Miller: Drug law not working
(CNS): The represented for North Side, Ezzard Miller, has said that Cayman’s drug problem is not being helped by interdiction. The country needs to focus on reducing demand amongst the youngest kids, instead of spending so much on law enforcement as it wasn’t working, the MLA said last week. He said that the country had to focus on preventing today’s primary school children getting involved in drugs by spending money on them and ensuring that they have a better chance than the generations that came before them. Miller said it was almost impossible to turn older kids away from using or selling drugs once they became used to earning the kind of money the drub business generated.
Speaking at the police community meeting in North Side, on Thursday evening, Miller, the independent representative for the district, said that in 1989 as the minister responsible for health he came up with Cayman’s first National Drug Policy but it has since been dropped. Miller pointed out that enforcement has failed and that there are more drugs available today despite law enforcement efforts than ever before.
“Interdiction is not working,” he said, adding that this was illustrated by the amount of money spent by the United States which had done nothing to solve the problem. “Cocaine and marijuana is more readily available and cheaper today than it was twenty-five years ago.”
He said he wanted to save the 65 or so children at the North Side primary school so they didn’t become the future users and dealers. Miller said that he had asked government for just CI$75,000 in the budget to work with the teens in the district that were vulnerable and to ensure the kids in North Side Primary who were not yet sucked in would be protected. He lamented the fact he didn’t get it and pointed out that spending that money now would save millions in future if he could save those 65 children.
Across the board enforcement efforts were failing, the MLA warned, and government had been spending millions of dollars foolishly. Hepointed out that the CAYs Foundation, which ran the government children’s homes, had terrible results and most of the young people that had been through the system were either in jail or dead. Miller said he believed this sent a clear message, “If you want to save kids don’t put them in government programmes.”
Miller spoke about the efforts in the community to take care of the teens in North Side that were at risk, including attempts to find them work or training. His district council was now utilizing the community centre more effectively and it could provide a place at evenings to run a variety of programmes that would help keep kids out of trouble, but he needed the money to do it.
He also told Baines that people in North Side wanted to work with the police as they always had done, demonstrated by the regular meetings with the RCIPS in the district, but he said they needed to see more results. North Siders were sick, he said, of seeing the same criminals arrested over and over as they were released on bail while awaiting sentencing and they would just commit the same crimes over and over.
“We have had the same people, committing the same offences for over 15 years,” Miller said. “There must be a meeting of minds at some point between government, the police and the judicial system to put a stop to this madness.”
Category: Headline News
I would like to clearify some misconseptions about "Ganja", alot of the ganja users here in cayman, are non violent people, most of them don’t even consume alcohol they just smoke up the chronic, and you would be very surprised at the "professionals" in Cayman who are smoking, from CIG yeah they would like to pretend it doesn’t go on but it sure as hell does that’s why drugs in/on such a small island can’t be eradicated, to the lil street guys, to the Lawyers, CEO’s, etc… Ganja is a meditation drug, this drug would eliminate alot of unnecessary mood altering drugs, it’s better than alcohol, (how manydeaths by car accidents have been caused by driving under the influence of ganja?) Ganja is a natural herb, no chemicals used to grow this plant, it has numerous, medicinal uses, other than just being a substance to get high, but Govts around the world know that this plant has many uses and are dening the world the many benefits that the ganja plant has to offer. So CIG try so be the first and push for something unique in the world free up the ganja, and when you talk about Medical Tourism, ahh just think of all the good you will do for your potential patients……Legalize it and done
I totally agree with Cornpipe user Tue, 08/31/2010 – 20:44, there are a lot of professionals that use the drug and people think that’s not true, but face it anybody can get it from anyone any where. I t should be legalised because it used as medicinal use for a lot of diseases. People should do their research on the element. Many experiments have been done on this drug and it is found that it does not kill the way cigarettes and alcohol do. But that’s just what I know, but we all should do research. I’m not saying everyone should use it because the things that our children see us do, they will follow. But I think that marijuana should be legalised for medicinal purposes which is vey important as there are a lot of diseases being found every day.
What will eliminate PROFITS from selling ganja or weed? How do you get rid of weed and the meaningless killings for it?
A SIMPLE Answer:
Have government compete with those who sell it, and they will eventually lose business. Meanwhile, use the proceeds to educate the public about marijuana.
Ezzard has maintained an honest face and a direct above board posture throughout the years. I appreciate the integrity in this man.
people need to open thier minds and realize that weed is not the cause of most of the crime on the island; its the illegality of it which causes the crime. think about it, if alcohol was illegal, how much crime do yu think will be committed due to the fact that at certain amount of consumption can result in a total uncontrollable state + its more addicting than weed if yu ask me.
only reason it is still illegal is because the government would benefit way more by seizing the illegal funds than to actaully make it legal n tax it. think about it. the government only thinks about money, end of story. its true that its very easy to get a hold of it. people need to stop listening to all the lies from the past.
if anyone has a chance watch the documentary "The Union"
if yu ask me…alcohol, cocaine and tobacco laws should be enforced
legalizing marijuana will not happen, we all kno that, but decriminalizing it would be an appropiate option in my mind. give them people a break, if yu find someone selling it, fair enough, but nothing is wrong with smoking it time to time
Its not weed, its not lack of money – its addicition to crack/cocaine that is crippling this island and driving folks to crime – just take a good look around you. If you come from London, New York or any of the major cities you can see it all around you here – destroying the people who are tooweak to say no.
Now come on Cayman – WEED has been and will ALWAYS be around! I remember hearing stories of prominent caymanians even FARMING it back in the good ole days!!!
It is a complete waste of money/time/energy to run around knocking on people’s front door to see if they are smoking weed in their bathrooms!!!
What needs to be done is, tax the weed, legalize it to adults age 21 (drinking age should be increased to that as well), allow only so much to be bought by a person on a weekly basis and make it a policy that it CANNOT be consumed in public – simple.
Weed ain’t the culprit of the problems Cayman is sufffering with – you know what is??? LIQUOR!!!! At least with weed they can control how high and how long they want that buzz. But with liquor people can’t even get out of bed the next morning!!! Enough bull – I would rather see my family members smoking a joint than getting in domestic disputes because of that money maker called ALCOHOL! Sick of seeing police officers (remember they even had their own bar room), doctors, bankers, politicians, judicial etc…..running around throwing big alcohol fueled parties and sitting around bar rooms ALL night trying to achive that high that one puff of a joint provides.
Plus what a safety risk it becomes when you have a young man driving through the streets at 100 mph from police because he got a stick of ganja in his pocket and he don’t want to get caught because then he is going to lose his job, get a police record and guess what HAVE TO GO TO SOCIAL SERVICES for handouts!!! Yup, more money Gov’t got to fork out for that too!!!
And please, please, please, EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS ISLAND KNOWS SOMEONE WHO SMOKES IT! Even the police and MLA’s have friends or family that they know does it so why bother???
People this is a tricky subject to deal with but if AMSTERDAM can make it work then why the heck an island of 60 odd thousand people can’t???
STOP WASTING TIME…….AND FIND THEM ROBBERS – DAT WHAT UNNA NEED TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙁
4/20!!!!!
Why does it not surprise me that we have a West Bayer saying to not worry about Weed. I am sure that 90% of the weed sales in Cayman comes out of West Bay.
Let me explain a few things to you. Probably 70% of robberies are tied to drug abuse be it Cocaine or Weed. So eliminated those substances should also put a dent into robberies.
And let’s look at this from another completely different angle. You can not tell me weed does not play a part in the West Bay elections? I mean how does he keep winning? You have to be pretty messed up to throw him a vote year in year out.
Now isn’t Weed probably our #1 issue? Eliminate weed we immediately cut back on crime and at the same time solve our political problems.
Weed will not be eliminated. That is the point. Demand is too high.
So we need another approach. Legalisation wouldreduce prices, reduce associated criminality, raise revenue and make treatment options more transparent and available. So if you want more of the same then keep on going.
The War on Weed is lost my friend. You are tilting at windmills. Get over it and legalize the stuff and free up the police to hunt down the suppiers of hard drugs.
I am sure? Let me explain? Probably70%? You can not tell me? Weed probably our #1 issue? Another island expert on everything they know nothing about.
And legalizing it for you junkies is the answer right, really now.
Weed is a stepping stone for drug users. It’s always where you start and rarely where you end up.
As long as it is addictive it is a problem to us. Because you need it means you do what you need to do to get it. This includes theft and God knows what else.
Most people are committing robberies to feed themselves and thier families. Many probably can’t get a job because they’ve been arrested and convicted for having a few grams of weed on them for personal use and now can’t get a job.
Legalize. Its the only sensible thing to do.
Alcohol is far more destructive (statistically!) than marajuana.
Might want to rethink that, I would say alcohol and cigarettes are the stepping stones. The reason why people say weed is because its illegal.
Ever told a child not to do something cause its wrong or something will happen? 90% of them will then do it.
Legalising some drugs and making something like herb illegal is just one reason why most peolpe try.
You cant OD on weed, you don’t get hangovers on weed, its far cheaper, less addictive, its natural, the list is endless..
And no offence, but with a name like Dred…
It is not addictive. You got a computer to type on so you can look up things like that. It is all in you mind really.
As long as it is addictive it is a problem to us
Ho Ho, so lets ban work (heard of workaholics) booze, tobacco and working out at the gym, even sunbathing
Grow up
Frankly if prohibition in the 20’s US proved anything is that banning a substanced used by the masses to get through their week doesn’t stop it’s use, just forces controll of the substance into the hands of bad people.
Its been proven scientifically and through life that alcohol is more addictive and causes greater problems than Cannabis.
Frankly decriminalising the weed could give the Gov plenty of much needed cash, a big boost for tourism, take the profits from the hands of criminals and give the police a chance to crack down on the real criminals.
Weed is a stepping stone as, as long it is illegal, the only suppliers will also be the suppliers of the harder drugs, giving easy access.
Make tobacco illeagal and then that would be a stepping stone to harder drugs as well.
Walking along 7 mile at 11 at night, I’m not worried about the paranoid stoner rather the group of kids drunk and causing trouble as they have lost their inhibitions and judgement
‘Probably 70% of robberies are tied to drug abuse be it Cocaine or Weed.’
If you are going to quote statistics, remember two things:
1. 67.5 per cent are made up.
2. Statistically, 6 out of 7 Dwarves ain’t Happy.
Probably.
MLA’s PHOTOS
Do we have any psychiatrists in these forums?
As the old saying goes "A Picture says a thousand words" and I believe it.
Dear Readers, take a look at Mr. Ezzard Miller’s photo.
He is always facing the camera looking directly, right into it. That posture is characteristic of an honest individual. When you pick up the newspaper its as though Mr. Miller is looking directly into your eyes as well! This has significant meaning whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not.
Check out the photos of the others. they are always photographed sideways, looking down, or their back turned ! What ‘s the matter? Their posture is significant of their intentions and their worth ! check it out.
Mr. Miller can face anyone at any time because he is NOT A SHADY CHARACTER ! and the people should appreciate this. He has integrity and is NOT FOR SALE. He is also too big to fit into the pockets of the rich power,and famous that control our present government.Just a little humor!
Ezzard is a jewel and Caymanians don’t even realize what a good man Ezzard really is. He is not a money hog winingand dining every lobbyist that drop a bag of money on his lap! The man has guts, he has two **** and he has a **** that can stand up to those that try to take advantage of the people of the Cayman Islands. Those that are running the country, I dare say can not be trusted with the affairs of the people. lWe trust Mr. Ezzard Miller and we trust his judgment on all issues.
If we donot use common sense and elect Ezzard Miller as Premier in 2013, like Desmond Seales often said. "PEOPLE GET THE GOVERNMENT THEY DESERVE!"
In otherwords you will have to take what you get just like what you have jow if you the people do not change your horrible voting habits, voting for horrible people.
To Sigmund Freud,
Have you ever bought a used car or dealt with a Kirby Vacume Cleaner salesman? Both will look you directly in the eye and swear up and down what a great deal you are getting.
Almost anyone in sales is trained in these techniques and most politicians are selling their opinions for votes.
You might want to rethinkyour position…
Legalize it, don’t criticize it.
And I will advertize it.
And I will look at the "z" in "criticize" and "advertize" shiver and let it go. Damn you Word and your default settings to "American English" and its role in the conspiracy to impose an Americanised hegemony on us all.
community centres…youth programmes..etc….zzzzzzz
it’s always down to the parents and how these kids have been raised
just make parents responsible for kids when they are 16 and under….
if a child under 16 commits a crime their parents should be fined
Stop the nonsense. When they’re 25 and 30 years old they still don’t kmow which direction they’re gong in!
l6 is way too young. The legal age should be 21 years of age to secede from parental responsibility. l6 to 20 years old is too narrow a window and leaves much room for maturity.
The least one can request that makes sense is Age l8, at least that’s the age the rest of the world sees them as adults!
If you’re asking a l6 year old to act like an adult you’re crazy and asking for way too much! that’s our problem. It need to be corrected. they are just kids!
Should we say "The Criminal Law" is not working?
First, we need to REMOVE the senseless law that takes away the parental right for corporal discipline within the home. Effectively this results in the Law Enforcement having to deal with the ESCALATING crime and that is the TAX- PAYERS money. And don’t even go there… yes, there can be STANDARDS set on what is constitutes ‘abuse’ and what’s not. To start with corporal discipline has been used from early mankind and I all too sure, has made better adults from kids as opposed to today’s "kids are free to be all they can be"… BAD that is – and parents are supposed to tell them they are grounded or go stand in the corner. That is USELESS in a society where the young generation are hell-bent on being ‘BAD’ and doing nothing but BAD.
What they seriously lack, is the ROD of CORRECTION.
Then for those who still insists to be ‘the Garbage’ of our society, then more IRON CLAD laws and more HARSH penalties to be dispensed.
I dont know about anyone else, but I say we go IRON CLAD all the way.
Yup, IRONCLAD!
Have to agree with Ezzard here once again!…we should tax and control it just like cigarettes and alcohol!
And drastically reduce the budget spent on criminalising what will always be around!
Ezzard is right! We need to focus our energies towards helping those youngsters who are not set in their ways. Instead of wasting our monies on the Commissioner to battle crimes they can’t even handle.
You go… Ezzard! I’m with ya 100%
The real demand for drugs in Cayman comes from high income professionals – not the jobless drop outs. From my experience, about 1 in 3 respectable successful professionals in Cayman use currently illegal drugs – the same in New York and London and everywhere in between. Those kids deal – and use some drugs along the way also – but thats not the real source of the demand.
Most people who use drugs recreationally lead very productive lives – contrary to the underlying assumptions of the war on drugs. Obviously most of those who have dropped out of school, come from disadvantaged families are unlikely to improve thier fate once they start also using drugs – or people with other underlying issues which make them vulnerable to harmful drug abuse and addiction.
The war on drugs is a total failure – and like prohibition is a totally flawed and irrational exercise.
Read the View Point by Hari
We must indeed do all we can to protect vulnerable children – however its an impossible exercize unless marijuana and cocaine and whatever other drugs that circulate in Cayman are legalised and thier control managed by the government (or an authority of some sort) instead of the thugs and kids who keep falling through the cracks and joining thier ranks. And crucially – legalisation will need to be done by as many of our neighbors as possible to make it a truly successful move – globally eventually.
Didn’t Bruce Golding make some statements early in his term supporting legalisation? Anyone knowledgeable of the facts of the war on drugs, capable of rational thought, who actually wants to find a solution to the problems of crime and violence associated the illegal drug trade – would also support legalisation.
There is the treatment center at Caribbean Haven in Breakers but what is their recovery rate?
How many have recovered after having gone there?
Great question, but I think you should also ask how much has our drug using population increased since the inception of CaribbeanHaven.
Good one, If you want to save kids don’t put them in government programs! He should have kept going onthis.
If you want to save money don’t let the Government have it.
If you want something done right keep it out of the governments hands.
if you want to see you tax dollars at work don’t live in Cayman!
If you don’t want to be a victim of crime don’t go to Cayman!
If you don’t want your kids to grow up a criminal don’t send them to a government funded school on Cayman.
Face up to it Cayman. The criminal mentality runs Cayman island government. Its why Caymanian kids rob pizza shops, shoot at the police, and aspire to be drug pushers. Its why there will never be enough money to run the government. Its why the leadership can steal anything and everything they can get their hands on and still be called "Premier".
Its the reason Cayman is going downhill fast and No power on earth can stop it.
Miller’s scheme – what a waste of money. It is harking back to Nancy Reagan saying "Just say no". I heard that campaign. It just made me more curious about drugs and in my teens and twenties I did drugs. I have o say they were quite fun. Adults will never educate the demand out of children.
At the same time Ezzard is right – the "war on drugs" has failed.
We need a third way, the only way to protect and prevent children and to stamp out the crime around drugs is to legalise, control sale, control prices and tax drugs. Prohibition has failed. The only people who benefit from prohibition are the crime lords.
We will never legalize Drugs Mr. or Mrs. Marl Rhodes!
We will forever hunt the drug lords down and let them pay dearly, confiscate their toys, their mansions and their SUV’s and Hummers! Yes strip them and make an open show of them that’s the way to do it. then give the sports cars to the police to drive their families around in or AUCTION THE XXXX OFF
Good one, except once you take one off the street, another person takes their spot, its never-ending. Drugs are a business, albeit illegal, you take away the CEO and another is elected. You atek away the salespersons and more a re hired. FACT.
Number one rule in economics : demand = supply
The war on drugs is pointless and a complete waste of money because drugs have been around for centuries and will be around till the end of time. Its liek a merry-go-round, an eternal wheel that keeps on spinning. The police, army whoever will never get rid of it, only pick of some of the players every once in a while and fill the prison system. Then once theses people get out, guess what, they go back to selling drugs, because they can’t get jobs and people ask them for it.
Most people use drugs, whether legal or illegal. Cayman itself makes a fortune of selling them, whether legal or illegal. Peolpe from all walks of life use drugs, whether legal or illegal. End of story because its like the religious argument it keeps going and going.
There’s no religious argument that keeps going and going with amongst the enligthened few.
We happen to know that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and that "no man cometh to the father God but by me", he says..,
END OF STORY
‘JESUS IS LORD"
Enlightened? Hah ha ha, more like brainwashed.
Jesus is like a comic book character, you only read about this fictional person.
In fact the bible is the No. 1 best seller of all time, I think John Grisham is still trying to emuluate that.
Back in the day when the "white man" travelled the world along with the Spanish and whoever else conquered, they threw this great book down everyones throat and told them that it was "the word" and this guy existed. It was their way of controlling populations, slaves etc etc, CREATING SOCIETY THEY COULD CONTROL. And clearly it still works today. If you are telling me Jesus exists, then ET and the Boogey Man is up there as well. I think what you are missing in the book is that heaven and hell are here on earth, depending on how you live your life according to all the morals etc which dictates whether your life is good (heaven) or bad (hell). Then you die, end of story. Most people just can’t fathom that. You ever been knocked out? Nothing happens, lights out, then you wake up. In death, lights out and you dont wake up.
And I know I am wrong and you are right, which is why the religious argument never ends.
When you meet Jesus tell him to stop by my house for a beerand a set of dominoes, then I will believe it.
Life is hard out there for some people all I’m saying, if you been trying and yu can’t get no job…go on get out there n make your paper bu bu…Because “U can’t loose anything; if yu aint got nothing to loose”
Mr. Ezzard Miller we need you for premier you are one of the few in the LA with a vision for Cayman.
Ezzard Miller must be elected premier in 2013 or Cayman perishes.
McKeeva Bush go ahead and implement the National Drug policy drafted and introduced by Mr. Miller. there should be ligislation to support drug policies so that successive governments do not throw them out because of political ego. Only the children suffer and it is a shame.
Ezzard we believe in you because you are not a money shark like the UDP and its leader.
so Cayma needs to look to you to lead in 2013. I wish you were leading us now. But you are doing fantastic job. We love you Ezzard. McKeeva, Alden and kurt all have to step aside when Ezzard Speaks, he puts them all to shame and makes them look like the amateurs they really are.