waterfront and campus services warned that the consequences of pursing the same outdated business model would become more dangerous in the future. Despite this the reports did not specify the amount of potential savings from measures to reform the operation of the Union. Finance officer, Joe Levell, said: “the restructure will not solve the problem on its own, but it will reduce spend on fixed costs and enable us to better manage the commercial areas”. The restructure forms part of the UUEAS broader financial strategy. The Union is also working to improve the comparatively small block grant it receives from the university by arguing for improved services, representation and activities for students. Efforts are further being made to change suppliers, systems and structures as well as managing performance and expenditure better.
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.news@uea.ac.uk
5
NUS calls for fresh approach to tackle graduate unemployment Lara Ellice News Editor The National Union of Students (NUS) is leading private, public and nonprofit sector delegates in tackling youth employment issues. The ‘Commission on the Future of Work’ was launched at the first NUS Students and Work summit on the 3rd March . Written and oral evidence will be taken and recommendations for shared action will be developed. Key partners, experts and opinion farmers will inform the commission’s findings. The NUS has stressed the need for a fresh approach to tackling youth employment concerns by releasing new research titled ‘Students and Work’. The research has highlighted the fact
“students and graduates are more pessimistic than optimistic about the job market” that students and graduates are more pessimistic than optimistic about the job market. Almost four in ten said they were pessimistic, while only three in ten were optimistic. Students and graduates are also more inclined to place responsibility for improving the job market on employers. 55% think that big employers are accountable, while 33% think
responsibility lies with small employers. 85% of students and graduates were in favour of travel discounts, such as graduate railcards, to help unemployed graduates who lived a considerable distance from potential employment and work placement schemes. 78% were in favour of increasing the Minimum Wage to the Living Wage, and 77% want job placements to be available on all courses. The recession has intensified youth unemployment, seeing one million people out of work. Evidently there needs to be a greater response to the problems currently facing young people and the long-term structural causes of problems with youth employment. The fall in unemployment figures contradicts the reality of young workers in the UK; at least 250,000 young people have been unemployed for more than 12 months. While delivering the keynote address at the summit, Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, said “the Government actively encourages employers to invest in young people by offering worthwhile work experience and internships and getting involved in the design and delivery of courses.” Frances O’Grady, Trades Union Congress General Secretary, said at the summit “while recent falls in unemployment are very welcome, there’s
a long way to go before we see the rates of pay and employment enjoyed before the recession. The government needs to be far more proactive in helping young people into decent work. “Current schemes are clearly not working. It’s time for a bold new approach. We need to see a job guarantee for every young person who has been out of work for more than six months.” NUS President Tony Pearce said, “we are the first generation who stands to be worse off than their parents. Everybody from government to business, trade unions to youth employment experts must play a part in repairing the damage which has been done to the opportunities for the next generation. “It’s depressing to hear that students are pessimistic about their job prospects before they’ve even set foot out of the door of their institutions. Apprentices working to get a vocational job don’t have it any easier. “Today we will be taking the first step in forging a new deal for work for the next generation. We will be asking questions on creating job opportunities, improving the quality of opportunities and helping young people’s pathways to work. This will inspire our next step, creating the ‘Commission on the Future of Work’, because we know that working together with organisations is the way forward.”
Genetic mutation could cause relapse in prostate cancer, UEA research finds Lara Ellice News Editor A new study has found that aggressive prostate cancer is linked to a genetic mutation in untreated patients. The research, carried out by scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, explores why relapses could occur in some men following hormone therapy for prostate cancer. The research could also help early identification of patients that will develop fatal prostate cancer, in order for them to receive life-extending therapy. Patients diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer are currently receiving treatments ranging from “watchful waiting” and hormone-withdrawal
therapy to radiotherapy and surgery. Categorizing patients by carrying out additional tests can distinguish highrisk patients who need aggressive first line therapy from patients with a low risk of the disease spreading, to avoid unnecessary treatment. Hormone-withdrawal therapy can cause a dramatic remission period, although the disease often relapses with a resistant form of cancer staying in the body. A third of these relapses are a result of the androgen receptor gene, an X-chromosome in men that prostate cancer thrives on and replicates. Jeremy Clark, PhD, co-lead researcher at the University of East Anglia, said: “By the age of 60 [years], the majority of men will have signs of prostate cancer. However, only a
small proportion of men will die of the disease. The question is — which of these cancers are dangerous and which are not? Deciding which cancers are going to progress and kill the patient is key to effective patient treatment.” Clark explained that a third of prostate cancers boost androgen receptor genes even when not treated with hormone reduction therapy, and these cancers are likely to grow, ultimately killing the patient. Clark added: “This discovery can be used to identify these killer cancers in patients much earlier than is currently possible. Patients could then be selected for more aggressive therapy before the cancer has developed full immunity.” The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer.
8
concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk
11/03/14
Issue 295
Comment
The pressures of the student workload Eve Lacroix Comment Writer As we hit mid-semester and deadlines approach, it’s becoming harder to find a free computer in the library, and more likely to find students doing all-night study sessions. Many of us are guilty of leaving an essay until the last minute, then stocking up on coffee and Redbull to motivate ourselves into typing away in a late-night frenzy. Whilst this scenario is relatively tame, and quite average, it can be hard to remember that the caffeine in these energy drinks is technically a drug. Sometimes that coffee does not give you the kick you needed. The Y generation is the most highlyeducated one recorded, thus university graduates are struggling to carve out a space for themselves in the job market. So, getting the best possible grades seems like the first step to securing a job in the future. Yet, what happens when the workload pressures become too much? For some students, the answer is ‘smart drugs’. The prevalence of the use
of prescription-drug Adderall in the US is no news. Meant to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), a large number of students have been recorded to be faking diagnoses to use the smart drug as a study enhancer. Helping gain
“Students have been faking diagnoses to use the smart drugs” focus and concentration, and limiting tiredness seems ideal, but its side-effects of irritability, mood swings, weight loss and addictiveness are all too real. But what happens in our own, rainy island of England? Both the Daily Mail and the Guardian have reported in recent times a rise in the use of Modafinil. Modafinil is another prescription drug meant to treat narcolepsy. It helps curb tiredness and keeps you alert for hours on end. The drug is widely available on the Internet through pharmaceutical providers based in Oceania and Asia.
Although it is illegal to supply it without a prescription in the UK, it is legal to carry it on your person without one, unlike Adderall. But, by buying through the Internet or on the Black Market you are putting yourself at risk. Without a test kit it is impossible to tell what you are actually consuming. Some of the common side-effects are nausea, anxiety and headaches. Modafinil has been circulating only since 2002- and the long-term risks remain unknown. Instead of needing to resort to smart drugs or cramming, it is much safer and healthier to organise your time better. You can allot specific study or reading time in order to keep up, or engage in group revision. If you really feel like you are struggling, you can always talk to your Academic Advisor or seminar tutor or even contact your HUB for extensions. If it is between 8pm and 8am, Nightline is open every night to listen or point you towards drug abuse helplines. The University offers lots of support to help work through the pressure- no drugs needed.
Flickr: Okikos
Wake up and smell the caffeine addiction Geraldine Scott Comment Writer @Geri_E_L_Scott Can’t function in the morning without that first cup of tea? Or go through a loyalty card a day in Café Direct? Well, you’re not alone as recent research from the John Hopkins School of Medicine has found that “caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world.” But it’s not as if you catch so-called ‘caffeine addicts’ resorting to raw instant granules off of the spoon, so can liking a latté in the morning really be classified as an addiction? It would seem so, as more than 50% of regular caffeine users admit that they would have difficulty giving up their fix. Perhaps worse, the study reports that people who use caffeine excessively are “unable to reduce consumption despite knowledge of recurrent health problems associated with continued caffeine use”. Undeterred by the possible associatde health risks, many people are continuing
to load up on caffeine to get them through the day. It is therefore not surprising that the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders deems that caffeine use disorder is a “condition for further study”. So are you hooked? American University deems a person to be caffeine dependent if they have experienced these three symptoms within the last year: 1. You have a persistent desire to give up or cut down on caffeine use, or you’ve tried to do so unsuccessfully. 2. You continue to use caffeine despite
hqdesktop.net
knowing it contributes to recurring physical or psychological problems for you (like insomnia, or jitteriness). 3. You experience withdrawal symptoms if you don’t have your usual amount of caffeine. Other symptoms can include having more caffeine than you intended to, developing a high tolerance to your usual levels of caffeine, craving caffeine or failing to fulfil your obligations because of caffeine use or withdrawal. That means if you didn’t make your 9am seminar because you drank coffee and stayed
up too late, or not being able to focus because you missed your morning cup, this probably applies to you. But it’s not all bad, coffee lovers. If you do not suffer from any health issues stemming from caffeine, the java has big health and beauty benefits due to the high level of antioxidants. It has also been shown to be good at preventing dementia later in life and may help you to ward off the most diagnosed form of skin cancer. But maybe it would be a good idea to make that a regular rather than a large next time.
Comment 9 Ukraine crisis: Putin’s claims are unsupported 11/03/14
Emily Fedorowycz Comment Writer The recent Russian invasion of Crimea in Ukraine has not only sparked a global and controversial debate, but has also led authorities such as President Obama to fear for what could potentially be World War 3. On Monday 3rd March it was reported that 16,000 Russian troops were deployed to the Ukrainian peninsula, where they attempted to take over Simferopol Airport and one of Crimea’s military defense airbases. Now the estimate for armed militants stands at the 30,000 mark. The reasoning for this action seems to be fueled from some sort of phantom threat that has been sparked by the Russian Government, asserting that the ethnically Russian residents living in Crimea are in danger or under attack. The issue is, this is far from the truth. Not only that, but since Ukraine signed
the Budapest Memorandum in 1991 to relinquish their nuclear arms, which just so happened to be the third largest nuclear weapons arsenal in the world, they became - and still are - one of the most peaceful countries in our modern society. Having Russia host the Winter Olympics has caused extra tension between athletes, but despite the events that have taken place so far, Ukraine’s Paralymic chief, Valeriy Sushkevich, continued to push the promise that “there will be peace”. In signing the memorandum, the US, UK and Russia all agreed to protect Ukraine should their borders be breached, a pact which has been broken by the recent invasion.
The guardian
Issue 295
concrete.comment@uea.ac.uk
Hence, if Russia refuses to de-escalate the situation, and the treaty is found to be legally binding, then the US and UK will have no choice but to enter into combat with Russia which could subsequently lead to war. To ‘resolve’ the situation, a referendum has now been called for the 16th March to allow the citizens of Crimea to choose whether they want to remain as part of the Ukraine or submit to Russian rule. Meanwhile Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has fled Kiev after being ousted from his post on 22nd February due to causing a violent riot that left over 80 dead. Authorities are currently fighting for his arrest. Despite the
fact Yanukovych refuses to authorize the referendum, making it arguably “illegitimate”, since around 60% of Crimea is of Russian-ethnicity, the vote will be likely to lean towards joining Russia. Following this, as the Ukrainian government is on such rocky grounds, it might not take much for Russia to push the legalization of the referendum and to seize Crimea. President Putin has reassured those involved that he does not want to start a war, but the events that he has instigated do not support his claim. In reaction to Putin’s actions, the US and a host of European leaders have threatened to cut off Russia from trade and travel, a move that will harshly impact Russia’s economy if Putin does not cooperate. For now, how the events will unfold is unknown. However, one thing is certain, although the West will try to avoid combat as a means to counter this attack, we will not just stand by and tolerate this act of violation and aggression; Putin’s unlawful occupation of Crimea will receive some significant repercussions, and if he continues to invade, the rest of the Western world will come together to stop to this injustice.
10
concrete.global@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
11/03/14
Global
Drug Cartel Boss: Public enemy number one or local hero? Graeme Tolley Global Writer Joaquin Guzman, AKA “El Chapo” (“Shorty”), was recently arrested in Mexico following 13 years on the run after escaping from a high-security prison in a laundry basket. Guzman is the boss of the Sinaloa drug cartel in the northwest of the country, which has reputed annual revenues of over $3bn. He is considered to be the foremost drug trafficker in the world with Forbes ranking him as 67th on their “world’s most powerful people” list. The Sinaloa cartel is one of the main traffickers of cocaine and marijuana into the United States and has notoriously contributed to a wave of violence across Mexico in recent years resulting in thousands of deaths. The city of Chicago recently labelled Guzman the first public enemy number one since Al Capone, but the story is not so simple. In the week following Guzman’s arrest, over a thousand people took to the streets in a protest march. The motivation for the demonstration was the perception that Guzman provided financial support, such as funding the popular Catholic fiestas, and jobs to local people- something the demonstrators believed the government has failed to do effectively. In addition, they aim to prevent the extradition of Guzman to the US, a stance the Mexican government also appears to be adopting, for now at least. The US has been a powerful influence throughout Latin America for several decades with their war on drugs seeking to halt the trade at the source of production before it ends up on US streets. This
strategy appears to have achieved little tangible success in stemming the flow of drugs from south to north and has increasingly been viewed as a form of neoimperialist control within sovereign Latin American states. Having said this, in the recent Mexican governments of Calderón and now Peña Nieto, the US has a found a willing ally for this war. But how effective are such policies in practice? For every Guzman that is apprehended there are a
dozen lieutenants eager to assume control. When cartels begin to be seen as sources of employment and social support, meeting local needs not fulfilled by state provision, there is a blurring of boundaries. On the other hand, the violence and terror generated by these cartels when maintaining their control over territory and the lucrative drug trades has undoubtedly taken its toll on the lives of Mexican citizens and diverted
state resources away from implementing effective social programmes. So, whilst the arrest of Guzman may be welcomed internationally as a victory for the war on drugs, perhaps greater attention needs to be paid to the deeper issues permeating their production, trade and consumption, the social issues of inequality that fuel it and that has been seen, in the extreme, to result in the idolisation of drug barons.
Afghan opium production on the rise Dan Falvey Global writer According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan produces 80% of the world’s opium and heroin. Recent studies, such as those by Global Research, have indicated that this is rising; last year the country’s production of opium rose by 49%, which equated to an annual production of 5,500 tons. The farming of opium is illegal because it can be made into heroin, which is responsible for a wide range of social and physical ills, so many view this sharp increase with concern. Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, is one of many who have highlighted their concerns about the increased levels of production, and has called for more
to be done to reduce it: “If the drug problem is not taken more seriously by aid, development and security actors, the virus of opium will further reduce the resistance of its host, already suffering from dangerously low immune levels due to fragmentation, conflict, patronage, corruption and impunity”. However, while this increase may be worrying for those on ‘drug watch’, the production of opium does provide an income for many poor farmers. Opium cultivation may be illegal, but it is a significant cash crop in Afghanistan, and can earn farmers much higher returns than traditional crops. It also boosts the country’s wealth, perhaps accounting for 15% of the economy, according to an UNODC report. Opium could therefore be interpreted to be a positive influence in an underdeveloped country like Afghanistan, helping the country’s economy to grow.
Not so, indicated Fedotov in an interview German newspaper, Deutsche Welle, last month. “Afghanistan is known to have the highest addiction rate of opium and heroin in the world. But also, it generates other forms of trans-national organised crime… [and] corruption”. The UN would rather help developing economies like Afghanistan to grow by offering alternative crops to farmers to produce, thereby reducing drug production while helping to maintain sustainable economic growth. However, while this is a model that has succeeded in countries such as Columbia and Thailand, Fedotov is sceptical of the ability of the policy to work in Afghanistan. “To have a successful alternative development we need two conditions, firstly political commitment of the government and international community and secondly, sufficient funding”,
indicated the Executive Director. “Many years ago they succeeded completely to eradicate opium poppy cultivation, replacing it with other crops. But where we don’t have political commitment and even less financial support… we have some programs in Afghanistan but they are just a few drops in the ocean”. While in the long term it appears that Afghanistan’s economy may be able to grow and flourish without the need for illicit markets, the current political instability of the country provides many farmers with little choice but to produce opium poppies or struggle to make a living. Until such a time that the Afghan economy is stable enough for farmers to produce other crops, it is likely that the production of opium will continue to thrive in this economically unstable country.
Features
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
11
Ideals of Youth and Addiction
Tyler Allen addresses our cultural fascination with youth and addiction, and the dangers of drug use that this ideal overlooks. Like crop tops, twerking, and being really skint, drug use seems to be only more acceptable when you are young. As we’re constantly reminded, we are only young once: what better time to experiment with love, sex, alcohol, and drugs? There is this idea that in our youth we are meant to be reckless: we are meant to make potentially stupid decisions just for the hell of it and for the learning curve. If we slept til noon five years from now, started pre-drinks
“As we’re constantly reminded, we are only young once: what better time to experiment with love, sex, alcohol, and drugs?” at 6pm in the library while still pumping out an essay, or squanderd this week’s food budget on LCR tickets and weed, we’d be told we have serious issues, and that we needed to sort our lives out. But in our late teens and early twenties, with that cataclysmic combination of freedom, student loans, and YOLO mentality, it’s seen as okay - normal, even, as if we’re encouraged to get it out of our system
before we have to function in the real world as independent adults. Youth, particularly when combined with beauty, mystery, or the sense of a rebellion makes drug taking alluring and exciting. Look at Skins, or the Beat poets, or the lyrics of The 1975. In these cases we rarely see the unravelling reality of addiction. When we do, it’s in someone like Skins’s Cassie: abeautifully broken thing, the grittier version of a damsel in distress. We find her fascinating and pitiful, but she is exempt from the connotations that come with the label ‘addict’ because she is young. Debauchery painted on the canvas of the young is beautiful and fascinating to us. If Nick and Daisy from The Great Gatsby were in their mid-forties or fifties, would we still find ourselves drawn into Gatsby’s all-night revelries, or would we think perhaps it’s time he went to bed? The difference between the romanticised portrayal of addiction and its harsh reality is awfully apparent with the deeply sad case of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman, died on February 2nd, 2014 at the age of 46 from “acute mixed drug intoxication”, leaving
behind an exquisite acting career, including an Oscar for his turn as Truman Capote in Capote. A former addict, he had been clean for twenty-five years. In the aftermath of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death, celebrities and fans of his work alike took to Twitter to express their grief. Russell Brand, whose experience with addiction has heightened his successful persona as a ‘bad boy’, tweeted that “addiction kills” and that he hoped “all who need it have access to abstinence based recovery.” Simon Pegg, too, tweeted in response to Hoffman’s lifelong struggle
“Debauchery painted on the canvas of the young is beautiful and fascinating to us.” with addiction that “the trouble with addiction is that you can park the car but you can never switch off the engine or stop yourself from hearing the revs.” It’s this part of addiction - the need, the dependence- that we don’t see. Instead, we have the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope in characters like Cassie, where their interest lies in their dysfunction,
only a part of which is their addiction. We see the beautifully troubled young woman, or the young man seizing his youth while he can. We see the highs of their drug use, literally and figuratively; the crazy adventures, the great trips, the new experiences. We rarely see them coming down the next day, or their shame, their guilt, their struggle to hide their addiction from their family or to pay the rent when they’ve spent so much of their income on drugs. We see youthful drug taking as a rebellion, a potential tool to escape the confines of the family structure young adults have just grown out of. We don’t see drug addiction for what it really is: a potential tool to tear families apart, to turn independent humans into substance slaves, to physically and emotionally kill. When we look at addiction we turn to the thrill of it, away from the ugly truth. We turn away from the 46 year old man of average appearance who lost a very noble and very difficult battle, dying alone on his bathroom floor. It’s a horribly sad testament to the crippling greed of addictive and harmful drugs if there ever was one.
To Neck or Not to Neck?
Features writer Emily Fedorowycz discusses the recent viral sensation of Neknominations, and the controversy surrounding the trend. I’m sure you’ve all seen the videos, or perhaps know someone who has completed a nomination, let alone been nominated yourself. The online drinking game supposedly started out in Australia as a competition of who can have a pint doing the craziest or coolest things - drinking on a surfboard on Aussie waves, having a pint while riding a bike without steering, drinking beer from a shoe - whatever takes your fancy. This all seemed rather amusing at the beginning. The Neknomination would be videoed, posted onto a social media website such as Facebook, and then the drinker would nominate a friend to ‘neck’ a drink better than they had. But as more and more people were nominated and challenged to one-up the drinkers before them, the videos got dangerous, disgusting and, for a couple of people, deadly. And it got crazy popular, crazy quick. With social media already being heavily influential, and videos such as those on YouTube having the ability to quickly spread like high school gossip, it was only a matter of time before this game went viral. It also then went from nominating just one friend to nominating two or three, so soon enough the numbers began to snowball and are still increasing. And whilst it does just seem rather
entertaining to challenge your mates to a dirty pint and laugh hysterically at their reactions, whilst capturing it on film for a lifetime of future giggles, it does have its downsides. Some have argued that the pressure
“Some have argued that the pressure put on the people involved could constitute as a form of online bullying .”
put on the people involved could constitute as a form of online bullying, as those nominated risk losing face among their peers if they do not conform to the dare. Then, being both fuelled by our already unhealthy drinking culture and independently reinforcing it, the results of this ‘game’ in the UK have already been seen to be scarily influential and harmful to health. Stephen Brooks, Isaac Richardson and Bradley Eames have all died within the past month from downing pints of spirits, along with a few more from downing other lethal concoctions, and authorities predict the damage is likely to increase. On top of this, lawyers have warned that nominating someone could result in a manslaughter charge if something goes wrong, putting the risks perhaps
much higher than people realise. For something that is supposed to be just a bit of fun, it might not really be worth it. But the one good thing about Neknominations is the faith it restores in the intelligence of todays young rapscallions; we’re not a susceptible to social pressure as one might think. Though some rare few have gone off drinking beer from toilets or downing bleach, the majority have not tried excessively to outdo other drinkers, but have had fun getting involved. And for those who didn’t want to partake, it has sparked a widespread debate about the nature of our drinking culture, giving people the chance to voice their opinions on the matter and make statements against photo: wikicommons
irresponsible drinking. Others have even formed parody ‘trends’ such as the RAKNominate, where you have to post a video of a Random Act of Kindness and nominate a friend to do the same, along with the truly inspired Nicknominate, where you are nominated to find and post a picture of Nicolas Cage in a certain mood, time or place. At least our generation has a sense of humour. For the most part, Neknominate could have had a much worse set of results then it did. Though saying that, in no way are drinking deaths acceptable, the fact that they settled at single digits, despite the thousands of Brits taking part, means we’re not as dumb as we look. But there’s no shame in getting involved. It’s fun! Being part of such a huge social phenomenon is exciting. We may not go down in history, but we get to have a permanent online record that we took part in something alongside millions of others around the globe. You could even argue that the idea has brought people together, albeit in a rather unconventional and highly humorous way. Now, the word sensible doesn’t spark excitement in the hearts of most students but as mum might say: sensible equal’s fun! You get the point. Stupid leads to A&E. So have fun kids. Just not too much fun.
12
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
Features
11/03/14
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.features@uea.ac.uk
13
Concrete Drugs and Alcohol Survey 2014 This year’s Drug and Alcohol Survey was taken primarily by UEA Students in their early twenties, with 86% of the respondents being between the ages of 19-22. The results reveal some interesting facts about the drinking and drug culture that exists at UEA.
39.64% of respondents to the survey were Male, 59.36% were Female, and 0.8% identified as other
Have you ever tried illegal drugs? Yes- 61.34% No- 37.39% Unsure- 1.26%
Alcohol How often do you have an alcoholic drink? Daily- 4.53% More than once a week- 45.68% Weekly- 32.1% Rarely- 13.99% Never- 3.7% Would you consider this an acceptable amount? Yes- 83.2% No- 9.84% Unsure- 6.15% Prefer not to say- 0.82%
UEA? Yes- 68.6% No- 28.51% Unsure- 2.89%
Fire?) Yes- 93.39% No- 6.2% Unsure- 0.41%
In what way? I drink more often- 88.48% I drink less- 6.67% Other- 4.85%
Do you feel like this increases the pressure to “perform” by drinking to excess? Yes- 39.21% No- 53.30% Unsure- 7.49%
Do you feel you have ever drunk to impress others? Yes- 45.87% No- 48.76% Unsure- 5.37%
Do you think that your friends at university drink acceptable amounts? Yes- 51.03% No- 32.1% Unsure- 16.46% Prefer not to say- 0.41%
Do you think your drinking habits have or have had an effect on your degree? Yes- 23.46% No- 67.49% Unsure- 9.05%
Have your drinking habits changed since coming to
Have you participated in drinking games (eg Ring of
Do you feel like drinking has had an effect on your relationships, good or bad? Yes- 45.23% No- 47.3% Unsure- 7.47% Do you feel like your health has ever suffered as a result of drinking excessivley? Yes- 30.83% No- 62.5% Unsure- 6.67%
Concrete neither condones or condemns drug use. We promote a safe and reasonable attitude towards consumption of alcohol and encourage a reasonable attitude towards drug use. If you need any advice regarding drug and alcohol use visit FRANK
Yes - have done drugs
Which drugs have you taken? LSD (acid)- 13.38% Cannabis- 99.3% Cocaine- 19.72% Crystal meth- 0.7% Ecstasy/MDMA- 47.18% Heroin- 0.7% Ketamine (or MKet)- 18.31% Magic Mushrooms- 14.08% Poppers- 19.72% Amphetamines (speed)- 13.38% What were your reasons for taking illegal drugs? Fun- 80.28% Curiosity- 80.99% Peer pressure/fitting in- 14.08% Self- medication- 35.21% Relaxation- 35.21% Loosen social inhibitions- 24.65% How would you describe your experience? Good- 58.87% Bad- 2.54% Variable- 34.75% Other- 3.55% Has your attitude towards illegal drugs changed since you tried
them? Yes- 48.57% No- 48.57% Unsure- 2.86% Have you had any medical problems as a result of drug use? Yes- 6.52% No- 92.75% Unsure- 0.72% Do you have friends who regularly use illegal drugs? Yes- 88.41% No- 9.42% Unsure- 2.17% If yes, does it affect your relationship with them? Yes- 26.45% No- 66.94% Unsure- 5.79% Prefer not to say- 0.83% Do you worry about the potential risk/consequences involved in taking drugs? Yes- 61.9% No- 30.48% Unsure- 7.62%
If yes, do you feel potential risk and consequences are a sufficient deterrent? Yes- 43.08% No- 40% Unsure- 16.92% Has your attitude towards illegal drugs changed since arriving at UEA? Yes- 34.62% No- 59.62% Unsure- 5.77% Do you feel there is an increased pressure to use illegal drugs since arriving at UEA? Yes- 5.73% No- 88.46% Unsure- 4.81% Has using illegal drugs affected your degree? Yes- 2.88% No- 95.19% Unsure- 1.92%
No - haven’t done drugs Did you make the conscious decision not to take illegal drugs? Yes- 79.55% No- 17.05% Unsure- 3.41%
Do you have friends who regularly use illegal drugs? Yes- 44.32% No- 42.05% Unsure- 12.5% Prefer not to say- 1.14%
If yes, do you feel this is a sufficient deterrent? Yes- 72.97% No- 16.22% Unsure- 8.11% Prefer not to say- 2.7%
Would you ever consider taking drugs? Yes- 16.85% No- 70.79% Unsure- 11.24% Prefer not to say- 1.12%
If yes, does it affect your relationship with them? Yes- 42.5% No- 42.5% Unsure- 15%
Has your attitude towards illegal drugs changed since arriving at UEA? Yes- 18.39% No- 74.71% Unsure- 6.9%
If yes, would you know where to get them from? Yes- 26.67% No- 46.67% Unsure- 26.67%
Do you worry about the potential risk/consequences involved in taking drugs? Yes- 88.51% No- 11.49%
Do you feel there is an increased pressure to use illegal drugs since arriving at UEA? Yes- 10.34% No- 87.36%
A closer look at the results Social life at university is typically synonymous with alcohol. Therefore it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 68.60% of respondents noted that their drinking habits have changed since coming to university, with an 88.48% majority claiming that this change was an increase in how much they drink. A trend that emerged from these results was respondents admitting that the levels of drinking decreased as their time at UEA went on, with many cited the work commitments of second and third year as curbing their previous binge-drinking habits. Another common reason was that as respondents aged, their approach to alcohol became more “casual”, with alcohol being drunk to relax after a hard day rather than just to get wasted on a night out. Answering questions about alcohol’s effect on relationships, many respondents felt that alcohol benefitted them in social situations, commenting that alcohol helped them to feel open and confident to approach people, and helping to form bonds that would led to friendships and romantic relationships. However, respondents also referenced the negative effects alcohol has had on their relationships. Decisions made while drunk, such as drunk dialling/texting, saying things that you shouldn’t, embarrassing yourself and cheating on your significant other are just some of the mistakes that respondents felt damaged their relationships with others. Despite this, 83.20% of respondents feel that their drinking habits are acceptable, and 62.50% believe their health has not suffered because of alcohol. However the 30.83% that do felt effects to their mood, immune system, body aches, migraines and weight gain. As one respondent put it: “My body is a party-ridden mess”.
Cannabis featured prominently in responses to the drug related questions. An overwhelming 99.30% of respondents have taken cannabis, and the general attitude towards the drug was positive. Respondents found their experience with cannabis as being casual, relaxed and social, and “not as bad” as they expected. In fact, many felt that cannabis has lost its stigma, and view it as being less harmful than binge drinking. This changing view of cannabis, however, was countered by respondents who admitted to have been heavy users of the drug, and felt consequences. One person’s experience of cannabis made them realise “you can become dependent on a drug in a single area of your life (i.e. for a specific purpose), and this is not the same as addiction, or at least how we perceive it”. Looking at the attitudes of respondents in regards to drug use, many felt that there is a “time and place” for it, and spoke of the need to be careful and “know what you are doing” whilst using. It’s unsurprising, then, that of the 34.62% who think their attitude towards drugs has changed since being at UEA, the main changed mentioned was viewing drugs as more acceptable and less taboo. For the respondents who had not taken drugs, 79.55% said that it was a conscious decision. Reasons given for this decision were primarily because they “didn’t see the point” in taking drugs, with 72.97% saying that the potential risks and consequences of drug use are enough of a deterrent to avoid them altogether. When speaking of the change that taking drugs has had to their relationships, respondents spoke of a loss of respect for friends who did take drugs, and an unwillingness to spend time with them.
14
concrete.environment@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
11/03/2014
Environment
27.02.14 The Northern Lights shine over Norfolk On the evening of the 27 February, the Northern Lights danced over Norfolk in one of the greatest displays the UK has seen in the last twenty years. The Lights are normally only visible in the UK at the most northerly points in Scotland. However a strong solar storm accompanied by ideal weather conditions meant that they could be enjoyed at much lower latitudes than normal, including areas in Gloucestershire, South Wales, Essex and Jersey. Three to four days prior to the sightings there was a mass ejection of particles from the sun. These explosions put huge amounts of charged particles into space, which are then captured by the Earth’s magnetic field and attracted towards the geomagnetic poles. As these particles collide with the atmosphere, a range of colours are produced, with the type of gas and the height of the collision determining the colour of the light. The most common is a yellow to pale green, which is the result of collisions with oxygen atoms at heights up to 150 miles. Similar collisions at altitudes greater than 150 miles produce red aurora, while nitrogen gives off a blue light. The sun has an 11-year solar cycle, with geomagnetic storms also following this. The solar maximum was reached last year, so sightings of the Lights across more southerly regions may be possible throughout the next year or so. In order to increase the chance of catching a glimpse it is best to head a few miles out of the city to areas with less light pollution. Chloe Moore
Jacob Beebe Environment Writer
Photograph courtesy of Chris Bell
Owen Paterson should not cut climate funding Amelia Frizell-Armitage Environment Writer As the UK recovers from the recent floods, a phenomenon that climate scientists widely agree will become more common with global warming, the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, has announced further cuts to the climate change initiatives budget. The budget covers spending to monitor and manage UK emissions, and to develop infrastructure to cope with the effects of global warming. This financial year, only £17.2m will be spent on climate change initiatives, 41% less than in the previous year. How is this possible under what was supposed to be the “greenest government ever”? Perhaps this is not so surprising when we take into account that
Badger cull: a costly failure
Paterson is a climate sceptic. He does not believe that human emissions are the cause of the observed warming, despite current consensus within the scientific community that this is the case. He has even gone so far as to say that he thinks global warming could have positive implications for the UK and the globe. Perhaps his short sightedness does not enable him to see that reflecting this scepticism and complacency in environmental policy could have dangerous consequences. Current evidence suggests that even if we do manage to reduce our emissions, Earth will likely warm by over two degrees, enough to result in significant changes in climate, more extreme weather events and sea level rise. The implications for both the global economy and food security will be huge, affecting all corners of society.
In fact, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has recently referred to global warming as “the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction”. Scarily, he may not be far off the truth. We need to act now in order to reduce our emissions and curb the effects of global warming. Simultaneously, we need to develop the infrastructure required to deal with whatever impacts climate change does have. If anything we should be increasing, not reducing, the climate change budget. Our current environment secretary, with a degree in history and a time in office already laced with mistakes has proved himself less than qualified to do the job. Let’s hope we get someone more qualified next time to guide the UK through this critical period in the fight against the world’s most fearful weapon of mass destruction.
Badgers have been roundly blamed by farmers for spreading bovine tuberculosis. The agriculture industry has been putting the government under pressure to act for some time. In attempt to control the disease – much to the dismay of celebrities such as Brian May and David Attenborough, along with many members of the public – the Coalition decided to trial a badger cull in Gloucestershire and Somerset. But what was the outcome this endeavour? In short, it has been something of a failure. Significantly fewer badgers have bitten the dust than required and there has consequently been a minimal effect on the spread of TB. A study has shown that 50% or fewer badgers were killed than the target figure, a total of 1771 individuals. But then, the rather comical notion that marksmen with night vision goggles stalking the shires are an effective way to deal the badger population is frankly worrying. There have also been issues regarding the humaneness of the pilot cull, with up to 18% of badgers taking over five minutes to die. Overall, the cull is estimated to have cost £7.29m – that’s over £4,000 per badger. So is the humble badger simply a scapegoat in this? Attenborough has criticised the government for ignoring the findings of this trial; he says that by simply extending it they are choosing to overlook their findings. Has the government only got one vision? Another criticism is that by culling, the TB spread could actually worsen: the badgers may simply break free and spread over a wider area. The real answer lies in whether the trial method itself was unsuccessful or whether the underlying aim is flawed – whether a cull would ever have prevented the spread anyway. Given the way things have turned out, success
Flickr: aktivioslo Brian May: noted badger enthusaist would have been little short of a kind of magic. It is clear that if culls really are the solution to the bovine TB epidemic, this was definitely not the way to do it. For now, especially with the Somerset floods, it’s a hard life for the badgers. Should the show go on?
Science & Tech 15 The highs and the lows of substance abuse 11/03/14
Mabon Elis Science Writer. For the first time, cannabinoid receptors, with which the active compounds in cannabis interact, have been shown to be present in a part of the brain involved in emotional reactions. Published in the journal Neuron, the research may offer new insight into how the effects of cannabis are exerted, according to Sachin Patel at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. Patel and his group have been looking at the body’s own production of cannabinoids – the large class of compounds that act on these receptors. Although first discovered in cannabis plants, subsequent studies found that humans and other animals produce their own set of cannabinoids – known as endocannabinoids. Teniel Ramikie, a postgraduate student in Patel’s lab, used antibodies to target cannabinoid receptors in the brains of mice. This allowed her to locate them very
precisely using a microscope. She was able to find them in nuclei in the brain called amygdalae. These small regions have been shown to have increased activity in people with some anxiety disorders. They may also be involved in fear response, with increased function leading to paranoia. The endocannabinoid system is thought to play a role in regulating anxiety. When we become stressed or experience emotional trauma, production of these compounds slows down. The cannabinoids in cannabis have a similar effect on reducing feelings of anxiety. However, Patel believes that chronic cannabis use may make the cannabinoid receptors less responsive. This could mean that long term use has the effect of increasing anxiety. “We know where the receptors are, we know their function, we know how these neurons make their own cannabinoids,” Patel added. “Now can we see how that system is affected by … stress and chronic [cannabis] use.”
Babies first drink Jasmine Groves Science writer Drinking alcohol while pregnant is a controversial topic among pregnant women and medical specialists. The NHS website advises women to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy and that if they decide to drink, to only consume 1-2 units. One of the main risks concerned with drinking while pregnant is foetal alcohol syndrome or FAS, which can lead to permanent physical deformities, mental issues and emotional difficulties in the developing child. Alcohol can cause FAS at any time during pregnancy, and have detrimental effects at any stage due to the sensitivity of the vital systems of the body during embryo growth and foetus development. The reason that alcohol, even in small amounts can cause such great damage to a foetus is due to the immaturity of the liver in an unborn child. Although blood alcohol levels are the same in the baby as the mother, it takes much longer for the baby to remove the alcohol from its system and the developing tissues affected are much more vulnerable than in a fully developed adult. Recently the mother of a child suffering with FAS, now aged six and living in care, has been accused of having "maliciously administered poison so as to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm”. Although not charged with an offence, this has rekindled the debate on whether excess drinking during pregnancy should be considered a crime. Experts related to the case have speculated that regular and arguably excessive intake would be needed to cause the abnormalities seen in
this case. It has also been suggested that the child should receive a compensatory payout as the severity of this case is extreme, with the accused mother clearly not attempting to adhere to health guidelines and advice. However, on the other hand some people hold the opinion that no mother would deliberately harm their child. Arguing that the main cause of FAS is inconsistent and unclear advice on alcohol intake coupled with insufficient support for women. Many who argue this point believe that punishment should never be enforced in cases involving FAS and that alcohol consumption while pregnant should not be a punishable crime.
Media.npr.org
Issue 295
concrete.science@uea.ac.uk
Elizabeth Leddy Science writer Cocaine is a well-known stimulant that causes alertness and euphoria, which it does by stopping the re-absorption of the neurotransmitters serotonin, adrenaline and dopamine which causes anaesthetic properties and the resulting “high”. The cocaine molecule is lipid soluble, and is able to easily cross the blood-brain barrier as cranial cells are lipophilic, so cocaine enters the brain as a passenger on the lipids being absorbed into the brain. Once it has entered the brain, cocaine is able to constrict blood vessels, which can cause a stroke as the brain is starved of oxygen. The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, and is the result of a clot formed in the blood vessels supplying the brain, which occurs when the vessels become constricted. If the brain is starved for longer than a couple of minutes, then the cells will begin to die as they are receiving no oxygen and are
unable to produce any energy. A study at the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine has showed that acute cocaine use has a high correlation with risk of stroke in young people. Within 24 hours of cocaine use, there was an increased risk of stroke with participants being six to seven times more likely to suffer from a stroke, regardless of ethnicity or gender. The risk of stroke after cocaine abuse is far higher than other risk factors such as diabetes and smoking which has led to the leaders of the study calling for toxicology screens of all young patients hospitalised after suffering from a stroke, as it could provide an explanation for the number of strokes in younger patients. As 10-15% of ischemic strokes occur in young adults, these results begin to provide an explanation as to why these strokes that traditionally affect those over 60 are appearing more and more in the younger generation. This discovery means drug awareness can be developed to show the harsh realities of drug abuse, as even a single use could be fatal.
PrEParing new HIV drug Leo Kellock Science writer For those who are at risk of HIV through sexual contact with an infected partner, sex means an everyday reminder of their dangerous situation. Previously, taking daily pills could be the only thing keeping infection from the virus at bay. However, a new study performed on macaques monkeys shows the possibility of an injection that could provide three months of protection from infection of the HIV virus. Currently those deemed at risk have to resort to daily oral doses of preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, effectively a safe guard against catching the disease. However young people at risk have been slow to adapt to the daily dose of antiretroviral pills, a worrying fact as this group accounts for around 40% of those at risk. Given these problems, the group involved with the study saw a huge benefit to these individuals in their compound GSk744’s ability to remain an effective barrier against the virus for up to three months. The compound, which was originally developed as a direct treatment of the virus not a preventative, achieves this by forming insoluble crystals in suspension that when injected, act as a store for the drug to slowly be released into the patient’s system. This slow metabolizing of the drug keeps levels steady in the body and effective for a far longer time than the current medication on the market. The trials that were performed by the group on macaque monkeys showed that in the group treated with the drug it took an average of ten attempts - one a week
for ten weeks - to infect the monkeys with the human-simian hybrid virus SHIV. None of the animals were infected after eight ‘challenges’ by the virus, compared with the entire control group infected by this point. Obviously what occurs in the infection process of SHIV in monkeys and HIV in humans is not exactly the same. However, monkey models accurately predicted the effects of the previous oral prophylactic which gives hope that this new drug will behave in a similar fashion in humans. Studies will be needed to show the drug’s safety and competitive ability against the current market prophylactics. Robert Grant, a virologist at the University of California who is already in discussion to run a larger human trial, believes that the necessary trials and studies could be completed in a few years. As currently only a few individuals have been actually ‘cured’ of HIV - recently in California, the second ever baby has gone into remission after testing HIV positive - this gives hope to those who may live in fear of catching the virus.
Renaghaids.org
16
concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
11/03/14
Travel
Koh Pha Ngan Full Moon Party
Nick Brown Travel Writer 6120 miles from London you can find the Thai Island of Koh Pha Ngan. There, around the 28th of every month, the Haad
Rin bay region on the South West side of the island plays host to the ‘Full Moon’ beach party. The event sees up to 40000 tourists, backpackers and travellers from all over the globe congregate on a small stretch of beach. However, the party isn’t all idyllic with loose money, glass bottles
and plastic cups strewn in the morning aftermath; this party is more reminiscent of drug fuelled Ibiza clubs. The Full Moon party is infamous for drunken, drug induced deaths of party goers. The party is littered with notorious stalls with memorable slogans selling Sangsom buckets (Thai whisky) for as cheap as 150 Thai Baht (about three GBP); and ‘Mushroom Mountain’ where one can purchase a Magic Mushroom shake or smoothie. In fact, someone once tried swimming and got pulled out to sea by the current. Drugs and alcohol do play a large role in the party as wherever you go you can find people trying to sell you just about anything, with offerings ranging from cannabis to ecstasy. A word to the wise though, most of these ”merchants” are informants for the local police or are themselves under police watch, so it would be best to avoid them. Also, behind the drugs, there are usually gangs involved. One publicised example of the dangers that can cause was highlighted in the news in 2012 when British tourist, Stephen Ashton, was killed by a stray bullet fired during an altercation between two gangs during the New Year’s Eve party. Even so, the fact remains that the Full Moon party is an amazing experience,
easily outdoing the LCR’s UV night. Once the day draws to an end and the giant full moon rises over head, the beach fills with party goers covered in UV paint in an infinite variety of designs, and with many dressed head to toe in fluorescent vests and shorts. If you’re claustrophobic, this party isn’t your scene as it is easy to get overwhelmed by the crowds of people that turn up to this amazing event. The music played is of a wide variety ranging from Bon Jovi classic ‘It’s my life’ to ‘Hold You’ by Gyptian, and many more club, reggae and drum & bass classics to help you dance throughout the night. If during the party, which lasts until the sun rises, you get a sudden urge to grab a bite to eat, there are many fast food outlets which are open 24/7 to provide you various options depending on what you have a craving for, with massive burgers and chicken schnitzels being sold in outlets closer to the beach, or if you fancy Pad Thai or other traditional Thai meals to satisfy your hunger, this can be found further up the street. Possibly one of the highlights of the night is walking down through the alleyways past the bars onto the beach to see the masses of people then looking up and seeing the giant moon surrounded by a halo of white light.
Columbia beyond the drug trade
Jodie Snow Travel Writer Columbia is nestled between Central and South America. It is largely considered to be a corridor leading to all of the South American ‘must sees’ with its location acting as a gateway to the Amazon
Rainforest and the Pacific coast-line and the Caribbean coast-line. A country that has been disturbed by civil war for years has now finally been deemed safe for travellers and tourists alike, opening up the door to its rich cultural and natural landscape. Nature Tourism is ripe in Columbia, as it boasts access to the famed Amazon
Rainforest. Statistically, Columbia is home to the largest number of different types of Palm trees in the world and holds twenty percent of the world’s bird species. What this means to the curious Columbian visitor, is that Columbia is abundant with wild-life landscapes that are just waiting to be explored. One particular natural site of interest can be found in the El Tuparro National Park in the Amazon region. The park is home to rapids, rainforests and indigenous tribes, and as a consequence, is home to something entirely different and in contrast with Western Culture. Whilst Columbia is host to an array of exotic plants and wildlife (with the latest discovery of a new carnivorous mammal – the Olinguito – being found in Columbia), visitors can enjoy an adventure and adrenaline rush. Whitewater rafters have a host of white waters to paddle into; a particular favourite for tourists is the Magdalana River in San Augustin. Due to Columbia being sandwiched by two great oceans, the Caribbean and the Pacific, divers too have an abundance of choice. Columbia’s
Pacific coast offers sandy beaches, coral, swamps and even cliffs, with its Caribbean coast boasting diverse marine wildlife. Columbia’s Caribbean is a beautiful mesh of the South American exotic rainforests and the Caribbean’s laid back beach lifestyle. Amidst Columbia’s tropical vibrancy, is the dark and harsh reality of drug trafficking, that the country has become notorious for. The warm climate has been abused by criminal gangs for decades to grow and produce illegal drugs, predominantly Cannabis and Cocaine. These substances have then been illegally trafficked internationally. Whilst many may consider Columbia’s thriving illegal drug trade as a reason not to visit the country, it is important to debunk the myths and explore what else the country has to offer. Just as many other countries, Columbia has both a rich cultural history and a scarred past. There will never be a country totally safe or free from historical faux pas, and Columbia is no exception. Embrace Columbia and find the adventure in exploring its sins.
Travel
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.travel@uea.ac.uk
Drug culture in American colleges Challenge 21?
Have you seen Molly? Rachael Parsons Travel Writer
Hayley Musson Travel Writer College life is all about new experiences; an opportunity to fly the nest and try new things whilst excelling with one’s studies. However, the contemporary nature of student revelry is more often than not represented negatively within mainstream media outlets, and this representation is just as common in the United States. Drug culture in the United States is booming, and in 2014 popular media paints the college campus as its breeding ground. With the use of recreational drugs among students at an all-time high, it is no wonder that a recent White House report singled out college students as among those most vulnerable its illeffects. The resurgence of drug use among the college students is centre-stage in American public thought, with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) publicly airing their concern towards the recent push for further legalization of marijuana. November 2013 saw the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, which from January 1st allowed citizens to purchase and carry up to an ounce of marijuana without reprimand. Pairing this with the recent successes of popular television programming glamorizing drug culture, it begins to explain the general acceptance of drug use, especially among the youth. Whether taken recreationally, as a study-kick or in lieu of alcohol there is no denying the legalization of marijuana has caused a wave of mixed responses both inside and outside the United States - admittedly a concern resigned predominantly to politicians and parents. Despite its strict nationwide monitoring, with cannabis remaining an illegal substance under Federal law, it is almost shocking to believe that college students’ access to drugs, such as marijuana, is much easier than access to the more
common and socially acceptable upper, alcohol. Although by no means out of control, reducing the ratio of brazen drug use to alcohol consumption on college campuses across the States is of high priority to the American lawmakers. With public attitudes changing towards drug use, and the American drinking age still set at 21, access to both recreational and more dangerously addictive substances has boomed at institutions of higher learning, leading to a media frenzy toting drug use as a more viable temptation to a generation of underage and experimental undergrads than ever before. Whilst in the United Kingdom, choosing a university is based on the consultation of national academic league tables, in the United States popular websites like College Prowler and Student Review are allowing students to anonymously ‘grade’ their school on everything from Guys and Girls, the Cafeteria Menu to the Nightlife. Social media as such has prompted a definite nod towards the changing attitudes of the times and certainly a step away from Britain’s ideas of rating student satisfaction. A quick Google search will allow any prospective undergrad to view their desired college by its drug scene rank in lieu of its academic achievements, Greek life, or extra-curricular opportunities, suggesting this topic is not one soon to be swept under the carpet. Social media and the popularization of online tabloids have allowed a once hushed commentary on drug culture to come to a head on an international scale. Although this is a culture in no way localized to the American college campus, the debate on drug use in the United States is returning on a serious note, calling into question the effectiveness of a decision which could determine the wide-spread legalization of recreational marijuana whilst a “harmless” glass of wine at the dinner table could still land you in trouble with the law.
17
As a gateway to Latin America, Miami is at a geographical disadvantage in terms of the transportation of drugs into the city. Consequently this has led to the growth of Miami’s drug culture. Besides from the problems of drug cartels and trafficking, drugs are a prominent feature within the Miami college scene. With the drinking age being twenty one, many students unable to obtain alcohol seek other ways to achieve a similar intoxication. Although marijuana, cocaine and even methamphetamine are widely used among the young people of Miami, the newest drug phenomenon in this city has to be MDMA. Also addressed by its street name ‘Molly’, MDMA has grown to become the choice of drug used within the Miami club scene. Molly comes in the form of a pill or a white powder. It can usually be mixed with bath salts, aspirin or caffeine, leaving a lot of users oblivious to what they are actually putting into their bodies. Deriving from ecstasy, its short term effects are known to give a sense of euphoria, hyperactivity, and insomnia. Within the club scene, people using Molly are more alert and have the ability to party into the early hours of the morning. The long term effects of it can be more serious and can include high blood pressure, brain injury, depression and in worst cases, heart attacks. Despite the dangers of it, Molly is probably the most commercialised drug. Along South beach there are plenty of
shops selling merchandise ranging from t-shirts to hats with the words ‘Have you seen Molly?’ written on them. These are commonly worn or promoted at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. As one of the world’s largest music festivals, Ultra is a three-day weekend packed with some of the biggest DJs and live acts from all over the world. With over 160,000 people in attendance, many young people struggle to keep up with the excitement and want to get the most fun they can get out of Ultra. As a result, they turn to Molly. Some celebrities have even promoted use of this dangerous drug. At Ultra 2012, Madonna took to the stage to introduce an artist, and the pop star asked the audience: “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” Although Madonna claimed to be referring to a song, it caused a lot of controversy in the press and she was slammed for her apparent encouragement of the drug. However, the dangerous side effects of the drug were brought to attention at Ultra 2013 when two people died from overdosing on Molly. As a result, for this year’s Ultra, police have insisted that security will be extra tight and any drug substance will be confiscated immediately. It is easy to get sucked into the Miami drug culture. With its availability, commercialisation and the genuine curiosity of its effects, it is no surprise that Molly has become the new craze amongst young people. Rather than “finding Molly”, the solution is to bring awareness to the dangerous consequences of the drug and remove the “luxury” brand associations attached to it.
18
concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
11/03/14
Legal highs
Lucy Morris Lifestyle Writer Behind the counter in Norwich’s two head shops hang a variety of brightlycoloured packages. Marked ‘not for human consumption’ and sold as ‘plant food’ or ‘research chemicals’ (but with illustrations of psychedelic paraphernalia or a chemical compound on the front) it’s no secret what the products actually are. But these powders aren’t the illegal, street drugs of yore. They’re barely-legal compounds, their formulas tweaked to imitate the effects of illegal drugs like amphetamine or cocaine. Marketed with names like ‘Spellweaver’ ‘Pink Panthers’ and ‘China White’, they are mostly chemical variations on the nowbanned mephedrone, itself a chemical imitation of methamphetamine. The inventors and suppliers of these ‘legal high’ drugs are generally laboratoryowners in South-East Asia or China, reallife Heisenbergs who operate outside of the law. As soon as one compound is banned in a country, they can get straight back to work, busily innovating to produce an equally intoxicating but unbanned drug. Legislators have been left playing a legal game of whack-a-mole. As soon as one illegal drug gets smacked down another
one with a slightly different formula crops up. It has become an informal arms race between the suppliers and the enforcers. Meanwhile these new formulae remain unlicensed and largely untested, with consumers left in a dangerous limbo. Often, two ‘legal highs’ sold in the same packaging can contain two different combinations of compounds, their proportions unregulated and varying from pack to pack. The contents of most regular illegal drugs are themselves
a bit dodgy. One UK study found that the average bag of cocaine was only about 30% pure, cut with a 70% mixture of worryingly non-specific “other compounds”. But with legal highs, made up of new and largely untested chemical compounds unregulated for human consumption, there is an added worry that these chemicals could react with cutting agents or other drugs in a way hitherto unknown – and to deadly effect. Not all ‘legal highs’, however, are quite
Lifestyle as scary or untested. Some common party drugs also fall under the definition of legal highs. Alkyl nitrites or ‘poppers’ are bottled liquid chemicals, sold online or head shops, which produce a briefly intoxicating effect when sniffed. Nitrous oxide or ‘nitrous’ is sold at clubs in party balloons for as little as 90p a pop, and when inhaled produces a slow-motion euphoria which lasts for under a minute. It’s commonly used in midwifery to provide pain relief for women giving birth (nitrous oxide is the ‘gas’ part of the painrelieving mixture known as ‘gas and air’), or in whipped cream chargers to mix cream industrially. Bought online in 60-packs, these are the most common source of the legal drug. Even these seemingly harmless drugs, however, can be dangerous. Alkyl nitrites are poisonous if swallowed, and inhaling too much nitrous oxide can lead to dangerous hypoxia or even death, filling your lungs and pushing out air. Another drug is salvia. Despite bans in Australia and Italy, it remains legal in the UK. Derived from the leaves of the salvia divinorum plant and available for purchase online, the drug is similar in appearance to marijuana, but produces a more intense psychoactive experience when smoked. Users debate its harmful effects – but short of new and sweeping drugs laws, ‘legal highs’ look here to stay.
Why women should lift Olive Hopkin Lifestyle Writer Panting, growling and yelling are the sounds that erupt from the free-weights section of the gym. This intimidating sight is enough to make anyone run for the hills! But why is there an apprehension of venturing into this area? Can women really enter this ‘sacred’ space and lift weights? Will you bulk up and look manly? Now is the time to debunk these myths and reveal the health benefits of weight lifting as a fitness regime. Worrying about bulking up or looking manly are the tell-tale signs of a woman who has been subjected to the misconceived conventional wisdom surrounding weight lifting. Stop being your own worst enemy and instead embrace the exciting realm of weight lifting. This stigma has become ingrained into the female psyche for too long; after all, there isn’t a rule-book forbidding entry to these areas. In fact, women can use the same fitness and weight lifting exercises as men. Contrary to popular belief, women cannot “bulk up” like men. It’s impossible without
anabolic assistance. Women produce lower levels of testosterone than men, this means your hormonal make-up cannot allow you to build large amounts of muscle. So do not fear, a weight lifting regime will not make you look like a man. Now that one myth is debunked, why do women find it nerve wracking and intimidating to enter the free weight area of a gym? The simple fact is that women haven’t been made aware of the health benefits of weight lifting. Women often talk about how they haven’t seen any results in their body composition when using a treadmill or cross trainer. According to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, when you build muscle you increase your metabolism. This heightened state, after weight lifting when the muscles heal, allows you to burn calories for a longer period of time. Not only does this aid in achieving that desirable flat stomach, toned legs and pert bum, it also has the added benefit of reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, through improved blood sugar regulation, as well as decreasing the risk of osteoporosis through bone strengthening.
With physical, mental and health benefits, who wouldn’t want to try weight lifting as a form of exercise? By seeking advice about weight lifting from fitness experts in the gym, you can rid yourself of that embarrassment when you enter
the free weight area of the gym. So don’t let apprehension or the invisible force of stigma hold you back when taking that leap of faith. Instead, embrace the advantages of weight lifting – a healthier body and a better outlook on life.
Lifestyle
11/03/14
Issue 295
concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk
19
Can alcohol ever be healthy?
Jennifer Johnson Lifestyle Writer With all of the recent publicity surrounding the Neknominate fad, it seems that popular culture has forgotten that a night of drinking doesn’t have to end in a trip to hospital. In fact, if moderation is exercised, consuming some types of alcohol can reportedly have health benefits. The media is well known for its inability to report consistently on the helpful and harmful effects of drinking. One moment, it seems that your nan’s nightly glass of sherry might be the elixir of life, and the next it’s a miracle that the old lush is still alive. However, the results of scientific studies on the matter are about as conclusive as press coverage suggests. In an article published by the BBC in 2009, (aptly titled, “Alcohol: Is it really good for you?”), Professor Valerie Beral of Oxford University was not optimistic, saying, “It’s an absolute myth that red wine is good for you.” The piece then went on to state that the high levels of alcohol in red wine effectively negate any of the positive effects that its antioxidant content could provide.
To make matters more complicated, an article published by the Daily Express that same year said that scientists recommend “sipping” red wine to reap its antioxidant benefits. Resveratrol - red wine’s alleged cancer-fighting wonder compound is best absorbed through the mouth. Therefore, a slow sip and a swish around is the best method of ingestion. The scientists responsible for the study cited in the Express had nothing but high praise for resveratrol. Dr. Lindsay Brown of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, said that, in addition to warding off cancer, the compound is also capable of “reducing age-related diseases such as inflammation, reversing diabetes and obesity, and many more.” Unfortunately, red wine appears to be the only type of alcohol that contains such a favourable ingredient. Which is not to say that other types of alcohol can’t be utilized in order to ease physical suffering. Whiskey and honey has long been used as a home remedy to ease coughs, though there appears to be little scientific proof of its efficacy. Ultimately, it is going to be difficult to get any team of researchers to wholly endorse the consumption of alcohol
for medicinal purposes. The reality is, drinking alcohol is not terribly healthy, but in a culture in which it is also a common social event, preaching abstinence is going to be ineffective. In an article titled “Healthy living: how to live longer,” published by BBC Science in 2013, it was reported that social isolation is a “hidden killer” among the elderly. It is believed that people with strong and active
social support networks tend to live longer overall. Surely, if connecting with friends and loved ones also includes chatting over a pint, the benefits of drinking will outweigh the health risks. However, it might be best to forgo guzzling a similar quantity of pure vodka and raw eggs while being filmed, even if your mates assure you that you will be an Internet celebrity.
The world of drug slang Jasmine Gray Lifestyle Writer If the media’s representation of university is anything to go by, drugs are a prevalent part of the student lifestyle. An episode of Channel 4’s Fresh Meat rarely airs without some reference to substance abuse. While in the case of most students this is a severely skewed view, even if the character of Vod was directly based on you, it is unlikely you would be aware of all the slang related to the most commonly used drugs. Indeed, while DrugScope named cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and amyl nitrates as the four most commonly tried illegal highs, there are literally dozens of nicknames associated with each of these drugs. Although some street names have made their way in to popular culture, would you know what someone meant if they offered you some rugby balls? How about some ram? Or perhaps a little blue cheese? Cannabis While it is still the most widely-used illegal drug in Britain today, social anthropologists have found evidence
to suggest that smoke from charring cannabis seeds was ritually inhaled as early as the third millennium BC. As a drug with such a long-standing history, it makes sense that this Class B substance has so many nicknames; while it is well-known as weed, pot, grass and ganja, it is also less-familiarly referred to as bud, draw and bhang. Cocaine Cocaine has a long history of being the crutch of the extravagantly rich, an idea that Leonardo DiCaprio’s depiction of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street does nothing to negate.
A highly addictive Class A substance that leads to feelings of confidence, exhilaration and alertness, cocaine is also widely known for its long ‘comedown’; while its immediate effects usually wear off within an hour, the subsequent crash period can last for days. There are multiple forms of this substance, and even more associated slang. Known commonly as crack, coke and charlie, fewer people are aware it is also referred to as toot or chang. Ecstasy Ecstasy, chemically known as MDMA, was a popular drug amongst
clubbers in the 80s and 90s, though it is still one of the most commonly tried illegal substances in Britain today. The original ‘designer drug’, ecstasy is taken for the associated feelings of love and alertness, but many of its more unusual nicknames relate to the intensity of colours and music experienced by the user; slang related to this drug includes names such as pink superman, mitsubishis, dolphins and brownies. Amyl Nitrates Commonly known as poppers, amyl nitrates were originally prescribed for patients with cardiac conditions, such as angina, as they expand blood vessels, allowing increased blood flow to the heart. However, once it was discovered that side-effects included a short-lived head rush and increased sexual pleasure, they began to be used recreationally. Indeed, many have reported that after inhaling amyl nitrates, not only is the state of orgasm extended, but the state of arousal is also heightened. The street names of amyl nitrates certainly suggest these kinds of benefits- known not only as ram and rush, amyls are also more crudely branded as thrust and rock hard!
20
concrete.lifestyle@uea.ac.uk
Issue 295
Lifestyle
11/03/14
Drunk chicken Dominic Burchnall Lifestyle Writer This recipes is easy and delicious, great for entertaining a large group of friends this summer. Cook in the oven with a roast, veggies and potatoes, or on the BBQ with corn on the cob and salad. Experiment with different beers for new tastes. The options are endless! Ingredients • 1 whole chicken • 1 can of beer • 2 tablespoons of olive oil • 1 tablespoon of dried thyme • Pinch of paprika • 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper
Method 1. Open the can and empty so it’s half full. 2. Mix the oil, thyme, salt, pepper and paprika together and rub thoroughly into the skin of the chicken. 3. Push the can into the cavity of the chicken and stand on its end in the oven (or on the BBQ). 4. Cook the chicken at 180˚C (350˚F) for 1 ½ hours. 5. Check whether the chicken is cooked by pushing a knife into the thigh meat and checking that the juices run clear. If not, cook for a further 15 minutes and keep an eye on it. 6. Once cooked thoroughly, remove from oven with tongs and a spatula under the beer can and leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving
Red wine risotto Lydia Clifton Lifestyle Editor This meal can be a great boozy starter or a main course, great to share with friends and housemates. Ingredients • 450-500ml vegetable stock
• • • • •
85g butter 1 medium onion 200g risotto rice 500ml merlot Grated parmesan
Method 1. Heat the stock and keep warm in pan. 2. Melt some of the butter in a shallow
saucepan and add the chopped onion with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. 3. Stir in the rice whilst stirring until all butter is absorbed. 4. Stir in half the white wine with some salt and pepper and simmer, stirring, until the rice starts to dry. 5. Add half of the hot stock and continue simmering and stirring.
6. When the rice dries again, add the rest of the wine. 7. Continue cooking and stirring, adding stock gradually. The rice should end up tender and still slightly chewy, and creamy from the starch. This can take up to 35 minutes. 8. Take the risotto off the head and add remaining butter, stir until melted and serve.
22
concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk
Issue 295
Sport
11/03/14
Student Voice with...UEA Golf’s Sam O’Doherty Student Voice returns to Concrete as we speak to a member of a UEA club about the latest sporting issues. This week we spoke to Golf secretary Sam O’Doherty.
Editor’s column Charlie Savage Sports Editor The F.A Cup has been in decline for some years now. Disappointing attendances, second-string squad selections and the reprehensible decision to play semi-final matches at Wembley means the magic of a competition that was once the pride of the country has all but vanished. The F.A Cup now almost seems an irritation to chairmen, managers and fans. It feels more like a relic of the past than a proud symbol of English football. This was epitomised by Newcastle and Southampton’s decision to field weak teams in their respective ties despite not having any other league or European distractions. With the two sides safe from relegation and too far adrift to harbor realistic Europa League ambitions, the climate was right for both clubs to stage a forceful cup run. Both managers selected weakened teams, and both were eliminated. Fans are continuously told that the financial rewards of a top ten premier league finish far outweigh that of cup success. This exemplifies how out of touch chairmen of clubs are with every day football fans. Would an average fan prefer to finish 8th in the league and lose in the third round of the cup, or finish 16th and have silverware to celebrate? The answer is obvious. Pose the same question to a board member of a club, however, and the response may be different. Perhaps the worst thing to have happened to English football in recent years was the relegation of Wigan Athletic after triumphing in the F.A Cup just a few weeks earlier. Their demotion from England’s top tier has only given the boardroom members at Premier League clubs even more encouragement when it came to passion-killing. The unfortunate truth of modern sport is that the prize must be more than the triumph of winning. If the F.A can adapt to this and implement an adequate incentive to entice clubs, perhaps Champions League qualification, then it can be salvaged. The magic of the cup can still cast a spell over our football nation, but if the governing bodies continue to prioritise money over glory, a generation of supporters will lose out on the allurement of a competition that has been entertaining the world since 1871.
Concrete: Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has alleged that a referee swore at one of his players during a recent match. Do you think that match officials are entitled to swear at players if they themselves are sworn at? Sam: Match officials need to set an example to all players, as they have a huge amount of responsibility. I still believe that players should be punished more for acting like children, whether that be diving or swearing at referees, but referees should not be swearing under any circumstances. C: Following the public feud between cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior, do you feel that players should keep such disputes out of the media spotlight? S: Kevin Pietersen is known to be a bit of a child, so I wasn’t surprised that he dealt with the feud this way. I expected better of Matt Prior, but trading insults in this way causes nothing but negativity for the team itself, so both players themselves should probably consider this before interacting with each other in such a public manner again.
C: Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has labelled the NFL’s proposed banning of the N-word “atrocious”. He believes that African American players should be allowed to use the word as it is so ingrained in their everyday vocabulary. Is Sherman right? S: The NFL should punish the use of that word. Any use of that word, regardless of who it is from, is degrading and should be discouraged.
C: Asafa Powell’s leagal team will argue that the sprinter should be given a lenient sentence for failing a drugs test as it was his first offence. Is the fact that it was a first offence a valid reason for receiving a shorter sentence? S: Any athlete found to be using performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage should be punished for a minimum of 10 years in my opinion. This would effectively end all athletes careers and discourage them from using any
performance enhancing drugs. The fact that it is Powell’s first offence should not matter in the slightest. He knew what he was doing and should be punished.
If you’d like to be interviewed for Student Voice then get in touch with us at: concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk @concretesport
Men’s fencing overcome tough Staffordshire opposition Otto Billstrom Sports Correspondent In the last BUCS game of the season the UEA men’s fencing team took on Staffordshire at the SportsPark, resulting in a 119-108 victory for the UEA team after a close match. First on was the épée team, who got off to a terrific start. With a combined effort of all the team members, UEA secured a 10 point lead after the first three bouts. As a result, the visitors from Staffordshire were forced to play catch up for the remainder of the round. However, in the last series of the épée bouts, Staffordshire managed to pick up some essential points against the UEA team, who kept their lead for the remainder of the round. The final score for the épée round was 45-35 to UEA. The UEA foil team put on a splendid performance, despite harsh resistance from the Staffordshire team and enduring some serious weapon issues. This resulted in one foil having to be shared by the entire team. The round was close until UEA caught a break with two bouts gaining vital points, by the hands of Nathan Gull and Adam Ahmet. The round remained close until Théo pulled away for the UEA lead in his last bout, securing UEA victory in the foil,
with 45-28. In the sabre Staffordshire showed off harsh resistance setting UEA back 10 points directly after two perfect bouts by the opposition. Li Chun Hong showcased some exquisite sabre fencing, making a UEA victory still possible. This was followed by an excellent performance by Luke Baxter who gained the team a few more points towards victory. Despite good efforts being put in the sabre was lost at 29-45 to Staffordshire, however the match was won as a whole, with the final score being 119-108 to UEA, who thus earned a second placed finish in the BUCS league, after leaders Oxford.
Midlands 2A BUCS League Final Standings 1. Oxford 2s
P 8
W L PTS 8 0 24
2. UEA 1s
8
6
3. Stoke 1s
8
4 4
4. Notts 1
8
2
6
6
5. Notts 2
8
0
8
0
2
18 12
Sport
11/03/14
Issue 295
23
concrete.sport@hotmail.co.uk
UEA Athletics fare well at Indoor Championships As the club prepare for their final major events of the year, Sophie East reports on UEA Athletics’ weekend at the BUCS Indoor Championships. Sophie East Sports Correspondent On Friday 21 Febuary, a seventeen strong team from the UEA Athletics club travelled to Sheffield to compete in a weekend of indoor athletics. The team enjoyed a very successful trip with multiple personal bests and two new club records for both men’s and women’s 4x200m relays. The event was complemented by a terrific atmosphere, with the club leaving Yorkshire extremely proud of all the athlete’s efforts and achievements. Sophie East and Emma-Lou Wagstaff opened the event on Friday afternoon in the 60m; both finished fourth in their heats with Emma-Lou setting a new personal best of 8.35s. The boys swiftly followed with Adam Vaughan clocking 7.56s to finish fifth and Tsurujiro Go setting a new personal best of 7.40s - the club will be sad to see him return to Japan at the end of the month. Charlie Roe, president of the club, encountered some difficulties in the 60m hurdles due to a fellow competitor, resulting in him recording a time of 9.30s. He will be sure to improve this in time for summer decathlon events. In the field, Danielle Hamilton, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on the Saturday, recorded a throw of 7.54m in the shot put, which was a huge 1.29m improvement on her personal best. Miriam Arbach started her busy Saturday with a long jump of 5.06m to
finish ninth in her pool. She then went on to clear 1.45m in the high jump to finish ninth once more; a sign that all her hard training has paid off. Roe finished fifth in the long jump with a best jump of 6.57m, narrowly missing out on qualification for the final. He fared better in the high jump, easily qualifying for the final where he finished seventh after clearing 1.99m on the Sunday. James Vernon finished sixteenth in his first BUCS high jump competition after successfully jumping 1.65m. It was an early start on Saturday for Nick Rees, who finished seventh in his 1500m heat in 4minutes 37s. Andy Holliman then went on to clock a time of 1minute 58s in the 800m heats to qualify for Sunday’s semi-final, where he finished fifth in a slightly slower time. After admitting he needs to work on his speed, the club are eagerly anticipating him racing at BUCS outdoors in May. A flu-ridden Amardeep Sangha finished fourth in his 400m race in a respectable 53.6s, despite missing three weeks of training prior to the event. Fresher Griffin Shiel clocked 56.4s in his 400m heat; this is a promising start for his 400m hurdle summer campaign. After a solid winter of training, Sophie Morris finished fourth in her 400m heat with a time of 65.0seconds. Saturday evening brought with it the most exciting races of the weekend - the 4x200m relays that inevitably involved upsets, falls and surprises. Fortunately, UEA avoided any mishaps, both teams finishing 3rd in their heats
and breaking the club records; the women in a time of 1 minute 53.07s and the men 1 mintue 34.39. On the Sunday morning, Sophie East, substituting for Danielle Hamilton, finished 4th in her 200m heat with Cerys Currie fifth , recording times of 27.31s and 28.51s respectively. Vaughan and Go both finished fourth in their heats, in times of 24.39s and 23.88s for 200m. With indoor tracks typically producing slower times, these are promising for the start of the outdoor season. The club are now working towards BUCS outdoors in May and Derby Day on the 16 March.
UEA Athletics Indoor Champs: TEAM MEMBERS: Charlie Roe (President), Adam Vaughan, Tsurujiro Go, James Vernon, Griffin Shiel, Amardeep Sangha, Andy Holliman, Nick Rees, Chris Chancellor, Sophie East (Captain), Cerys Currie, Danielle Hamilton, Emma-Lou Wagstaff, Sophie Morris, Miriam Arbach, Natalie Herbert, Claire Whelan. CLUB RECORDS SET:
DERBY DAY The UEA Athletics club will be looking to defend both the men’s and women’s excellent results at last year’s Derby Day when they travel to Essex on Sunday. Both the men and women came out on top in their respective events and contributed to UEA’s 38-9 overall win. The club’s events will begin at 12:00 and will conclude at 15:30. For all the latest updates on the day, follow our Twitter account at @concretesport.
Women’s 4x200m: Cerys Currie, Danielle Hamilton, Emma-Lou Wagstaff, Sophie Morris. Men’s 4x200m: Adam Vaughan, Charlie Roe, Tsurujiro Go, Amar Singha.
PERSONAL BESTS: Danielle Hamilton, Tsurujiro Go, Emma-Lou Wagstaff, Cerys Currie.
Sophie East
Sophie East
Sophie East
T
h
e
@concretesport
Concrete Sport UEA
SPORT
Issue 295 11 March 2014 Athletics Indoor Championships
Moji Adegbile Photo: Alice Williams Moji Adegbile Flickr - Paul Foot
Page 23
Drugs comment: As drugs scandals persist, are we yearning for nostalgia or fantasy? Will Medlock Sports Editor Absurdity and the improbability of it happening in this Big Brother era makes the story of Thomas Hicks’ gold medal marathon victory in the 1904 Olympics a slightly comic one. While such blatant cheating on Hicks’ behalf – an injection of strychnine in the middle of the event – can be laughed off with a ‘it’d never happen today’ attitude, it is perhaps more pertinent to posit the following thought: whether it’s happening on the track or behind closed doors, the use of performance enhancing drugs is a force that refuses to recoil in the face of constant condemnation. It is misleading of athletes to repeatedly think that they will foil an on-demand age, where escape from their actions seems almost impossible. While Asafa Powell‘s use of oxilofrine was never likely to have been filmed and cut into a snazzy Vine, the truth was always going to come out one way or another.
100 years on from Hicks and his cocktail of strychnine and brandy, sport is still as susceptible to rule bending as ever. Calls for performance enhancing drugs to be legalised leave a bitter aftertaste. To exchange commitment and sheer hard work for a gold, sliver or bronze medal, or even simply the hearts of a nation, seems a fair deal. Shirking that prerequisite commitment for a needle renders any competition pointless. It shouldn’t feel antiquated to suggest that athletes should rely on themselves and no outside influence, yet the constant exposing of failed drugs tests only serves to commit this ideal of pureness to nothing more than fantasy. The case of Hicks proves that it is not nostalgia that so many of us are yearning for. That it appears to be a minority in athletics, and sport in general, that make banned substances a viable option in their quest for success is, excuse the pun, a positive. This is not to imply that other sports are without their problems. The recent spate of match fixing allegations has thrown certain footballers and their
clubs into disrepute. However, perhaps one of the silver linings of the pervasiveness of our society is that the next generation of athletes are increasingly exposed to the rule breaking some of their former heroes engage in. With any luck, they will rally against such misdemeanour. Yet, it would be contradictory to suggest that this is a certainty. 100 years on from a mid-race injection, we are still discussing performance enhancing drugs and still rooting for the diligence of athletes.
StudentVoice
Page 22 Fencing
RECENT CONSEQUENCES OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT 2006- Sprinter Justin Gatlin is forced to serve a four-year ban for doping. 2007 - Sprinter Marion Jones has her five medals from the 2000 Olympics taken away. 2012 - Cyclist Lance Armstrong is stripped of his Tour de France titles.
Page 22