edmontonsun.com – Edmonton News – Stoner waiting for sentence

I don’t really have anything to say about the story.  It’s the headline I’ve got a problem with.

“Stoner”?  I wonder if the DUI driver profiled in the story were drunk, if they would have said “Alcoholic waiting for sentence”.  The other Canadian press led with headlines like…

Edmonton court hears from family of stoned driver’s victims

Edmonton judge reserves decision in stoned driver case

…which are fine, because you’d say “drunk driver”, too.

I’m pretty free with the terms “stoner” (and “pothead” and “toker”), but that’s among the community.  I can say it, you can say it, but they better not say it!  It’s kind of like our “n-word” – we can say “stoner”, but they can’t.

I see this too often in the headlines.  Another one that really bugs me is “medipot”.  If you need a shorthand for “medical marijuana”, you can use “med-mj” and it’s even less letters!

The drug policy reform organizations ought to think about mounting a campaign to inform the media about the proper terminology for our issues.  The gay community has been very successful in getting the AP, Washington Post, and New York Times to adapt their style guide to avoid using biased or pejorative terms such as “admitted homosexual” or “transsexual”.  Is there any such equivalent to tell newspapers not to use “stoner”, “junkie”, “tweeker”, or “crackhead”?

Driver on drugs found guilty in fatal crash
EDMONTON – An Edmonton-area man who was high on marijuana when he slammed head-on into another car and killed two people has been found guilty of impaired driving causing death.   

James McIlwrick, 36, was also found guilty on two counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. He looked dazed as Court of Queen’s Bench Justice June Ross delivered her verdict.

McIlwrick acknowledged he was driving one of two vehicles involved in the fatal crash on Nov. 25, 2003, but admitted nothing else.

He was allegedly driving the wrong way down Highway 21 near Sherwood Park around 7:30 p.m. when he collided with the oncoming vehicle.

Tammy Engelking, 27, and Henry Yao, 40, died in the collision. The passengers suffered serious injuries.

A bystander rushed to McIlwrick’s van and opened the door, and noticed the strong smell of marijuana. Doctors later questioned whether he was fit to consent to tests because of his level of intoxication.

Court has heard he had been using marijuana, Paxil, Zyprexa and Ativan.

Before I start any of my commentary, let me note that if you’re so high you drive down the wrong way of a highway and crash into and kill two people, you deserve very severe punishment.

That said, notice the lede of this story says “who was high on marijuana” and you don’t hear about the pharmaceuticals until you get to the end of the story.  The average reader is going to infer “marijuana causes accidents and death” from that lede.

But deeper analysis reveals that the pharmacuticals may have been much more to blame:

Paxil’s serious side effects

• seizure (convulsions);
• tremors, shivering, muscle stiffness or twitching;
• problems with balance or coordination;
• agitation, confusion, sweating, fast heartbeat; or
• easy bruising or bleeding (such as a nosebleed).

Less serious side effects may include:

• feeling nervous, restless, or unable to sit still;
• drowsiness, dizziness, weakness;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• nausea, constipation, loss of appetite;
• weight changes;
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or
• dry mouth, yawning, or ringing in your ears. 

Zyprexa’s serious side effects

• fever, stiff muscles, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats;
• jerky muscle movements you cannot control;
• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;
• increased thirst, frequent urination, excessive hunger, or weakness;
• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• unusual thoughts or behavior, hallucinations, or thoughts about hurting yourself; or
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness, or weakness;
• constipation;
• dry mouth;
• swelling in your hands or feet;
• back pain;
• weight gain, increased appetite; or
• upset stomach. 

Ativan’s serious side effects

• confusion, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
• hyperactivity, agitation, hostility;
• hallucinations; or
• feeling light-headed, fainting.

Less serious side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness;
• blurred vision;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• muscle weakness, lack of balance or coordination;
• amnesia or forgetfulness, trouble concentrating;
• nausea, vomiting, constipation;
• appetite changes; or
• skin rash.