Page Ten

THE MiCHIGAN DAILY

Valium: No. 1 in drug abuse

WASHINGTON (/T, - A new
government report shows that
the tranquilizer Valium is as-
sociated with drug abuse crises
more often than heroin or anv
other drag.
Heroin and morphine were
linked more often than the
other substances to deaths at-
tributed to drug abuse.
DR. ROBERT DUPONT, di-
rector of the National Institute
on Drug Abuse, released the re-
port yesterday and said the
findings will help government
officials set priorities for drug
abuse prevention.
The report is a collection of
statistics furnished by more
than 1,200 hospital emergency

roms, crisis centers and medi-
cal examiners in 23 metropoli-
tan areas from April 1974, to
April 1975. The information
gathering system is called
DAWN for Drug Abuse Warning
Network,
The medical facilities handled
more than 266,000 drug abuse
cases during the year, the re-
port said.
MEDICAL examiners report-
ed 12,129 deaths associated
with drug use. The statistical
report does not indicate whe-
ther a particular drug was the
cause of death, only that the
medical examiner found evi-
dence of the drug in the vic-
tim's bloodstream or suspected

that drug use contributed to an
accident or disease.
The report said Valium, a
commonly used tranquilizer
which may be purchased with
a doctor's prescription, was as-
sociated with 10 per cent of
the drug abuse cases. The per-
centage was higher than the
level reported for any other
drug.
Alcohol in combination with
other unspecified drugs ranked
second, heroin third, marijuana
fourth and aspirin fifth.
MORPHINE ranked first
among the drugs associated
with death. Heroin and mor-
phine together accounted for
15 per cent of the deaths as-

sociated with drug abuse.
The report noted that the
body changes heroin into mor-
phine in the bloodstream, so
deaths which follow heroin ov-
erdoses probably would be list-
ed as morphine deaths.
Alcohol in combination with
other drugs was linked to 13
per cent of the deaths, the re-
port said. Valium was associat-
ed with 4 per cent of the
deaths.
DuPont said San Diego re-
cently was added to the list and
is now participating with the
other cities in the continuing
survey.
The Indiana Turnpike was
completed in 1956.

Friday, July 9, 1 97
Prostfitutes
protest new
N.Y. street-
walking lawr
NEW YORK - A new
state law aimed at restricting
prostitution was attacked as
too widesweeping and uncon-
stitutional yesterday by five
women who say they have a
right to beckon strangers, stop
pedestrians on the street and
strike up conversations if they
want to.
U. S. District Court Judge
Thomas Griesa agreed to ask
for a special three judge panel
to hear the case, tentatively
on July 21. But the judge re
fused to forbid enforcement of
the law until the panel rules.
TIE WOMEN are complain
ing about a statute enacted
June 11 and effective next Sun
day. They said they wanted to
engage in political activity in
midtown Manhattan during net
week's Democratic Nationa
Convention as part of "consti
tutionally protected activities
Legal Aid Society lawyer.
told the judge that the new Ian,
captioned "loitering for the p
pose of engaging in a prostitu
tion offense," would "crete a
new crime composed of mt
tempted communication b a
prospective defendant together
with an unarticulated intente
or desire to commit a proi
tion offense.
"The new statue seeks Io vi
trol the murky area inside a
individual's mind, to miake-
minal an attempt to sneak n
another in a public place n
no other overt act onrees
able inference of criminaln
tent," Criesa was told.
AMONG the plaintiffs seek
ing to enjin the new la- I
Mari Maggu, who amin-kn nnn
cord of trostitution andi fe-
der of SCAPEGOAT, agrou
aiding medical care ande
services for tprotitutenliO
now offe- counseing
stitutes in the TimeS
area.
"I plan to continue tisiwork
through the Democratic Nanoa
al Convention and there:fe,
she said in a court affidai
"I have been recently thea:
ened with arrest by police of
ficers if I do not get off the
street by July 11.
"Although I explained tha
I am 'not on the stroll,' but d-
ing political work, they told one
they knew what I was doing ana
that I would be arrested if I
continued to stay on the stree
Adjusting your driving speed
for hills, curves, and varying
traffic conditions is essentialt I
keeping your car under cono a
and to driving safely.
FFirstby Four
FRY/GORDON
UCKHAM/THORP
July 6-31
Rception : 9th ,7-9

5 L Tu -F, sun0
FIRST FLOOR- MICHIGAN UNiO"

-7
SPITFIRE___
Their Latest
Albuni
Manufactured and Distributed by RCA Records
ON SALE
-W t or3,95
540 E. LIBERTY Liberty Centrer. MON -SAT 10 A M ;tnnT;
corner of Liberty and Moynord SUN '2 ION 6 P M