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THE November 6, 1986 Vol. 85, No. 18
VISTA
Thursday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
Drug abuse focus of forum By Shannon Blockcolski Editor More than 1,000 people are arrested in Oklahoma each month for drug related crimes, according
to Weldon Davis, officer of the Oklahoma State Narcotics Bureau. Davis was one of three speakers featured in "Cocaine Today," a
Bellmon, Nickles defeat democrats From Staff Reports Democrats gained control of the United States Senate for the first time since 1980 Tuesday, with a ten seat majority, 55-45. In the House of Representatives, Democrats kept their locked-up control, and even added a few seats. The Republicans made several breakthroughs in the Democrats 34-16 edge among the governors. In the Oklahoma gubernatorial race, Gov. Henry Bellmon, the state's first Republican governor in 1962 and former U.S. Senator, defeated businessman Democrat David Walters, 51 percent to 49 percent. Republican incumbent Don Nickles surpassed challenger District Democrat Congressman James R. Jones, 54 percent to 46 percent. In a close secondary race, Democrat Robert S. Kerr III defeated Republican state Sen. Tim Leonard for the lieutenant governor title. Democrat Robert Henry will fill the attorney general seat left open by Mike Turpen, who lost the Democrat gubernatorial nomination to David Walters. Henry defeated Republican Brian Griffin. In the race for treasurer, Ellis Edwards reigned victorious over Republican candidate Joe Manning for the seat held for two decades by Democrat Leo Winters, who lost in the primary. Other winners Tuesday include: Corporation commissioner — Democrat Robert Hopkins defeated Republican Phyllis Gault. Insurance commissioner — Democrat Gerald Grimes defeated Republican J.M. "Tiny" Blankenship. State auditor and inspector — Democrat incumbent Clifton Scott defeated Republican Dale E. Wallis. Superintendent of public instruction — Democrat incumbent John M. Folkes defeated Republican David Evans. District 96 representative —
Democrat Jim Zimmerman defeated Republican Carl Thompson and Independent Herbert Monks. District 81 representative — Republican Gaylan Stacy defeated Democrat Joe Park. District 83 representative — Republican Joe Heaton defeated Democrat John Williams. District 5 congressional seat — Republican Mickey Edwards defeated Democrat Donna Compton. District 2 congressional seat — Democrat Mike Synar defeated Republican Gary K. Rice. District 3 congressional seat — Democrat Wes Watkins defeated Republican Patrick K. Miller. District 4 congressional seat — Democrat Dave McCurdy defeated Republican Larry Humphreys. District 6 congressional seat — Democrat incumbent Glenn English ran unopposed. Voters also approved six state questions: SQ 593 — barring paroles of inmates sentenced to death or life without parole. SQ 589 — remove obsolete language prohibiting women from working in underground mines and raise the age limit from 16 to 18 for a person to be employed in underground mines. SQ 590 — repeal a $2 poll tax for voters under 60 years old, which is prohibited by the 24th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. SQ 591 — allow winemakers in Oklahoma to sell their products to customers at their wineries instead of just to wholesalers. SQ 592 — remove a law limiting fares charged to train passengers; rail passenger service is no longer available in Oklahoma. SQ 597 — allow collection of state taxes on federal property obtained by foreclosure or bankruptcy, unless prohibited by federal law. At press time, some votes were still being counted in Oklahoma County due to problems with the computer counting machines.
forum focusing on cocaine and crack, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Liberal Arts Auditorium. "We recognize that law enforcement alone is not the answer, but only part of the solution, to the drug abuse problem," Davis said. "Perhaps education will be the overall answer." Davis said only four percent of OSNB's arrests come from cocaine, but 75 percent involve marijuana. "We are experiencing more and more problems with ecstacy, especially in Nichols Hills, Edmond and some areas of Tulsa," Davis said. More than $100 billion a year are spent on illegal drugs in the United States, Davis said. "60 percent of the world's illegal drugs are marketed in the United States, and we have some 500,000 heroin addicts," Davis said. Larry Carnes, from the Life Improvement Center and the Cocaine Connection, spoke on the history and effects of cocaine. Cocaine originated in the West Indies, Carnes said, and was discovered when the Indians saw that after their llamas chewed the leaves off of the coca plant, the animals could carry more for a further distance. The Indians then began to chew
the leaves, which consisted of only one-half of one percent of pure alkaloid cocaine, Carnes said. "The typical routes of cocaine admission now are nasal, intravenous and only recently by smoking," Carnes said. "It is not injested through the stomach anymore because it takes so long for the "high," a lot of people don't think it's worth it." Crack received its name from the popping sound of the alkaloid after it has been dissolved in amonia and baking soda and is smoked, Carnes said. Cocaine and crack are central nervous system stimulants, Carnes said, and can cause one's heart rate and blood pressure to increase, as well as a heart attack. "In laboratory research, cocaine is the only drug a rat will self-administer until it dies. The physical effects and addiction are trememdous," Carnes said. Cocaine Connection offers outpatient drug treatment and a new program called "continguency contracting," according to Carnes. The patient writes a letter to their employer, admitting their cocaine addiction. The patient then gives the letter to the workers at Cocaine Connection, who mails it to the employee only if the patient begins using the drug again.
"A lot of people don't like this program, or think it's a good idea," Carnes said. Perry Carlton from Drug Recovery Inc. said, "It's getting to the point now that if someone is smoking pot or doing coke recreationally, you don't know what else they are doing." Drug Recovery Inc. offers a long term residential program for addicts and alcoholics to help each other recover, Carlton said. The adolescent center is located in Arcadia, and the adult center in Oklahoma City, he added. "One-third of the population in the adult program were once incarcerated and imprisoned for drugs," Carlton said. Drug Recovery Inc.'s philosophies are; abstinence is the only answer for all drugs, and that individuals need to learn how to live life on life's terms, Carlton said. "Most addicts don't know the damage drugs can do to them, they just know it feels good and that they want more," Carlton said. "Drug addiction is a disease, but it is a disease that hides itself well from the victim. "Our goal is for a person to become congruent. We help the person admit to themselves that they need help."
Recently elected Gov. Henry Bellmon victory over Democrat candidate David Walters. addresses the members of the Republican watch This will be Bellmon's second term as governor of party Tuesday night after the announcement of his Oklahoma.