irug case

Editor: °
udge Clancy’s reasons for dismissing, for-
North Vancouver District Councillor Joan
sby’s medical negligence lawsuit against
former doctor (Drug Suit Settled, Jul
s) were a typical example of the vader
in and denial surrounding doctor-
chemical dependency to benzodi-
pines.
his drug class, marketed under such names
lium, Serax, Ativan, Xanax, Librium and
mane "has long been recommended for
t-termn and intermittent use. The literature
mings; and reasons for avoiding prolonged
psure to benzos are extensive, well-docu-
ed, and fully available to any family physi-.

However, in my role as spokesperson for the
odiazepine Call-to-Action group, I have
rviewed scores of people whose lives have
n devastated b long-term exposure to these
, ifresponsib Pr
pical for (offending) physicians to blame
ir patients, whose judgment is profoundly
aired; for improper/use of benzodiazepines

¢ithéy become dependent, and to further -
tise ther

m when they become cross-addicted
ph ‘alcohol (which is common) in an attempt
ease their suffering.

‘Long-term “tisers of betizodiazepines are
bne' to erratic behavior, violent emotional
Ns, agitation, mood swings, depression,

‘ ~suicid “ideation, Once reported, these
nptoms (when. not recognized as drug side
ts) are often attributed to psychiatric illness
dressed with iene dosages of benzos

pvetage:

wen St || ot ‘yme | Class Size

Students,
en

prescribed by their doctors. .

north shore news

and other drug treatments,

A draft product monograph recently devel-
oped by the Health Protection Branch as part of
a review and update of hypnotic agents states, in

art, that “a variety of abnornial thinking and
chavioral changes may occur when ‘you use
benzodiazepine sleeping pills ... changes ma
include aggressiveness and extroversion which
seem out of character” as well as “confusion,
strange behavior, restlessness, hallucinations ...
and worsening depression, including suicidal
thinking,”

Joan Gadsby’s lawsuit is mirrored by similar
activity in London, England, where a Victims of
Tranquilizers (VOT) network was formed in
1993 to “promote understanding of the suffer-
ing and molecular bio-chemical brain damage
caused to thousands of British people by benzo-
diazepine tranquilizers prescribed by their doc-
tors.” In fact, over 5,000 lawsuits have been ini-

_ tiated through VOT,

The Globe and Mail ran an insert placed by
the ‘Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association

of Canada (PMAC) recently (April 1997) which:

estimated the cost of inappropriate prescriptions
in Canada exceed $2.56 billion. .
latrogenic (doctor-induced) chemical depen-

‘dency is very real, and has brutal ramifications

on individuals, their families, and society in gen-
eral. Joan Gadsby is not alone in her conviction

_that physicians should be held’ to a greater

degree of accountability, and that systemic
change is necessary to achieve this objective,
Suzanne Zeviar

Spokesperson, Benzodizzepine

Call to Action Group

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Dear Editor:

{ feel secret video-raping
of nannies:at work is totally
unaece ptable,

If there is aay cause for
concern, this needs to be
addressed, but I feel this is

Wednosday, July 30, 1997 - North Shore News ~ @

in Leave nannies be

with it,

In the case of suspected
child abuse by a parent, the
responsibility of the witness
(nanny, neighbor, ete.) is to
report what they suspect or
witnessed,

era is to judge whether or
not the job is being done ata
satisfactory level, then is it
also acceptable to place hid-
den cameras in all) work
places?

Nannies need not be sin-
gled out. There needs to be
some boundaries set here,

All work-places or none,
K, Brame

Ifthe reason for the cam- = North Vancouver

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